Problem with my new PE T6 flue (AND PICTURES)

[Solaron]

Guys,

I know I promised pics. They're not great, but I have a few. We did our first test burn last night in the T6, and it went well at first. We stoked it, went to bed (had the blower on automatic, to see how it would do).

The next morning, we had what appears to be creosote splattered on the floor beneath/behind the stove, and a large splotch or two on top of the stove where it joins to the pipe. It looks like it dripped out of the pipe, either at that joint or above it. My question is: What is it, and how do I stop it? Do I need another damper?

It wasn't green wood, but it was a slow burn (the next morning we still had red coals and a hot stove).

Any help will be appreciated!

 

[begreen]

Can you describe the flue assembly above the stove all the way to the roof? How is the double-wall connected to the class A pipe at the ceiling support?

The glass looks like it was a smoky fire. How is the wood that is being burnt?

 

[Todd]

Looks like you have a bad pipe connection somewhere and it's spewing soot out. Check to see that all your connections are screwed together and maybe try using furnace cement between the joints. Looking at the glass I'd say that low burn was too low and needed more air or was turned down too soon.

 

[Solaron]

Here's a better picture showing how our pipe is connected. I had a chimney service come out and install SS liner in my ancient chimney, and tuckpoint the joints, etc.

The wood is seasoned wood, but it's a bit of everything. My father's a foreman for Davey Tree company, and I can get any/every type of wood. I just grabbed an armload at his place when I picked my son up, until I get my own woodpile.

 

[webbie]

This is a typical happening with new stoves and pipe. The small seams in the pipe elbos and elsewhere tend to get filled up quickly with ash and then seal themselves. Furnace cement should have been used between pipe seams (if single wall), but even if it is not these should seal up.

Another hint - instead of turning the air down, build the fire with less wood and more air. A slow fire will distill the water right out of the wood and it condenses on the pipe, which is the first cold surface. I predict this will stop within a couple of burns. Often a small layer of creosote forms inside of new pipe - and then ignites and burns. The result is ash which both fills up any small seams and crevices, and also insulates the pipe do that more tar is unlikely to form as easily.

 

[Solaron]

Really? Interesting.

I think I'll try that - I'll make sure and split the wood smaller as well, to ensure that I don't have anything damp or too big, and just have a smaller fire.

At this point, would it help to get some pipe cement and redo these or not? Is this something that my installer SHOULD have done? (These are single wall inside the house, I know).

Thanks!

 

[begreen]

Is this single or double wall pipe on the interior? If single wall which way are the crimps pointing? Towards the stove or away from the stove?

edit - cross post - single wall, and is the horizontal run pitched at least 1/4" per foot upward toward the chimney with the seam on the top of the pipe?

(might as well take the labels off the elbows before they burn off)

 

[Solaron]

Holy cow - you're asking me questions I don't know the answer to, and didn't know even mattered! I'll go check that out and see if I can't figure it out. I may call my installer as well - I don't know how good (or not good) he is. He's the only chimney sweep within 45 miles of me, so I didn't have a lot of choice!

For a little backstory, we had some wind damage a few months back that insurance -finally- paid on, which is why we splurged on the T6 AND had the installer do all of the work for us. My initial goal was to have someone do it so that I would know nothing could go wrong. Whoops!

I'll let you know what I find. Thanks.

 

[BrotherBart]

I know it is crazy, but it looks to me like the installer put RTV silcone inside that flue collar for sealant and it cooked out.

 

[Solaron]

Because of the globs and the way the pipe looks, both my father and I were under the impression he'd sealed it with something that had leaked/oozed/cooked out, but the installer maintains he didn't. Kinda at an impasse, although Webmaster says this may go away after a few more burns. If the temperature ever drops here again, I'll find out.

