Stove Flue Pipe UK, Black Enamel Stove Pipe

Buying guide

Stove pipe is the short run of single wall pipe between the top or back of the stove and the chimney or flue system. It looks simple, but it is governed by Approved Document J, and getting the diameter, angles and clearances right matters for safety and for how well the stove draws.

What stove pipe is for

Approved Document J calls this a connecting flue pipe. It should be used only to connect an appliance to its chimney or flue system: it must not pass through a roof space, partition, internal wall or floor, except to pass directly into a chimney through the chimney wall or a floor supporting the chimney. Inside a chimney, the flue is formed by a liner; with no chimney, by a twin wall insulated system. Stove pipe is the visible link between the stove and either one.

Choosing the diameter

The pipe must be the same diameter as the stove's flue outlet, and never smaller than the maker recommends. Common sizes in our range:

Diameter	Typical stoves	Our pipe
125mm (5 inch)	Carron ECO 5kW and ECO Revolution, FDC Eco, Woolly Mammoth; the Opus Trio Scala gas stove	Black enamel 125mm, Carron 5 inch pipe, 1000mm black 5 inch
150mm (6 inch)	Opus wood stoves, Opus Calypso, Woodfire CX models	Black enamel 150mm
175mm	Larger stoves; check the manual	Black enamel 175mm
200mm	Woodfire EX inset boiler stoves	Black enamel 200mm

Elbows and tees come in matching sizes: 125mm, 150mm, 175mm and 200mm, each with 45 and 90 degree elbows (with or without a cleaning door) and a 90 degree tee with cap. A 100mm set is also available.

The rules your installer works to

Bends. Keep the run as straight and vertical as possible. Where bends are essential they should be no more than 45 degrees from vertical, and a flue should have no more than four changes of direction; a 90 degree bend counts as two 45s.
Horizontal runs. From a rear outlet, a horizontal section should not exceed 150mm before it turns up.
Clearance to combustibles. Approved Document J shows bare stove pipe kept at least three times its diameter from combustible material, or 1.5 times with a suitable non-combustible shield.
Socket up. Spigot and socket joints are fitted with the socket facing upwards, so condensate stays inside, and joints are made gas-tight.
Cleaning access. The flue must be sweepable. A pipe or elbow with a cleaning door gives access where the sweep cannot reach through the stove.
Materials. Approved Document J lists suitable connecting pipes, including vitreous enamelled steel and metal pipes designated to BS EN 1856-2 for the fuel.

In England and Wales, fitting a new liner or flue is building work that must be notified, which a HETAS registered installer can self-certify. In Scotland it normally needs a building warrant, and in Northern Ireland building control rules apply. More in installing a wood burner without a chimney.

Our stove pipe range

Black enamel pipe in 250mm, 500mm and 1000mm lengths, with or without a cleaning door, in 125mm to 200mm diameters, for connecting a stove to a chimney liner or flue. Matt black pipe in 1000mm lengths, plain or with a cleaning door. The Carron 5 inch straight pipe comes in 500mm or 1000mm lengths and seven finishes, from matt black to sage green and cream, to match the Carron ECO stove. A 45 degree section and 45 degree finishing plate neaten angled runs where pipe passes through a register plate.

Installer packs: the 125mm and 150mm packs each bundle stove pipe, a register plate and a carbon monoxide detector. See each pack's page for the exact contents before you order.

Liners, register plates and adaptors

In a chimney, the stove pipe usually connects to a flexible stainless steel liner running up the inside of the chimney, through a register plate that seals the bottom of the chimney above the stove. The register plate needs a removable section or a cleaning door in the pipe so the sweep can get in. In England and Wales, relining a chimney counts as building work that must be notified, which a HETAS installer can self-certify; in Scotland it normally needs a building warrant. With no chimney, the stove pipe connects to the start of a twin wall insulated flue. Either way, your installer chooses the adaptors that join the stove pipe to the system.

Measuring for stove pipe

Measure from the top of the stove's flue collar to where the pipe will meet the liner adaptor or register plate, allowing for the overlap at each joint. For a rear outlet, add the short horizontal section and the bend. Pipe can usually be cut to length, but buy the right combination of lengths to keep joints to a minimum. Your installer will confirm the run and any adaptor needed to the liner.

Common questions

What size stove pipe do I need?

The same diameter as your stove's flue outlet: 125mm on Carron, FDC and Woolly Mammoth stoves, 150mm on Opus wood stoves and 200mm on Woodfire EX inset stoves.

Can stove pipe go through a ceiling?

No. Single wall stove pipe should not pass through a ceiling, floor, roof space or internal wall except directly into a chimney. Use a twin wall system for those routes.

How far must stove pipe be from combustible materials?

Approved Document J shows at least three times the pipe's diameter, or 1.5 times with a non-combustible shield.

Which way round do the joints go?

With the socket facing upwards, so condensate stays inside the pipe, and each joint sealed gas-tight.

Can I use 90 degree bends?

Bends should be no more than 45 degrees from vertical; a 90 degree bend at a rear outlet counts as two 45s. Keep any horizontal section to 150mm.

Why use pipe with a cleaning door?

It gives the sweep access to clean the flue where they cannot reach through the stove.

Is vitreous enamel pipe suitable for wood burners?

Approved Document J lists vitreous enamelled steel pipe among suitable connecting flue pipes. Your installer will confirm it suits the stove.

Can I fit stove pipe myself?

Installing a stove and flue is building work. In England and Wales, a HETAS registered installer can fit and self-certify it; otherwise building control must be notified. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, your council's building standards or building control rules apply.