Pellet vent clean out cap

[Ctwoodtick]

This has happened to be a couple times and I think I know the answer but wanted to check. Recently swept out the venting for my pellet stove. Replaced old rubber gasket with new one and put clean out cap back on. Noticed I had a small bit of soot that fell out of the venting. Cap was the slightest bit uneven so I removed it and put back on as straight as possible. I have been pushing the clean out caps on as hard as possible (within reason). I wanted to make sure that was correct.
I don’t have the kind that twist on. The pics I attached are after cleaning up the small bit if soot that leaked out and cap out back on.
Thanks in advance

 

[tbear853]

Not to critisize an install, but no way I want a cleen-out tee or cap in the house.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Ok- why?

This is a basement install, so installer could not go straight through wall ( needed certain height off the ground). I also see people with T’s indoors for their wood stoves, so I’m not sure if your input is based on personal preference alone or something more significant. Thanks again for your input.

 

[tbear853]

This is a basement install, so installer could not go straight through wall ( needed certain height off the ground). I also see people with T’s indoors for their wood stoves, so I’m not sure if your input is based on personal preference alone or something more significant. Thanks again for your input.

I've cleaned a pellet stove vent, it's a nasty job no matter how hard you try to keep it clean. Besides, I can easier access the Tee outside. I didn't run mine in the basement for that reason. Preference wins.

I also have seen leaks at the cap area, not big leaks, but just the same, better outside. I

If I had to run it from the basement, then I'd make the area around the stove of easy to clean materials, no fancy brick with poors to absorb black soot, more like stainless steel or polished concrete I think, put a Tee in then, run my pipe up and out to the vent cap, have the cap within reach outside so I could hook my super leaf blower/bagger's intake to it, put it to on, then open the cap on the tee and pull the mess outside to be blown out into the yard. Even then, I'd seal that cap with an easy to remove coating of RTV and just count on replacing the coating after each clean. Then, take a shower.

How high off the ground did you need it ... & why?

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Thanks for your reply. I wouldn’t have done a basement install, but the reason for it was that we I had finished the basement and we wanted to make a pellet stove part of it. I didn’t know enough about to have made any different decisions with location of T. The outside pipe was situated just to get a little bit above ground to honor clearances in the manual.
The pellet stove sits on sheet metal hearth pad for ember protection And is basically washable.. So is the vinyl floating floor we installed. When I clean out the pipe I have an ash vacuum as close to the clean out as possible to minimize soot escaping too much. It’s not a perfect system, but I try to clean up as best as humanly possible when I do it.

 

[tlc1976]

If at all possible I would put the cleanout outside, but some situations like yours it’s not practical or possible. You do the best you can.

Even outside the fine pellet ash goes everywhere, and I have to clean the area to avoid tracking it into the house. I would never want that in the house.

My old house had a woodstove and the pipe extended a good 10 feet from the roof with guy wires. I wasn’t climbing up there in the summer, let alone on a slippery roof. Only practical way to clean it was to slide the stove aside and run the brush up from in the house. Then vacuum the mess from the tile stove pad. But creosote is solid and pretty much falls into a pile, minimal dust.

 

[tbear853]

Thanks for your reply. I wouldn’t have done a basement install, but the reason for it was that we I had finished the basement and we wanted to make a pellet stove part of it. I didn’t know enough about to have made any different decisions with location of T. The outside pipe was situated just to get a little bit above ground to honor clearances in the manual.
The pellet stove sits on sheet metal hearth pad for ember protection And is basically washable.. So is the vinyl floating floor we installed. When I clean out the pipe I have an ash vacuum as close to the clean out as possible to minimize soot escaping too much. It’s not a perfect system, but I try to clean up as best as humanly possible when I do it.View attachment 272811

That looks fine to me, I'd just use the outside tee there for first stage or major cleaning. I'd maybe use the inside one with a bucket under it afterwards just to let anything fall out but putting a good pull (it's a big Craftsman leaf blower/vac/mulcher) on the outside tee with my stove's glass door open should pull most of soot out of the flue. Just don't put the blow end near the tee.

Didn't know or missed the outside tee.

 

[SidecarFlip]

All I have to say is... I'd be changing the wall and baseboard color to something other than off white because the first time you crack that cleanout Tee, the wall and baseboard behind and below the cleanout is gonna change color and it won't be white either.... Once the fly ash gets on that light colored paint, it won't come off. it will smear and look quite nasty. Time for a different wall and baseboard color, like maybe dark grey or black.

Been there, did that long ago. Why my cleanout is outside like Bear' and the stove was relocated as well. Never been fond of a through the wall basement install. Too dirty.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

If at all possible I would put the cleanout outside, but some situations like yours it’s not practical or possible. You do the best you can.

Even outside the fine pellet ash goes everywhere, and I have to clean the area to avoid tracking it into the house. I would never want that in the house.

My old house had a woodstove and the pipe extended a good 10 feet from the roof with guy wires. I wasn’t climbing up there in the summer, let alone on a slippery roof. Only practical way to clean it was to slide the stove aside and run the brush up from in the house. Then vacuum the mess from the tile stove pad. But creosote is solid and pretty much falls into a pile, minimal dust.

All I have to say is... I'd be changing the wall and baseboard color to something other than off white because the first time you crack that cleanout Tee, the wall and baseboard behind and below the cleanout is gonna change color and it won't be white either.... Once the fly ash gets on that light colored paint, it won't come off. it will smear and look quite nasty. Time for a different wall and baseboard color, like maybe dark grey or black.

