I installed a stove in my basement and decided to use and old piece on steel pipe for a chimney that runs up on the outside of my house(about 21 Feet in height) My problem is that it doesn't stay warm enough to keep a decent draft. The pipe is pretty heavy(7 inch OD and 6 5/8inch ID). Is there anything that i can do with this or am i going to have to take in down and start over.
pipe won't stay warm enough. . . .PICS ADDED
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Time to bite the bullet and put up a insulated Class A chimney. Holds the heat, maintains a draft and doesn't scorch the side of your house.
Fuel said:
are you sure that the problem of not getting enough draft is based soley on the temperature of your chimney..and not on its height above your roof ?
the reason I ask is because I ran a steel square 8x8 chimney..and I can assure you it doesnt get hot...and barely gets real warm where the stovepipe ties into the chimeny itself, and my draft is more then adeqaute......
I know that it is often claimed that the chimeny needs to be very warm and tall to get adequate drafting, but my chimney defintiely is not getting warm near tha upper 5-10 ft at the top....yet my draft is excellent.....unless the wind blows a certain driection...whcih is another story..
did you follow the 2 - 10 rule ...and if so...did that get you above the peak of your roof..OR...are there any dormers or other structural obstacles that could be impeding the draft of your chimney top ?
i have great draft up until the fire starts to go out and then i lose draft and get smoke in my basement. Maybe i am just choking the fire down too much.
It is entirely possible you are choking the fire down too much. The only people I know who are using chimneys like yours have them in a shop or barn. There, they need so much heat anyway that they leave the draft open a good deal further than most and have no problems. Also, of the ones I know, most chimneys are 20' or more.
Fuel, what is the stove? Can you add it to your signature? Do you know what the stove top and/or flue temps are?
it is a really old Montgomery Ward cast iron stove called a Comander Windsor.
I do have a dormer near where the pipe is outside, but to make sure it wasn't a heigth issue i put a 5 foot piece of galz. furnace pipe on top for a little while and it made no difference.
i will put in some pics very soon to explain more. This stove is just until I can get a better one or a wood furnace.(got the stove for free)
I do have a dormer near where the pipe is outside, but to make sure it wasn't a heigth issue i put a 5 foot piece of galz. furnace pipe on top for a little while and it made no difference.
i will put in some pics very soon to explain more. This stove is just until I can get a better one or a wood furnace.(got the stove for free)
Love the name, is it a cabinet stove? Gotta see this guy. It sounds like the air damper for the stove needs to be opened up when the burn gets low. Do you have a stove thermometer? That should help. But ultimately, BB is correct, this could happen easily with a modern stove. Chimneys should be inside for best performance. If that is not an option, then they should at least be insulated.
get yourself a class a pipe! it looks like the pipe goes right into the ground is it sealed at the bottom? dont think you will ever really be able to get that to work well with the set up you have
just went and bought a stove thermometer and I can't hardly get the temp to go past 250 on the stove pipe about 2 feet from the stove
u can see the trees in the one picture around the pipe outside. Would those be the reason that when there is no fire in the stove or when it gets cooled down that it starts to blow air back down the chimney
right now there is a fire in the stove and with the damper all the way open and the ash door hanging wide open the stove pipe reads just 310 degrees, just started it about an hour ago
Fuel said:
The trees are irrelevent.
It sounds like you have basement (negative pressure) draft.
Other things in your house, including possibly the house are acting as a better chimney and your wood stove chimney is acting a s a Outside Air Supply.
Opening a window down there might help.
If it does, then you have sort of proven negativepressure and my next concern would be negative draft in a oil or gas furnace.
Basements can be tough.
Even though people used chimneys like that years ago and got away with it, there are safer alternatives that even might work better.
There is absolutely no smoke issue except for when i first light the stove and then right when it starts to go out
i still can't get the stove thermometer to get above about 300-325
the highest it has gotten is close to 400 and that is right after i put in some more wood(again this is with the damper and ash door wide open)
the highest it has gotten is close to 400 and that is right after i put in some more wood(again this is with the damper and ash door wide open)
It could be that your wood isn't dry/seasoned enough to burn well.
You might consider adding some insulation to your basement, at the top of the block wall where the floor joists meet the rim joist. Adding a fiberglass batt in each bay is an inexpensive way to keep your heat.
If you have more funds, consider furring out the block walls with rigid insulation and paperless gypsum board.
You might consider adding some insulation to your basement, at the top of the block wall where the floor joists meet the rim joist. Adding a fiberglass batt in each bay is an inexpensive way to keep your heat.
If you have more funds, consider furring out the block walls with rigid insulation and paperless gypsum board.
Fuel said:
Could be the full moon...
But I'd recommend insulating your chimney when you get a chance.
Peter B.
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now the stove pipe is consistently near 400 and the firewood is seasoned red elm and it is dry
I guess i am going to have to spend the money on triple wall chimney pipe when i get the money(don't have any extra now that is y it is done the way it is(total of $50 in it so far))
at Menards i think i can get all the parts i need for about $600
I guess i am going to have to spend the money on triple wall chimney pipe when i get the money(don't have any extra now that is y it is done the way it is(total of $50 in it so far))
at Menards i think i can get all the parts i need for about $600
That is really a classic stove. It should be in a museum. I like the deco styling.
There are lots of different issues here. From a heating standpoint, about 30% of the heat is being sucked into the earth by the uninsulated block walls. But that is not the stove issue. The main problem is a long run of uninsulated pipe from the stove to the wall and all the way with the exterior pipe. That is killing draft and setting you up for a lot of creosote production. You are to be commended for doing a nice job on the outside stack. It looks like a clean job, but chimneys are meant to stay warm.
Is there any way that the stove can be located on the first floor and a new flue (when you can afford it) can be installed inside the house envelope? That will make a day and night difference, even with this old classic stove. If not, then start with replacing the interior pipe with double-wall connector pipe. That will deliver hotter flue gases to the outside pipe. Next season, plan on updating the exterior pipe to class A double wall insulated pipe. Stick to the same pipe company to make connections between interior connector and exterior flue piping compatible.
There are lots of different issues here. From a heating standpoint, about 30% of the heat is being sucked into the earth by the uninsulated block walls. But that is not the stove issue. The main problem is a long run of uninsulated pipe from the stove to the wall and all the way with the exterior pipe. That is killing draft and setting you up for a lot of creosote production. You are to be commended for doing a nice job on the outside stack. It looks like a clean job, but chimneys are meant to stay warm.
Is there any way that the stove can be located on the first floor and a new flue (when you can afford it) can be installed inside the house envelope? That will make a day and night difference, even with this old classic stove. If not, then start with replacing the interior pipe with double-wall connector pipe. That will deliver hotter flue gases to the outside pipe. Next season, plan on updating the exterior pipe to class A double wall insulated pipe. Stick to the same pipe company to make connections between interior connector and exterior flue piping compatible.
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