316Ti or AL29-4C for corn and pellet mix

[Funnydirt14]

I have a Masonry chimney that I want to line with stainless liner. Trying to get some answers from the chimney liner people, but got no response. Which would be better for running 50/50 corn and pellet mix. 316Ti stainless or AL20-4C? And would insulating the last few feet of the liner as it exits the chimney keep the condensation and deterioration of the liner down?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Al20-4c will give you better life on a 50-50 mix but having said that, I've been running standard pellet vent (Simpson) for the last 10 consecutive years on a 50-50 mix with no adverse side effects and no internal corrosion and this is why I think it works for me...

I may run at lower feeds depending on ambient and that may or may not cause condensation in the inner liner but prior to spring shutdown, I go to straight pellets for a couple weeks and run it balls out just prior to shutdown (at the expense of sweating with the windows open)......., but that drives off any remaining moisture/condensation, then I shut it down, clean the appliance and the venting, using the leaf blower scenario and a careful cleaning of the stove itself.

Like I said, 10+ years on standard Simpson pellet venting, no corrosion issues, something I was initially concerned about myself....

I believe my regimen is also good for th stove interior and exhaust path as well. The stove can suffer corrosion issues as much as the venting if left damp because the nitric acid vapor needs moisture to corrode metal, not just stainless. Additionally, the higher the RM is of the corn you are combusting, the more nitric it liberates as it burns.

After 10+ years, I have a slight corrosion etching in the stove interior but nothing that compromises operation. When I do shut it down and clean it, the very last thing I do is fog the stove interior (with the CA fan on high) and I have to make sure the hopper is devoid pf pellets to do that, to pull the fogging oil throughout the stove and into the exhaust venting. I use Stabil Engine Fogging oil in an aersol can but I've heard that PAM cooking spray works well too.

Hope that helps you.

 

[Funnydirt14]

Al20-4c will give you better life on a 50-50 mix but having said that, I've been running standard pellet vent (Simpson) for the last 10 consecutive years on a 50-50 mix with no adverse side effects and no internal corrosion and this is why I think it works for me...

I may run at lower feeds depending on ambient and that may or may not cause condensation in the inner liner but prior to spring shutdown, I go to straight pellets for a couple weeks and run it balls out just prior to shutdown (at the expense of sweating with the windows open)......., but that drives off any remaining moisture/condensation, then I shut it down, clean the appliance and the venting, using the leaf blower scenario and a careful cleaning of the stove itself.

Like I said, 10+ years on standard Simpson pellet venting, no corrosion issues, something I was initially concerned about myself....

I believe my regimen is also good for th stove interior and exhaust path as well. The stove can suffer corrosion issues as much as the venting if left damp because the nitric acid vapor needs moisture to corrode metal, not just stainless. Additionally, the higher the RM is of the corn you are combusting, the more nitric it liberates as it burns.

After 10+ years, I have a slight corrosion etching in the stove interior but nothing that compromises operation. When I do shut it down and clean it, the very last thing I do is fog the stove interior (with the CA fan on high) and I have to make sure the hopper is devoid pf pellets to do that, to pull the fogging oil throughout the stove and into the exhaust venting. I use Stabil Engine Fogging oil in an aersol can but I've heard that PAM cooking spray works well too.

Hope that helps you.

Some good advice there. I was mainly concerned about the flexible liner inside the chimney since it's single wall. The part that can't be replaced easily.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'm no help there.

My setup is all rigid interlocking sections of Simpson Duravent Pellet and it's all outside, up the side of the house. BTW, I got all my venting online from (broken link removed) Great service and delivery and good prices too. I have just over 26 feet of venting, 3 off the stove horizontal through the wall thimble into a 3-4 cleanout Tee on the outside and vertically about 20 feet with a 3 foot offset and 2 45 degree elbows to clear the soffit and gutter terminating with a 4" pellet rain cap.

I went with the vertical outside for ease of cleanout. I thump the vent with a long 2 x 2 to knock down the ash into the cleanout every week and leaf blower it 2 times yearly.

I see the stuff the box stores sell...those short sections... I went with 6 foot sections of Simpson simply to eliminate as many joints as possible, but it's, as I said, rigid.

I would think being in a confined space, it (flex pipe) would hold it's heat unlike being out in the open air, but I don't want to play expert with something I don't know about.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I would still assume that if you burned the stove hard prior to spring shutdown, even with a flexible liner, you'd mitigate the nitric because you'd eliminate the moisture and it's the moisture combined with the nitric that eats the stainless (and ferrous inside the stove). Maybe you could burn it hard in the spring and then go up and cap the end for the warm months. You'd just have to remember to uncap it in the fall.....

 

[TonyVideo]

I fill the ash pan after the year end cleaning with oil dry. I seal up the vents first. I never open the doors or hopper all summer.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I fill the ash pan after the year end cleaning with oil dry. I seal up the vents first. I never open the doors or hopper all summer.

Not sure thats a good idea in as much as oil dry attracts moisture and warm weather brings on high levels of humidity. I believe you'd do better just fogging the interior with Stabil fogging oil or PAM to coat the ferrous surfaces and prevent rust or etching (if you do burn corn) and not pellets alone.

If pellets keep going up and corn stays at or below $3.75/bu, I'll run straight corn next season instead of pellets, just using pellets to start the fire.

 

[TonyVideo]

Even if I seal the exhaust and intake?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Even if I seal the exhaust and intake?

I've never considered that so I cannot comment except to say I know floor dry will attract and hold moisture. I'd still fog the interior, floor dry or no floor dry.

The inside ( combustion area) is basically bare, untreated metal so a bit of oily mist won't hurt anything....

 

[johninwi]

Sidecar, IIRC you mentioned that you disassemble and wash your exhaust at the end of season, any theory's of maintaining 20' of pipe in a chimney, would rather not remove it.
Also, first fire next season, how long for the fogging to dissapear?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Sidecar, IIRC you mentioned that you disassemble and wash your exhaust at the end of season, any theory's of maintaining 20' of pipe in a chimney, would rather not remove it.
Also, first fire next season, how long for the fogging to dissapear?

John: Probably as soon as the venting is to temperature, most likely within 30 minutes.

I used to spend a lot of time in Madison at Sub Zero Freezer on Hammersly. One of my favotite deliveries. Probably isn't there anymore, that was over 30 years ago.

 

[johninwi]

The Subzero plant, it's now Wolf/Subzero, or at least it was a couple years ago and i don't recall hearing of them closing. Fancy stuff.

The 30 minutes i could easily plan for, if it was hours or more might be an issue with being in the city and neightbors every direction.