 

[iceman]

I know it is crazy, but it looks to me like the installer put RTV silcone inside that flue collar for sealant and it cooked out.

you are the man how can you see rtv? holy cow....
whatever happened ..did but i bet the wood wasn't that seasoned or the air was wayyyyyy to low because that glass is BLACK! man that glass is black.....

op... just light another small fire and watch it....this way you can find out if it is what some of thers said it was..

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

Yup.....buy the looks of that glass....you've had some smoldering fires there. That will gum up a pipe pretty quick !


WoodButcher

 

[fossil]

I dunno beans about a PE T6, but I put two new stoves in last year, both have vertical runs of single wall up to meet the Class A at the ceiling, one was professionally installed, I did the other one. All crimped ends are toward the stoves. The manuals for both stoves were pretty specific about break-in burns (small, medium, HOT)...mostly to cure the finish, I think, but as Craig alluded to, it may well have to do with the sytem beyond the stove as well (he's an expert, I'm just a dorky woodburner). Neither of my stove manuals allowed for any sort of damped down slow burn during the break-in period. Dunno what or exactly how you were burning, but I've never seen the glass on either of my stoves get that dirty...and I don't clean them but every so often (many, many fires). You'll figger it out, I'm sure. Rick

 

[Burd]

Get your self a hot fire and the air wash will clean your glass.This is good to no because my glass get dirty at low temps. Your stove temps are to low. Temp at 400 to 500 degress will clear it up.
You should never have smoke coming out of your chimeny. If you do your either burning unseasoned wood our your burning with little oxygen.
The stove looks great injoy and good luck in wood hunting

 

[Burd]

Guys,

I know I promised pics. They're not great, but I have a few. We did our first test burn last night in the T6, and it went well at first. We stoked it, went to bed (had the blower on automatic, to see how it would do).

The next morning, we had what appears to be creosote splattered on the floor beneath/behind the stove, and a large splotch or two on top of the stove where it joins to the pipe. It looks like it dripped out of the pipe, either at that joint or above it. My question is: What is it, and how do I stop it? Do I need another damper?

It wasn't green wood, but it was a slow burn (the next morning we still had red coals and a hot stove).

Any help will be appreciated!

Love the stone work.Were did you find it and is it easy to put up?

 

[Solaron]

It's called Stonecraft - it's awesome. Amazingly easy to put up.

We purchased about 60 square feet of it, which should cover that wall. They've got about 40 design styles, we went with the stacked ledgestone. The price ranges from 40-60 per box, and each box has 10-15 sq. ft. We spent 300 on the rock, about 30 on cement board, and a little bit more on some thinset, and it looks/feels like real stone. (It's some sort of cement mix).

Putting it up is easy too.. it's strong enough to be put on the exterior of a house, so you don't have to worry about much. Put up some hardibacker board, lay some thinset and you're good to go. Depending on the stone style, you'll have to use mortar as well between the stones. Lowes carries these guys and one other, and these are by far the best option.

I'm going to try another burn tonight I think, and make sure it's hot and small. Thanks for teaching a newbie like me!

 

[begreen]

Well, you have enough to consider for one night, but let me summarize. Only burn dry wood. If you are not sure, maybe buy a moisture meter to determine it's dryness.

Be sure that the crimped ends of the pipe are on the bottom of each pipe, facing toward the stove.

Burn hot fires, don't damper the stove down too soon. Get a stovetop thermometer, put it directly on the stovetop, under the movable trivet, and learn to run the stove wide open until the top reaches about 400 degrees. Here's a great instructional video for you to watch. It is for a Summit which is your stove with a steel outer casing instead of cast iron.

http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/default.asp?lang=En&n=8011CD70-1

Ultimately though, I wouldn't be surprised if Bart was correct. He has a good eye for the out of the ordinary.

 

[Shane]

I don't know that it'd be RTV. Being the pyro that I am I've taken a torch to it and it doesn't glob, it gets crusty and burns.

 

[begreen]

Shane, are you referring to RTV or some of us senior members? Sounds like you're describing BB, Sonny and me!