New to burning- flue question

[Gwilkrrs]

2015 regency free standing stove. The pipe goes straight up and 90’s into brick masonry chimney.
House was built in 1978 with this set up. Chimney has a liner installed. Took pipe off stove to chimney and it’s DIRTY, chunks coming out. Called for a sweep and inspection for next week but in the meantime…….
Stuck my arm in and seems to be a T in the chimney, I can reach down and feel lots of debri. I went outside and opened the clean out door and it’s spotless. Looks like the block was just layed- rough open cell bottom- not a speck of burn debri at all. I am going to clean inside t and try to camera but I don’t think it has an open bottom for cleaning. Is this common?
I will need to take pipe apart every cleaning and vac out the bottom catch of the T?

 

[Whitenuckler]

2015 regency free standing stove. The pipe goes straight up and 90’s into brick masonry chimney.
House was built in 1978 with this set up. Chimney has a liner installed. Took pipe off stove to chimney and it’s DIRTY, chunks coming out. Called for a sweep and inspection for next week but in the meantime…….
Stuck my arm in and seems to be a T in the chimney, I can reach down and feel lots of debri. I went outside and opened the clean out door and it’s spotless. Looks like the block was just layed- rough open cell bottom- not a speck of burn debri at all. I am going to clean inside t and try to camera but I don’t think it has an open bottom for cleaning. Is this common?
I will need to take pipe apart every cleaning and vac out the bottom catch of the T?

Sounds like the masonry cleanout was perhaps only useful for installing the liner.

A

Thread 'How does a Liner with a Tee work with a cleanout?'

Jan 11, 2011

I have an internal masonry chimney. I believe it has 8x8 terracotta tiles. This chimeny supports my wood stove on the main floor of my ranch. It extends up through the ceiling/attic/roof right at the peak of the roof. Installing a liner from the top with a T makes sense to me down to the point where the stove connection comes in. How does the liner work from there DOWN?

My cimney also continues down into my basement where it has a footing. There is a cleanout in the basement. Do I somehow have to bring the liner down to the cleanout and cap it off?

I am not 100% satisfied with...

• avc8130
• Replies: 3
• Forum: The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces

It seems that if it was designed properly you should be able to reach in and remove the cap.

 

[stovelark]

So, it sounds like a liner was installed with a tee. Sometimes the installers will bring the tee down to the clean out door and leave it open or they can put a cap on end of tee like it sounds like they did yours. If the tee just has the cap on, you will need to check periodically for buildup in the tee. If all is operating well, it shouldn't be much to clean, especially if you're burning dry seasoned wood. If possible, it would be good to essentially extend the tee bottom down to the cleanout door, thats what my chimney guy did with our liner when he installed the liner many years ago. Makes sweeping easy every year. Good luck.

 

[EbS-P]

Most installers put a cap on the bottom of the T. This seals the liner not allowing cold air in. Yes you should always clean out the debris each time you clean. A shop vac can be handy but get a bag for your shop vac.

 

[kborndale]

A shop vac can be handy but get a bag for your shop vac.

I have read this many times that you need a special filter or bag when vacuuming soot. I use my shop vac to clean after and while sweeping (I sweep thru the thimble and stick the shop vac in there while using the soot eater) with just the regular filter and have never had any issues.

 

[bholler]

2015 regency free standing stove. The pipe goes straight up and 90’s into brick masonry chimney.
House was built in 1978 with this set up. Chimney has a liner installed. Took pipe off stove to chimney and it’s DIRTY, chunks coming out. Called for a sweep and inspection for next week but in the meantime…….
Stuck my arm in and seems to be a T in the chimney, I can reach down and feel lots of debri. I went outside and opened the clean out door and it’s spotless. Looks like the block was just layed- rough open cell bottom- not a speck of burn debri at all. I am going to clean inside t and try to camera but I don’t think it has an open bottom for cleaning. Is this common?
I will need to take pipe apart every cleaning and vac out the bottom catch of the T?

They should have extended the liner down to meet the clean out with a second tee. But since they did not yes you will need to vacuum that out every time. The pipe needs pulled regardless

 

[EbS-P]

I have read this many times that you need a special filter or bag when vacuuming soot. I use my shop vac to clean after and while sweeping (I sweep thru the thimble and stick the shop vac in there while using the soot eater) with just the regular filter and have never had any issues.

Your filter will take a lot more effort to clean than the bag. You can modify the bags and reuse them or just toss them. I think of the bags as a profiler for my hepa shop vac filter.

 

[Burnin Since 1991]

2015 regency free standing stove. The pipe goes straight up and 90’s into brick masonry chimney.
House was built in 1978 with this set up. Chimney has a liner installed. Took pipe off stove to chimney and it’s DIRTY, chunks coming out. Called for a sweep and inspection for next week but in the meantime…….
Stuck my arm in and seems to be a T in the chimney, I can reach down and feel lots of debri. I went outside and opened the clean out door and it’s spotless. Looks like the block was just layed- rough open cell bottom- not a speck of burn debri at all. I am going to clean inside t and try to camera but I don’t think it has an open bottom for cleaning. Is this common?
I will need to take pipe apart every cleaning and vac out the bottom catch of the T?

