Solar salt box chimney flue size

[Thfrawley]

Hello!
     This is my first time posting though I have been lurking on the site for several years now. My brother and I started building the 24' x 36' solar saltbox in 2010 on a small island located on Maine's midcoast. Progress has been slow but steady as I work on boats and am frequently at sea during the majority of the building season. Last fall we shingled the roof, installed the skylights and finished constructing the hearth and chimney. Before I begin working on siding, plumbing, and electricity this spring I would like to install a wood stove. Having already constructed the chimney with a 12" (10" interior diameter) clay flue liner (as per the plans), I am meeting some resistance from local wood stove dealers who seem to suggest that the stove sizes required to heat 1500 square feet are most commonly designed with 6" flues. What was the reason for the 12" chimney flue? Will I have trouble lighting and keeping a fire going if use a series of collars and adapters to make up the difference? Thanks in advance!

[John Raabe]

That was the size of the flue that was recommended by the mason. However, in our own home we found that after many years of use the larger flue did have creosote problems and we have recently installed a 6" diameter stainless steel flue liner. It has been much easier to keep clean since.

[rick91351]

Lots of people here where we burn a lot of pine and whatever we get our hands on have converted their flues to stainless flue liners......as you say so much easier to keep clean....  Well worth the money. 

[flyingvan]

The problem with an oversized flue is your flue gasses can cool too much and you don't get a good draft.  On a cold night you can get a cold air plug in the chimney, and it'll probably work OK as long as the fire is free burning but once you go to choke it back at all the smoke cools too much.  Best case scenario is just more frequent calls to the chimney sweep.  Worst case scenario is a buildup of highly flammable smoke that keeps igniting every now and then with a sound somewhere between a bang and a whumph

[Thfrawley]

Thanks for the input, after meeting with several wood stove dealers I think that I am going to give it a shot as it is currently constructed and just be conscious of wood type and creosote buildup. We are now in the process of getting sub contractors lined up to help out with electricity, plumbing and heating. I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts concerning how best to integrate a hot air furnace with the thermal storage column. The house has a full basement that was constructed with ICF forms so it should be well insulated. We plan to heat primarily with wood, so long as someone is around to feed the fire, but recognize the need for a secondary system to keep the house up to temp if someone is away for an extended period of time. My thought now would be to place the unit in front of the plenum opening in the basement and use the column as a giant return line for the registers upstairs. In terms of the bottom floor I'm unsure how to configure the air circulation system so it works with but is not entirely reliant upon the furnace.
     Even in the house's unfinished state the thermal storage column works great. In the mornings as the house is beginning to warm up I can put my hand over the opening in the column on the second floor and feel it pulling warm air down into the basement. Let me know if anyone has any thoughts.
Thanks.

-Tim