Duct Work for my EKO25

[RDabate]

Hi Guys,

This is my first year using my EKO. When I peek in the Duct Work, I see a lot of crap (yeah, technical term)

First,
Is this much crap normal. So far I've burned about 5 cords.

Second,
How often should I be cleaning the duct and the chimney?

I bought a Chimney brush (sweep, not sure what there called?)with some extending poles, but the way my duct work is installed, there no way the pole will bend enough for me to insert it.

I'm typing this while at work and forgot to email the pictures to my work address. I'll post some picture tonight of how the duct work looks.

Thanks.

 

[Medman]

I have a Tee on the back of my EKO, and I have been cleaning flyash out of this tee about once a month. The first couple of times I took the whole thing apart including the hx tubes, turbulator, etc. But since there was no significant buildup in the hx I now just use a long extension on the shop vac wand and push it through the bypass damper into the tee. this removes most of the flyash. I have seen no buildup in the chimney beyond this point.

I will brush out the whole chimney, along with my woodstove chimney, clean the caps, clean out the fireboxes, etc at the same time in preparation for summer.
As long as you are burning quality dry wood there shouldn't be any issues with your chimney other than the flyash.

 

[RDabate]

I wasn't able to attach the image of the duct work. Below are links to them. Judging by the images, do you think I would be able to redo it so I can clean it out better. As you said, maybe a couple Tees or something. I have 3 90 degree angles on this thing., one coming out of the EKO going up, then on more going to the left, then one more going out to the chimney.

geocities.com/rickdabate/EKO/Duct/1.JPG
geocities.com/rickdabate/EKO/Duct/2.JPG
geocities.com/rickdabate/EKO/Duct/3.JPG
geocities.com/rickdabate/EKO/Duct/4.JPG

 

[Medman]

I didn't use 90's because of the restriction they impose on the draft. I have a tee directly attached to the back of the EKO with a flue collar. This goes into a 45 then a straight section up and over to another 45 and straight up the chimney. The 90's make it more difficult to clean than a tee, but I still have to take the pipe apart to clean. I only took it apart once to clean, and there was no buildup inside.

 

[Gooserider]

First off Super, I just did a minor edit on your post to make your links "clickable" - Next time you can do this yourself by hitting the <a> button in the editing window and following the prompts, or by using the appropriate tags (url before, and /url after, enclosing both in square braces "[" "]" )

Second looking at your pipes, they are definitely cruddy and need cleaning. I would definitely try to shorten and straighten the runs - maybe lose one of the 90's and put a straight section in between the one from the chimney and the one from the EKO, putting both elbows at a 45* angle.

Lastly, you installed the pipes BACKWARDS! It seems counter intuitive, but on a wood burning appliance, you always want the tapered end of the pipe pointing DOWN / Towards the fire - this is because you have two flows, the exhaust gasses going up, and the semi-liquid creosote / condensates running down. You want to fit your pipes with the tapers pointing down, like a stack of nesting funnels, to contain the creosote and funnel it back into the fire for burning... If you have the pipes in right, you won't get those ugly streaks of creosote running down the outside of them....

As a side note, you are probably using standard US inch size pipes - I don't know but since the EKO is made in Poland, it probably uses a metric exhaust, which isn't quite the right size. You can get an adapter from some places, or you may be able to just really crimp the pipe going into the boiler extra.

Gooserider

 

[leaddog]

Looking at the pic's it seems like you have WAY to much built up. Adding this to your over heat problems and I'm wondering if your draft lever is closing completly. When you pull it back does it seem to close with a solid thump? If it doesn't close completly it will burn like a OWB, not gasify properly and crud up the chimney. The other thing might be the wood isn't dry enough. Also read the sticky on setting the primary and secondary air controls and make sure you are getting a good flame at gasification.
The post above on getting rid of the 90's will help get a better draft and not let moisture collect.
with your over heat codes makes me think either the draft lever isn't closing good or you are idleing way to much by over filling and the boiler is in idle alot. That will also make crud in the chimney as it takes time to get gasifying. If you are over filling load wood to the temp. out side so you can burn hot but short.
leaddog

 

[Tree farmer]

I clean fly ash out about every 4 weeks or so behind the bypass damper, pulled the stove pipe once to give it a really good cleaning. I am idling a lot with no storage so I get some buildup in the stove pipe, some right around the thimble in the flue but the rest of the chimney is clean. I would get rid of the damper on the pipe, just another way too cool down the gases and create condensation - unless you have a wicked strong draft you are trying to tame.