My pipe has a leak at the Tee cap....!!!

[geek]

the new santa fe in the basement was producing this very hot smell when running but i checked at startup a few times and saw nothing abnormal.

Last night i decided to pay closer attention and look for a longer period of time. At the startup you don't see anything right away, however once the burn pot chamber starts filling up with white smoke when the igniter is kicking in, that's when I saw this leak coming out from the bottom of the 90 tee cap in the back of the stove.

I remember before installing the pipe I tried removing the cap just to get a sense of how hard it would be to get it off once the stove was installed, I was never able to remove the cap by hand even with my mom helping holding the pipe on the other end, so I then didn't bother and finished my install. In ground basement with around 6ft visible vertical run in the basement, then a couple feet horizontal going out.

The white smoke seems to be coming from the bottom, I put foil tape around the seem (not sure if it got in perfect) but still leaking.

Do you think it is the seam of the cap OR could it be a leaky/faulty cap where its soldering in the bottom is not perfect?

It would be tough getting the cap now removed, couldn't get it off before installed so imagine now.

What should I do ?

..

 

[Lousyweather]

could be any of the above......I think I would get a new T.....could be the cap, or even any made-up joint in the tee.....Ive seen them leak where the takeoff it.....

 

[geek]

yeah, the smoke is coming out from the bottom so it's gotta be the takeoff cap...

 

[wolfgangeuclid]

Hi, new to the forums here but i have been reading them for a while.

I disassembled my stove pipe to check out how much soot had built up and when i had reassembled it i noticed on startup that my T-pipe was leaky as well. Like you Gee, i watched it during startup and saw smoke coming from around the joints of the T-pipe, i may have stressed it a bit when i put the pipe back together but i didn't think i had....

anyway i took some high temperature silicone and re-sealed the seams and around the clean out cap and now it no longer appears to be leaking. I posted this note, both as a reply and also wondering what other's have done with their leaky stove pipes, and if the approach i took is wise or if i should go about getting a new T-Pipe or is this common.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

had same issue with mine, i pulled the cap , and filled the void between the "cup" and the outer shell of the cleanout cap with high temp rtv , hasnt leaked since

 

[geek]

mike, you put rtv on the takeoff?
I guess you never remove this takeoff, do you?

 

[Excell]

If you just siliconed over the out side you can scrape it off when you want to take it apart . Or cut around the pipe where the joint is .

 

[jtakeman]

geek,

What pipe you intall? Pellet vent or Pellet vent pro?

Might want to hit the local hardware store and get a strap wrench. Now that the pipe is installed. You should be able to twist it. Lefty loosy. macman had a great tip and use the never seaz on the tee cap once you get it off.

Anyway the standard PV is the same as I have with a rope gasket. The gasket is flimsy(IMO) so I pulled the rope out and put red HT silicon un the area where the rope sits. I let it dry for an hour. then I put the rope back in. Leak was gone. I use a 1/4 inch bead.

The new PV pro has a silicon o ring. May be the tee isn't locked up against it. Try to get it apart. Add the never sieze and re assemble.

jay

 

[geek]

jay,

I think it is the Pellet Vent, bought it at dynamitebuys, black 3" piping.

 

[jtakeman]

jay,

I think it is the Pellet Vent, bought it at dynamitebuys, black 3" piping.

Should have a tag on the tee, It will have the part number.

The tees are ackward to remove with out the pipes installed. Have you tried removing it after install? Try to remove while the pipes are still warm. Again get a cheap strap wrench. 10" size works well for me. If it still wont turn just wiggle it. It may not be locked. Just needs to be pulled down out of the tee.

One other note on the PV non pro pipe. The seems sometimes leak too. I gooped the crap out of mine. Just the indoor stuff tee, 90's and pipe. All seems. Even the pipe seems will leak. I found the black high temp at a local ace hardware. Made by permatech's(spelling?). The black hardly shows.