# Forum Home Renovation Heating & Cooling  Installing wood heater in open fireplace - how to fit the flue??

## Brettus

Hi All
Have begun installing a second hand slow combustion wood heater in the open fireplace of my 30 year old home.  
Everything is so far is going well and it fits perfectly, but I am puzzled about the logistics of fitting the flue down the chimney and connecting to the top of the fireplace, as when the fireplace is in position I cant get my hands in behind the unit.
If I lower the complete flue assembly down the chimney, it doesnt reach the fireplace as there is two 45 degree bends to allow for the 400mm of offset in the chimney. 
Also, is it important to seal the joins in the flue and where the flue connects to the fireplace?  If so, this is going to be incredibly hard.
Perhaps my best option is to knock down the bricks on the front of the fireplace on the inside of the room so I can get access?
I look forward to hear what others have done in this situation.

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## johnc

There may be a top plate (on the face of the unit) on the heater that can be removed so you can get your hands in and fit the flue, otherwise pull the heater forward slightly and see if that gives sufficient room to drop the flue in place. You may have to get creative and modify the opening but this is not a good idea without working out how everything is supported. 
Generally the flue simply fits in place at the heater top by gravity, there is no need for anything else to happen. The draft in the unit takes care of the leaks in the joins anyway. Do you mean the flue doesn't reach the top of the unit? it must all fit together from where the fumes exit the firebox to the point the flue leaves the chimney top.

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## watson

I lowered from the top.....admitting that it didn't have a 400mm offset.
I placed a worklight inside the stove, and with two blokes on the roof it took a very frustrating and fiddly 1/2 hour....but eventually it went on and slipped over the flange on the stove.
I didn't seal the join between the flue and the stove...and haven't had a problem with it

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## Brettus

Thanks guys, I'm glad i don't need to seal the join between flue and heater, this would have surely made it impossible without removing bricks. 
Johnc, with the top plate removed there is onlt 10mm between the top of the unit and the lintel holding up the brickwork.
When i pass the flue assembly down the chimeny, the offset section of the flue jambs up in the narrow chimney about 3/4 of the way down it :Annoyed: . 
Anyways, I appreciate your feedback, I have an injured hand so I cant do anything for a few days now except think about it.
Cheers

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## johnc

Buggers of things, helped a friend with a problem like yours and we eventually managed to get the assembly through by removing the heater and lowering the flue from above with someone underneath using a broomhandle or similar to wiggle the end through the gap at the point it stuck on the bend. The one underneath looked a bit on the black side by the time we finished. The difficult bit was getting the heater back in and positioning the flue, probably used cord and a flat bar although we did have more than 10mm to play with. 
Good luck with it.

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