LOTS of water coming down chimney!

[jdpierce53]

We have 2008 Quadrafire wood stove attached to a brick/masonry chimney constructed @1997. About 2 years ago we began to get drips of water hitting the stove. They appeared to be coming from the intersection of the metal chimney pipe and the clay flue. It got bad enough that last May we hired a company to look at it. They replaced the cap with a "Monsoon Cap", sealed the crown and cleaned the chimney. As the weather has cooled we started using the stove again and the problem is much worse. 3-4 cups of water are coming down within 30 minutes of lighting the fire. The water is coffee colored and smells terrible. It eventually stops but it can take hours. I'm still fairly certain it's coming down the inside of the flue though the staining is so bad it's hard to tell. The problem is worse after rain. The chimney is tall, over 30' and the roof is really steep so it's hard to get up there to see for myself.
I really don't know what's going on. Water seems to be accumulating somewhere and heat from the stove is letting it drain. This is worrying because it's a new problem and seems to be getting worse. I'm a little gun shy about calling the same company again and being sold another solution that won't work. I'd appreciate any help anyone can offer about what might be going on or how to get it fixed.

 

[kennyp2339]

condensate .. is your liner insulated?

 

[laynes69]

We suffered with it when we upgraded to a more efficient furnace. Our 32' chimney was cooling too much and it would condense gallons of water a week. We also didn't have truly seasoned wood. Anyhow, we installed a rigid stainless insulated liner and the problem went away. It's no fun! Creosote smells terrible!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

condensate .. is your liner insulated?

Yup. Sounds like it to me.

 

[Sconnie Burner]

Is the chimney lined with a solid or flexible liner or is it just vented into the clay liner? Most likely condensation from temp differentials.

 

[Simonkenton]

Your wood is not dry enough. You are running a creosote still.

 

[jdpierce53]

condensate .. is your liner insulated?

It was built before we moved here so I can't say for sure but it's surrounded by cinder block and brick all the way to the crown. We've lived here 17 years, had two wood stoves and two caps. This has only been a problem in the last couple years and it seems to be getting worse which makes me think something has changed in the chimney system.

 

[jdpierce53]

Your wood is not dry enough. You are running a creosote still.

Nope. It leaks with kiln dried fir or 3 year old split maple. We did have a year where we were burning really wet oak about 7 years ago and yes, creosote built up like crazy, but we never had water coming in. The problem seems to be rain related. If we have fires for a few days and no rain, the leakage stops. One rainy day between fires, it's back.

 

[Rich L]

Nope. It leaks with kiln dried fir or 3 year old split maple. We did have a year where we were burning really wet oak about 7 years ago and yes, creosote built up like crazy, but we never had water coming in. The problem seems to be rain related. If we have fires for a few days and no rain, the leakage stops. One rainy day between fires, it's back.

Sounds like rain from the outside getting in through the chimney.Have a reputable roofing company take a look at chimney and roofing around the chimney.

 

[moresnow]

Wonder if opening the stove door for a few hrs prior to starting would help evaporate some H20?

 

[VirginiaIron]

I"d call them and give them the opportunity to correct it by "gently" demanding they come out and fix it, gratis, since they failed to correct the issue the first time under contract. Let them come out and determine what is wrong and fix it under warranty. If they say it will be an additional fee, get someone else.

 

[VirginiaIron]

After looking at the verticle section of pipe again, it appears that your pipe is installed backwards with the upper section over top of the lower section. That condition does not necessarily account for the added liquid after it rains.

 

[bholler]

I"d call them and give them the opportunity to correct it by "gently" demanding they come out and fix it, gratis, since they failed to correct the issue the first time under contract. Let them come out and determine what is wrong and fix it under warranty. If they say it will be an additional fee, get someone else.

They will not fix it for free unless something they did was done wrong or failed.

 

[VirginiaIron]

They will not fix it for free unless something they did was done wrong or failed.

Let them come out and investigate. If the problem is something obvious that they should have caught previously, they charged you for work you may not have needed in the first place.
EDIT-If what they repaired has failed they will fix it gratis.

 

[VirginiaIron]

FYI- Sealant is considered a (EDIT CAPS) TEMPORARY REPAIR. The assembly, if applicable, must be flashed properly with the sealant being a MINOR contributor to the shedding of water.