My Stove Pipe Thermometer Install with a Minor Regret

[BirthofSerpents]

So...I installed a Condar stovepipe thermometer just now. While drilling into inner wall, it occurred to me I should vacuum out the metal shavings the landed on top of the baffle, which maybe I should have removed. Anyway, since it was open, I decided to take a peak inside and see what it looks like after one month of burning. This is what I saw:


The soot in the left pic is powdery and fine. What I belive to be the soot towards the top of the 45 degree elbow at high up looks dry as well but larger and flaky (you can see clearly if you click on it). Is the flaky stuff something to be concerned about?

Finally, when I pulled the telescoping pipe back down, this happened (probably a burr from drilling and I'm kicking myself for not taking a minute to think and sand it).


Is there anything I can do to repair that? Finally, the final product with the thermometer installed (the scratch makes it look like crap).

Or would it make more sense to plug this hole (if possible), turn the pipe 180 degrees and install the thermometer on the other side that isn't scratched?

 

[webby3650]

It’s pretty common for the slip to scratch the pipe. I just repaint the area when the this happens. Satin stove bright is the closest match to your DVL, often it’s necessary to repaint a large are to get it to blend in.

 

[BirthofSerpents]

It’s pretty common for the slip to scratch the pipe. I just repaint the area when the this happens. Satin stove bright is the closest match to your DVL, often it’s necessary to repaint a large are to get it to blend in.

Do you sand first to even out the cut or just tape off and paint?

 

[Highbeam]

I wouldn’t tape it off, feather the edge.

you can’t rotate it 180 because there’s an ugly seam on the back.

 

[webby3650]

We rarely ever have double wall pipe that doesn’t need touched up somewhere. Often time I end up repainting the whole front side of the pipe because the paint doesn’t match perfectly.

 

[moresnow]

You can hit that scratch with a black magic marker as a temp. partial fix. When cold. It wont be like painting but it takes the shine off!

 

[MoDoug]

It looks the scratch isn't from the thermometer being installed, but from the screw burr above it that helps hold the telescoping sections in place. I installed that same thermometer, but haven't had a need to move the pipe yet, hopefully I'll think of this when the time comes, maybe I will try sliding a piece of plastic between the sections. I've cleaned my chimney once so far with the SootEater, in my case there's no need to disassemble pipe.

 

[BirthofSerpents]

It looks the scratch isn't from the thermometer being installed, but from the screw burr above it that helps hold the telescoping sections in place. I installed that same thermometer, but haven't had a need to move the pipe yet, hopefully I'll think of this when the time comes, maybe I will try sliding a piece of plastic between the sections. I've cleaned my chimney once so far with the SootEater, in my case there's no need to disassemble pipe.

Yeah, I'd try to avoid it. I'm ordering some paint but in the meantime it's driving me nuts.

 

[BirthofSerpents]

Any comments on the flaky soot at the elbow from seasoned post EPA stove users? Is that of concern?

 

[xman23]

It does look flakey up there. Check the cap and screen. It might be gooey wet, and about to plug up the screen. Always good to do a 1/2 season cleaning the first year. It's the wood, which will get better ever year, assuming you get ahead and burn 2-3 year old wood.

 

[ckr74]

Just curious why you needed to slip the pipe that far. You should only need to slide it up a couple of inches to clear the stove collar. I use a band on mine that's about 3" tall so the scratch is covered.

 

[Sawset]

Any comments on the flaky soot at the elbow from seasoned post EPA stove users? Is that of concern?

I have something similar going on, both with the screw scratching, and minor creosote. The scratchs I've lived with, it's an area about 2in square, etches every time I pull the pipes. Magic marker blends it again and seems to make it invisible. The creosote - I get it at the elbow, some, at the connection by the ceiling box, at the top 2ft or so, and possibly the chimney cap. It's never built up much, and gets brushed off once a year. Not sure why at the elbow, but the others are due to cool air either being introduced, or cooling the pipe some. Hasn't been a worry, enough to change tactics anyway.

 

[BirthofSerpents]

Just curious why you needed to slip the pipe that far. You should only need to slide it up a couple of inches to clear the stove collar. I use a band on mine that's about 3" tall so the scratch is covered.

Basically, I'd never done it before and didn't know better.

 

[BirthofSerpents]

It does look flakey up there. Check the cap and screen. It might be gooey wet, and about to plug up the screen. Always good to do a 1/2 season cleaning the first year. It's the wood, which will get better ever year, assuming you get ahead and burn 2-3 year old wood.

I've been using a combination of very old hardwood (oak and maple) that is very seasoned but dirty and kiln dried Cedar that has been in the rain. The cedar tests at less than 15% throughout the split except the extreme edges where it tests anywhy from 25% to 50%.

I thought it was just surface moisture and was burning off to little effect (I've only heard steam once) but after a few cool starts maybe it's had more of an impact than I thought.

I just switched to NIELs and what's left of the oak. Waiting for the Cedar to dry out and see how it tests. I have lots of wood on my property to process this summer but I doubt it'll be ready next season even.

So yeah, big plans to build my inventory and places to put it.

 

[MoDoug]

As far as the screw scratches go, it seems to me that a strip of plastic cut from a milk jug (or whatever) could be slipped between the pipes, leaving a couple inches out so it doesn't get stuck between the pipes, and it would protect the inner pipe from scratches. Just a thought.

 

[Highbeam]

You can totally remove the bottom half of the telescope section to access and remove the burs causing the scratch and while it’s apart you can repaint that bottom section.

you’ve got a short and curly piece of metal in there causing that scratch.

this is just aesthetic but if needed you can replace the slip section for not terribly much money. I replaced mine after I had one dent on the outside plus too many probe meter holes in it after switching stoves and experiments with dampers.

 

[BirthofSerpents]

You can totally remove the bottom half of the telescope section to access and remove the burs causing the scratch and while it’s apart you can repaint that bottom section.

you’ve got a short and curly piece of metal in there causing that scratch.

this is just aesthetic but if needed you can replace the slip section for not terribly much money. I replaced mine after I had one dent on the outside plus too many probe meter holes in it after switching stoves and experiments with dampers.

I looked on line and found what I think is a full telescoping section for about $250, which I consider pricy. Where'd you find just the one piece?

 

[MoDoug]

I looked on line and found what I think is a full telescoping section for about $250, which I consider pricy. Where'd you find just the one piece?

I'm using this, Selkirk 6" Adjustable Telescopic Length 38"-68" Black Stove Pipe, which is $89.99 at Menards.

 

[Highbeam]

I looked on line and found what I think is a full telescoping section for about $250, which I consider pricy. Where'd you find just the one piece?

You purchase the whole section, meaning both halves. On my duravent it was mid 100s$ as I recall. This isn't free and if you're frugal like me you'll paint it instead of replacing. Just saying that this isn't the end of the world. Installing even a brand new slip joint you risk scratches as you slide the sections apart.

I found it very easy and good looking to touch up with stove bright paint. Some paints are better than others about this and the very fast drying and high solids of the stove bright made even a shmuck like me look like a professional painter. Just don't paint so thick that it runs. If the color, metallicness, shine, don't match then you can pull either just the bottom half out for a full repaint or the whole slip section.