Best position for flue

[zagwa]

Hi everyone I would like to ask for advice on best position to put a a flue ,be it centre or almost above the door.
Thanks in advance

[devontiger]

I have one in the center.
But I am told that a front position is better as it keeps the heat in better.
If I replace my oven at some stage I'll go with a front chimney.

[oblertone]

Does this help?

Cold air is drawn into the oven where it is heated by the fire (sort of) it then rises into the roof of the oven where it transfers that heat to the structure; this heat then radiates out cooking the top of your pizza. The cooled gases are then expelled up the flue and if your flue is in the wrong place all the heat goes up the flue instead of doing useful work. An insulated door set between the oven chamber and the flue will keep heat in the oven for extended cooking/baking/roasting etc.

[zagwa]

Thanks a lot guys

[downunderdave]

Oct 3, 2018 16:10:24 GMT zagwa said:

Hi everyone I would like to ask for advice on best position to put a a flue ,be it centre or almost above the door.
Thanks in advance

The first oven I built had its flue in the top dead centre of the dome. This was the preferred configuration for ancient Roman kilns. But their chambers were full of wares whereas an oven has an empty chamber. This is an updraft system and the the heat tends to jump straight to the flue leading to an inefficient firing. It’s big advantages though are firstly because it is an updraft system there are no smoke issues out the front at light up and secondly that you don’t have a tunnel entry to work past, meaning better oven access and shorter handled tools. When visiting Pompeii I noticed a few smaller ovens of this configuration and concluded they probably preferred this so their houses didn’t have smoke issues, while the big bakery oven there had a front cross draft flue. That oven probably never cooled down, being fired daily. When I built my second and third ovens I tried a compromise and had the flue at the front but still within the oven chamber. This does allow the entry to become part of the chamber, but also allows heat loss at the flue because it’s inside the oven door. I now build my ovens with the cross draft front flue system with the flue independent of the oven chamber, which I have to agree is the best. Can’t beat 2000 years of Roman ingenuity.

[devontiger]

D-U-D have you any picture of the Oven chimney position on your build?
Would be good to see an alternative chimney position.
DT

[downunderdave]

unfortunately the hard drive on our computer died a number of years ago and the back up hard drive had not backed anything up so we lost years of photos, oven ones included. Here is a drawing that explains my experience with different designs.

[zagwa]

Oct 9, 2018 22:02:08 GMT downunderdave said:

unfortunately the hard drive on our computer died a number of years ago and the back up hard drive had not backed anything up so we lost years of photos, oven ones included. Here is a drawing that explains my experience with different designs.

Thanks

[zagwa]

Oct 9, 2018 22:02:08 GMT downunderdave said:

unfortunately the hard drive on our computer died a number of years ago and the back up hard drive had not backed anything up so we lost years of photos, oven ones included. Here is a drawing that explains my experience with different designs.

Sorry for the hard drive

[zagwa]

[mathygreen]

Cold air is drawn into the oven where it is heated by the fire (sort of) it then rises into the roof of the oven where it transfers that heat to the structure; this heat then radiates out cooking the top of your pizza.

The cooled gases are then expelled up the flue and if your flue is in the wrong place all the heat goes up the flue instead of doing useful work.
An insulated door set between the oven chamber and the flue will keep heat in the oven for extended cooking/baking/roasting.