Chimney Cleaning: Is this normal?

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heus

Member
Jan 15, 2009
57
NE Ohio
I swept my triple wall simpson Duravent chimney for the first time today (Burned 2 seasons without cleaning it, I know thats bad). Cleaned from the top down after removing one air tube and the baffles in my Englander NC-30. I got very little creosote, except for some at the chimney cap and top three feet. When I was done i noticed a small amount of black powder at the base of my pipe where it connects to the stove. I am using double wall stainless inside so the dust dropped through where the air space is located. Am I assuming correctly that a small amount of creosote came up through the joints as I pulled up on the cleaning rod? All of my sections are screwed together so I dont think there is any chance that any sections could come apart.
 
heus said:
I swept my triple wall simpson Duravent chimney for the first time today (Burned 2 seasons without cleaning it, I know thats bad). Cleaned from the top down after removing one air tube and the baffles in my Englander NC-30. I got very little creosote, except for some at the chimney cap and top three feet. When I was done i noticed a small amount of black powder at the base of my pipe where it connects to the stove. I am using double wall stainless inside so the dust dropped through where the air space is located. Am I assuming correctly that a small amount of creosote came up through the joints as I pulled up on the cleaning rod? All of my sections are screwed together so I dont think there is any chance that any sections could come apart.

Sounds like your Englander is burning nicely to me! Creosote tends to form where the chimney cools off which you can help if you're concerned by burning a little hotter...

Ray
 
Don't have an Englander.......yet, but that's about what I've experienced the last few years in my mid 80's stove. The last foot or so of Class A and the cap are my biggest problem. I'll be installing 6" "A" soon and will see if that helps.
 
why put in more class A when you can simply run a liner to reduce the draft and it will save you a lot of money.
 
TheHeatElement said:
why put in more class A when you can simply run a liner to reduce the draft and it will save you a lot of money.

In the first place he didn't say anything about more Class A. In the second place it ain't in a fireplace he has a straight up through the roof Class A chimney.

What are you talking about Ranier?
 
Probably thought he was changing from an 8'' A to a 6'' A and was saying to sleeve his 8'' A with a 6'' liner.
 
BB has a good memory.
If a 6" liner would fit inside my 8" Class A, and would be cheaper than all new 6" "A", and would be legal and safe, I would seriously think about it.
I can get new 6" A setup from the ceiling through the roof for under $500 with 9-10 ft. of "A".
 
The answer to the OP is no, the stuff shouldn't have come out of the seams in the pipe. Something is wrong.
 
heus, do you have stove pipe that snaps together? If so, sounds like it may have come apart at some point, and no, that's not normal.
Would be a good idea to check that very well, take it apart and redo or just replace with welded seam pipe.
 
BrotherBart said:
The answer to the OP is no, the stuff shouldn't have come out of the seams in the pipe. Something is wrong.

Sorry Bart I didn't read into that post correctly, you're right that the seams should not leak.. I focussed on the black powder but not where it came from..

Ray
 
Sections are all locked and screwed together. No way that they came apart. Maybe when I took my cap off creosote dropped from the air space at the top of my class A all the way to the bottom?
 
heus said:
Sections are all locked and screwed together. No way that they came apart. Maybe when I took my cap off creosote dropped from the air space at the top of my class A all the way to the bottom?


Sounds like the most logical answer.
 
BB I found it. The flimsy connector (close clearance adapter) that connects the triple wall at the ceiling box to the double wall pipe in the living room is allowing some gases to escape. There are traces of black soot that have made their way out at the three tabs. The black powder from this dropped back down through the round air vents on the double wall.There is enough of a crack between the pipe and the ceiling box that the gases must have just vented up through the outer layer of the triple wall. Maybe this has been happening at startup before a good draft has begun? It has great draft otherwise. I have burned exclusively for two seasons and never any problems with the smell of smoke in the house. I know it goes against the conventional wisdom of this site but I think I am going to use regular single wall in place of the double wall. The snap connector that I have for single wall that locks into the triple wall is much more tight and secure. The connector that came with the triple wall was loose fitting. FYI the double wall that I have been using is the telescoping variety.
 
He already has a factory chimney whether it's a masonry or a metal approved chimney he can run a liner- Same thing...

BrotherBart said:
TheHeatElement said:
why put in more class A when you can simply run a liner to reduce the draft and it will save you a lot of money.

In the first place he didn't say anything about more Class A. In the second place it ain't in a fireplace he has a straight up through the roof Class A chimney.

What are you talking about Ranier?
 
Why not try some high temp sealant? I used the Rutland cement on my flue liner connection. You can get it in black and it goes on like regular caulk.

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