Olympic Franklin '49' Stove - Seeking Repair/Hazard Information

[singingwren]

I am trying to learn more about this stove and ask for advice about a couple issues with it.

Is there any way to find out the age of this stove? I understand this is an Olympic Franklin stove and it is marked '49.' I've included a photo of this. The house was built in 1957 and it's possible (more likely probable) that the stove dates to then. I am also not sure when it was converted to gas.

There are a few small cosmetic issues with the stove such as light rust on the flue (photo included) that looks like rivulets from heavy rain. I'm guessing that can be fixed with stove black, but maybe someone here can confirm that idea.

I also noticed that on the side of the stove, there is a visible piece of grey material sticking out from a seam. My initial thought is that this is probably insulation and possibly some type of asbestos cement/millboard given the possible age of the stove.

I know that this can't be determined by sight, but maybe someone can let me know if its possible this could be asbestos? If it's possible, I'm not sure how to deal with that as its sitting in our family room. I have included a photo of the largest piece, but there are a few smaller areas visible. The other side of the stove does not have any of this material visible.

Thanks for any help or knowledge you are willing to share.

 

[begreen]

Gas stove? The stove pipe is installed upside down. The crimped end should be pointed down, toward the stove. That's why the rivulets.

 

[coaly]

Stove black is for cast iron, not smooth steel. Pipe is painted with high temp paint.

The water is from the water vapor created from combustion. If this is connected to propane, you get about a gallon of water vapor from every gallon of propane burned. This is the same for any fossil fuel including wood. When the exhaust gas temperature goes below 250* before reaching the top, the vapor condenses in the pipe and flue wetting the inner walls. Male end down prevents the leakage outside of the pipe.

You will not get enough wasted heat up the chimney to keep it above this critical temperature. Burning wood, this moisture at low temp is what causes smoke particles to stick forming creosote. So chimneys are lined with an inner insulated pipe to stay hotter inside to prevent this. Proper operation is required to maintain the correct flue temp with a thermometer on the pipe.

Is this log set for vented or unvented use?? It does not need the vent pipe if this is an unvented appliance.

 

[singingwren]

Gas stove? The stove pipe is installed upside down. The crimped end should be pointed down, toward the stove. That's why the rivulets.

That's interesting. I was assuming the rust was all from rain because we did recently have heavy rain that made it's way down the chimney. I've attached a couple photos here of that incident.

 

[singingwren]

Stove black is for cast iron, not smooth steel. Pipe is painted with high temp paint.

The water is from the water vapor created from combustion. If this is connected to propane, you get about a gallon of water vapor from every gallon of propane burned. This is the same for any fossil fuel including wood. When the exhaust gas temperature goes below 250* before reaching the top, the vapor condenses in the pipe and flue wetting the inner walls. Male end down prevents the leakage outside of the pipe.

You will not get enough wasted heat up the chimney to keep it above this critical temperature. Burning wood, this moisture at low temp is what causes smoke particles to stick forming creosote. So chimneys are lined with an inner insulated pipe to stay hotter inside to prevent this. Proper operation is required to maintain the correct flue temp with a thermometer on the pipe.

Is this log set for vented or unvented use?? It does not need the vent pipe if this is an unvented appliance.

Thanks for the information about high temp paint. I grew up with a cast iron wood stove, so the stove black was in my mind.

I was assuming the water was all from rain because rain recently did leak down during a recent heavy rain. I've attached a couple photos of that incident, but interesting to know it might just be the exhaust vapor.

The stove is hooked up to natural gas (central, city supplied) and it is vented out the roof via wood stove size chimney.

 

[begreen]

I tried stove black on our Resolute many years back and was sorry I did. It doesn't last a season and makes it hard to paint afterward. Modern cast iron stoves are now painted.

Is there chimney pipe on the other side of the ceiling?

 

[singingwren]

I tried stove black on our Resolute many years back and was sorry I did. It doesn't last a season and makes it hard to paint afterward. Modern cast iron stoves are now painted.

Is there chimney pipe on the other side of the ceiling?

Yes, it has a flue/chimney pipe through attic and out the roof. It is larger sized chimney as if for a wood stove versus a smaller natural gas appliance vent.

 

[begreen]

It looks like the start collar off of the ceiling support needs to be crimped unless it is designed for a stovepipe that flares out at the end so that the start collar slips inside of the stovepipe and all joints below have the crimped end facing the stove. That will eliminate the runs and drips.

 

[singingwren]

Gas stove? The stove pipe is installed upside down. The crimped end should be pointed down, toward the stove. That's why the rivulets.

Here is a photo with the lower part of the stove pipe. Is this setup correct with the gas conversion? The previous owners stated that this was originally a wood stove, but was converted to gas. I can't personally verify that.

 

[singingwren]

It looks like the start collar off of the ceiling support needs to be crimped unless it is designed for a stovepipe that flares out at the end so that the start collar slips inside of the stovepipe and all joints below have the crimped end facing the stove. That will eliminate the runs and drips.

Thank you. This is something we will want to get fixed then.

 

[coaly]

The only thing I’m seeing is cement at the seams. Today’s equivalent is “stove and gasket cement” used to hold door gaskets in place and seal joints between cast iron stove parts bolted together.

What you’re calling a stove is a freestanding fireplace.

Gas logs are designed for vented use only, or ventless. There should be a tag on the appliance with that specification. You need to know what you have first. There are over cautious people that I’ve seen vent a ventless log set that could be putting all the heat generated into the living area.
If that is a flue pipe damper, it needs to be open if the log set is vented only. Not sure of the legality in your jurisdiction about this.

 

[singingwren]

The only thing I’m seeing is cement at the seams. Today’s equivalent is “stove and gasket cement” used to hold door gaskets in place and seal joints between cast iron stove parts bolted together.

What you’re calling a stove is a freestanding fireplace.

Gas logs are designed for vented use only, or ventless. There should be a tag on the appliance with that specification. You need to know what you have first. There are over cautious people that I’ve seen vent a ventless log set that could be putting all the heat generated into the living area.
If that is a flue pipe damper, it needs to be open if the log set is vented only. Not sure of the legality in your jurisdiction about this.

Yes, there is definitely cement. What I've never seen before is the grey broken pieces peeking out from between two plates of metal. You can only see this in one of the photos. It looks different from the stove/gasket cement I've seen in the past and that is located on other areas of the stove.

 

[coaly]

It’s probably furnace cement someone used between parts. If any asbestos was used in it, the only way to become airborne is grinding, sanding, filing, drilling...... otherwise it’s safe.