Pool in the chimney..

[mwhitnee]

Been burning in the new BK King for a few weeks now and everything has been going good. I can get longer burn times than I expected with my vent set up.

I've had no issues with draft although my vent setup is "less than ideal". No smoke in the house when starting or reloading, I just open the damper and unlatch the door, wait 3 seconds, and all is good to load.

Vent comes straight about 24" up out of the stove then a 90 into a steel thimble then into the clay lined masonry chimney. Look at my avatar, really the only way to do it. It is an outside chimney off the living room. Has a SS cap and the few small cracks in the crown I have sealed. I know rain is not the issue. I just cleaned the flue and it looked good.

I saw moisture on the outside of the chimney near the bottom underneath where the clay liner starts last week and I just watched it. Well today I opened up the clean out and there is a pool of water there. I don't recall seeing this last year with my old stove.

When I'm burning and the cat is showing active I can at times touch the stove pipe comfortably for a second. I assume condensation is happening and dripping out of the bottom of the clay liner and showing as moisture weeping out of the chimney. The rest of it goes to the bottom.

Typical smoke out of the chimney is a creeping white smoke or nothing at all. Not ideal but not too bad either.

NOW given that I have wood that is barely acceptable this might be the problem. It really is burning fine though. I have Envi blocks but have only been using them on startups as the stove has been burning fine.

I know a liner would be ideal but that is not happening this year.

I'm not sure if I would be answering my own question by saying always use the Envi blocks. I would like some thoughts on exactly how to use them if that's the case.

Thanks in advance!

 

[pen]

Sounds like you know the problem.

The outside chimney is not getting hot with this stove idling along to keep the moisture in the exhaust gasses, gaseous all the way to the sky.

My guess is it is going to take an insulated liner or running the stove hotter to keep that moisture in the exhaust from condensing and puddling.

 

[mwhitnee]

Is this moisture equivalent with creosote, or just moisture?

Would getting double insulated vent piping into the thimble help any significant amount?

 

[pen]

If it's cool enough to condense water, it's also going to mean there's a greater chance of accumulating creosote as well.

How much piping is there from the stove to thimble? Are the seams/joints sealed well?

 

[Grisu]

Is this moisture equivalent with creosote, or just moisture?

Even complete combustion of wood will produce carbon dioxide plus water vapors (plus ashes and some other gases). Creosote develops when unburnt particles go up with the water vapors in the chimney and condense on the walls. The King seems to burn so cleanly (aka low amounts of unburnt particles) that only the produced water vapors can condense and then drip down to the bottom of the chimney. Nevertheless, I would keep a close eye on the chimney as over time some creosote may still develop.

To get rid off that problem I second pen's advice: Get an insulated liner. That will keep the flue walls hot enough that the water vapors won't condense and therefore also no unburnt particles.

 

[mwhitnee]

If it's cool enough to condense water, it's also going to mean there's a greater chance of accumulating creosote as well.

How much piping is there from the stove to thimble? Are the seams/joints sealed well?

Yes the stove is new- tight joints with screws and caulking going into the thimble.

 

[pen]

Yes the stove is new- tight joints with screws and caulking going into the thimble.

How much single wall piping is there in terms of length?

 

[mwhitnee]

How much single wall piping is there in terms of length?

Including the vent pipe lining the inside of the thimble probably around 4 1/2 feet or so.

 

[pen]

Using double wall pipe in replacement for single wall can never hurt, but at that length, I doubt you'd notice a gain. If you were talking about 14.5 feet, it'd be a different story.

 

[mwhitnee]

Even complete combustion of wood will produce carbon dioxide plus water vapors (plus ashes and some other gases). Creosote develops when unburnt particles go up with the water vapors in the chimney and condense on the walls. The King seems to burn so cleanly (aka low amounts of unburnt particles) that only the produced water vapors can condense and then drip down to the bottom of the chimney. Nevertheless, I would keep a close eye on the chimney as over time some creosote may still develop.

To get rid off that problem I second pen's advice: Get an insulated liner. That will keep the flue walls hot enough that the water vapors won't condense and therefore also no unburnt particles.

Thanks Grisu. Maybe Ill get an estimate at least.

 

[mwhitnee]

Using double wall pipe in replacement for single wall can never hurt, but at that length, I doubt you'd notice a gain. If you were talking about 14.5 feet, it'd be a different story.

Thanks Pen kinda what I was thinking

 

[jatoxico]

When I first installed my stove (w/ liner) the chimney "steamed" off tons of water. The fireplace had not been used and the all masonry absorbed tons of water.

Putting in an insulated liner is certainly a good long term investment but I wonder if the problem resolves after you start to run harder.

 

[mwhitnee]

When I first installed my stove (w/ liner) the chimney "steamed" off tons of water. The fireplace had not been used and the all masonry absorbed tons of water.

Putting in an insulated liner is certainly a good long term investment but I wonder if the problem resolves after you start to run harder.

Jatoxico I'm gonna find out! Already spent 6k on stove, cutting nine trees down, and refurbishing my inherited log splitter. Oi!

 

[brenndatomu]

I read the title wrong...I was thinking "Chimney in the pool" I clicked for some pics...RATS!

 

[mwhitnee]

I read the title wrong...I was thinking "Chimney in the pool" I clicked for some pics...RATS!

Lol no don't say that That's another thing I spent a lotta money on this year!