Been there, did that long ago. Why my cleanout is outside like Bear' and the stove was relocated as well. Never been fond of a through the wall basement install. Too dirty.

appreciate The feedback. Perhaps thus far in my sweeping the inside venting and removing This T cap, I’ve been successfully able to avoid the mess that you were describing. I’m aware that soot is both dirty and not healthy for you, so I’m as careful as possible. At this point, over the last three years, I’ve swept it out roughly 3 or four times. I’ve been Mindful of not allowing that soot to escape the area as much as possible with the ash vacuum and what not. It’s probably time I gave that basement a really good cleaning anyhow. Wiping walls down, etc. I now attach the ash vac hose to the hopper area when I load pellets to cut down on sawdust. First couple yrs I didn’t so the space could use a good wipe down. That should take care of any small bits of soot that have escaped over time.

 

[SidecarFlip]

You must not use your stove as much as I do. I clean my cleanout Tee every 2 weeks and use the leaf blower every month. Right now today, I'm running close to 100 pounds every 24 hours.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

It’s been a mild last few yrs here honestly in the northeast. We are usually upstairs where we heat with a wood insert. Mostly this year I’ll just run the downstairs pellet stove when it goes below freezing to help the outside pipes not freeze.
I would think normally sweeping the venting once per ton or so would suffice. Is that what most do here?

 

[tlc1976]

That pretty much what I do. Clean the pipe about every ton which for me is about once every 2 months. I burn less than SidecarFlip too. Typically just under 40 lbs in 24 hours. For me to burn 100 lbs in 24 hours I’d have to have my stove on max. The only time I need that is when it’s like -20F.

 

[Ssyko]

Yeah thats about the same here, actually i think im due this weekend, hope the warden doesn’t have a bunch of stuff for me to do.

 

[masterofsense666]

I also have a clean out tee, where the exhaust pipe connects into the base of the stove.
Pellet stove replaced wood stove, so area is slate and brick. Clean out the 3" cap, once
in two weeks. Usually, about an inch of ash in the cap. Using a ash vac on when cap is removed
no fly ash flows around. Then, exhaust exits direct out back wall.

 

[SidecarFlip]

The mess I refer to happens when owners are lax about cleaning out the clean out Tee cap and the venting is fill with fly ash and when they pull the cap, all hell breaks loose.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Yeah thats about the same here, actually i think im due this weekend, hope the warden doesn’t have a bunch of stuff for me to do.

Warden huh...... If I referred to my lovely wife like that, I'd be existing on TV dinners and microwave mac and cheese forever.

 

[rickwai]

You must not use your stove as much as I do. I clean my cleanout Tee every 2 weeks and use the leaf blower every month. Right now today, I'm running close to 100 pounds every 24 hours.

Holy Crap! That is twice my consumption! I am ready to shut down the basement Harman after 39 bags of pellets to empty the ash pan and give it a sweep out

 

[SidecarFlip]

Holy Crap! That is twice my consumption! I am ready to shut down the basement Harman after 39 bags of pellets to empty the ash pan and give it a sweep out

My philosophy is, if you have it, roast it. I have it in spades..... Colder that a witch's behind here and been that way. Got up to maybe 18 today and been below 0 every night. The 6039 is actually keeping the entire house (including the upstairs) at 70, but it's working hard all the time. Takes 2 6 gallon pails of mix daily, just like clockwork so about 100 pounds give or take. Could be more, could be less, depending on what the thermostat decides and how windy it is outside too. People across the road have a pellet only stove, not sure what kind but, they buy pellets by the skid and store them on their front porch and I can watch the pile of bags vanish pretty quick. Been real quick lately. Wife told me their furnace is on the fritz too. If they have pellet stove issues now, they are screwed with a capital S.

When I clean mine, I just kick on the central furnace until I'm done. No point in loosing the temp in the house. Propane and heating oil is spiking up quite a bit. I knew it would. Prices this year for propane and oil will be a bargain compared to what they will be next fall and winter. Off road diesel (which is heating oil), went from $1.99 a gallon to $2.49 in 12 days and on road diesel is up to north of 3 bucks a gallon. Next year those prices will look downright cheap. I figure the cost of pellets will also increase substantially because it will cost substantially more to make them. Sure am glad my corn prices are fixed...lol

 

[rickwai]

My philosophy is, if you have it, roast it. I have it in spades..... Colder that a witch's behind here and been that way. Got up to maybe 18 today and been below 0 every night. The 6039 is actually keeping the entire house (including the upstairs) at 70, but it's working hard all the time. Takes 2 6 gallon pails of mix daily, just like clockwork so about 100 pounds give or take. Could be more, could be less, depending on what the thermostat decides and how windy it is outside too. People across the road have a pellet only stove, not sure what kind but, they buy pellets by the skid and store them on their front porch and I can watch the pile of bags vanish pretty quick. Been real quick lately. Wife told me their furnace is on the fritz too. If they have pellet stove issues now, they are screwed with a capital S.

When I clean mine, I just kick on the central furnace until I'm done. No point in loosing the temp in the house. Propane and heating oil is spiking up quite a bit. I knew it would. Prices this year for propane and oil will be a bargain compared to what they will be next fall and winter. Off road diesel (which is heating oil), went from $1.99 a gallon to $2.49 in 12 days and on road diesel is up to north of 3 bucks a gallon. Next year those prices will look downright cheap. I figure the cost of pellets will also increase substantially because it will cost substantially more to make them. Sure am glad my corn prices are fixed...lol

They we get corn at market price plus $.05/bu for drying. So we got first load for $4.15/bu. next fill up was $4.23/bu. With the price of propane I would only have maybe 3 hrs on the furnace for the same money and I know in this cold the furnace would run more than 3 hrs!

 

[SidecarFlip]

Next fall, expect the market price to climb appreciably. Inputs will go up appreciably this spring / summer. In fact they already are. Viscious circle and you are at the end of the 'food chain'.