Maybe fish around inside the chimney cleanout. Maybe it just needs for you to reach in and open it the tee by hand? worth a shot.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Your filter will take a lot more effort to clean than the bag. You can modify the bags and reuse them or just toss them. I think of the bags as a profiler for my hepa shop vac filter.

Somebody got me on to the drywall bags for my Shopvac. So it seems for my pellet stove, one bag will last a year. I just have a small shopvac with the small size hose. I also found I could keep the main filter on at the same time. I still get tons of suction.

 

[EbS-P]

Somebody got me on to the drywall bags for my Shopvac. So it seems for my pellet stove, one bag will last a year. I just have a small shopvac with the small size hose. I also found I could keep the main filter on at the same time. I still get tons of suction.

Exactly the bag keeps most of the ash out of the main filter.

 

[NickW]

The T cap on Duravent DVL comes pre-attached. I drilled out the stainless pop rivets that held it on to put a section of the DVL down to the old masonry cleanout and re-attach the cap with screws, but the connections weren't compatible. At the old place where I made this discovery I cleaned the T with a piece of plumbing elbow attached to the shop vac when I pulled the stovepipe apart.

 

[Gwilkrrs]

My masonry clean out is roughly 5 feet lower than the T inside the chimney
Since we are new to this and the house she has called a sweep in to clean it and inspect it,
I have the pipes off for them as I suppose this is the needed approach with the vacume when complete.
I think they need to do a down clean from up top then a clean along the horizontal from inside then vac out the catch of the T

 

[Whitenuckler]

My masonry clean out is roughly 5 feet lower then the T inside the chimney
Since we are new to this and the house she has called a sweep in to clean it and inspect it,
I have the pipes off for them as I suppose this is the needed approach with the vacume when complete.
I think they need to do a down clean from up top then a clean along the horizontal from inside then vac out the catch of the T

What seems strange is that they built it for that cleanout, but never used it. They must have decided to use a liner right after they built it.
Or the mason who built it was told one thing, then the chimney guy carried on doing what ever he wanted, maybe the easiest.

 

[bholler]

What seems strange is that they built it for that cleanout, but never used it. They must have decided to use a liner right after they built it.
Or the mason who built it was told one thing, then the chimney guy carried on doing what ever he wanted, maybe the easiest.

What makes you think the liner was put in right after it was built? He said it was built in 78. The liner was not likely put in when the 2015 regency was installed. And the installer just did it the cheapest and easiest way

 

[Whitenuckler]

What makes you think the liner was put in right after it was built? He said it was built in 78. The liner was not likely put in when the 2015 regency was installed. And the installer just did it the cheapest and easiest way

Only that the OP said it was never used. Why build it and not use it? Maybe you know. I'm better at electrical.
"I went outside and opened the clean out door and it’s spotless. Looks like the block was just layed- rough open cell bottom- not a speck of burn debri at all."

 

[begreen]

If it was built in 1978, that was during the oil embargo. Everyone was planning for backup heat back them. In this case, it sounds like they just never followed through. Maybe they got too busy or didn't have the funds or just put it off until it never happened.

 

[Gwilkrrs]

Sweeps said it wasn’t too bad
The horizontal pipe to was dirty, the transition area up was bad at the 90. The vertical run was ok-
He cleaned a bunch of chunks from the trap (cap)
He said the liner is a solid stainless pipe not corigated- smooth sides.

Told me to run hot fires 500-600*

I don’t see anywhere on my paper work that tells me what is the safe temperature for this stove

My thermometer in the pipe has 550* starting in the red zone?

 

[stoveliker]

500 flue gas temps is 250 magnetic surface temps.

Is your wood wetter than before?

 

[begreen]

My thermometer in the pipe has 550* starting in the red zone?

Is this a probe thermometer on double-wall or a magnetic thermometer on the surface of the single wall stove pipe?

The stove top temp should be kept under 750ºF, probably closer to 650º in daily practice.

 

[bholler]

Only that the OP said it was never used. Why build it and not use it? Maybe you know. I'm better at electrical.
"I went outside and opened the clean out door and it’s spotless. Looks like the block was just layed- rough open cell bottom- not a speck of burn debri at all."

Oh. Yeah thats pretty common from the 70s. And many of the chimneys were built very poorly

 

[Gwilkrrs]

Probe type on double wall

 

[Winterpeger]

Sitting here at the moment Auber reading 565. Stove top around 550 with the fan on low. 3 Large splits. Your readings seem normal to me.

 

[stoveliker]

550 flue probe is perfectly fine.
Once it gets above 750-800 I'd start paying proper attention. (Dialling down more aggressively)

 

[begreen]

Probe type on double wall

I'm not sure why a probe thermometer would have 500º in the red zone if that is meant as a warning. 550º for a probe thermometer flue temp is normal.

 

[Burnin Since 1991]

I'm not sure why a probe thermometer would have 500º in the red zone if that is meant as a warning. 550º for a probe thermometer flue temp is normal.

View attachment 345149

My magnetic stovepipe thermometer is marked the same way. It's from Midwest. But that kinda makes sense as the internal would be higher. I think the probe thermometer should have a higher normal range, no?