Quadrafire 7100/airsweep chimney problems

[Deanoxc]

Fired up my 7100 for the first time right before Christmas, everything went great, ran it for about 18 hours.
Lit it again this week and after a couple minutes of burning, water started dripping down onto the fireplace from up above. The chimney is an air cooled one (I'm told its the only chimney approved for this stove) and where the outside air meets the chimney there has been constant ice build up, most of which didn't melt even when the fire was on.
Kept the fire on and the drips stopped after appr. a gallon of water dripped down. I don't understand where the humidity is coming from being that the air for cooling is pulled from outside, and is separate from the house.
Anyone else have a similar problem?

 

[Sconnie Burner]

Condensation is a by product of burning/combustion. If the chimney was cool and you sent a bunch of heat up it condensation most likely formed quickly and couldn't evaporate fast enough. I currently have icicles on my chimney top in single digit temps and I'm burning 24/7. I was worried at first but put to ease by this great sight. Its normal.

 

[TheRambler]

I dont know, something sounds off here. I get why its happening, but don't understand the install in this case that is causing it to happen. Can you post sime pictures? And do you know the make/model of the chimney in usr?

 

[73blazer]

I dont know, something sounds off here. I get why its happening, but don't understand the install in this case that is causing it to happen. Can you post sime pictures? And do you know the make/model of the chimney in usr?

Which chimney did they use, the SL300 air cooled pipe or the duravent? I would have used the triple wall duravent. But if an installer did it, they probably used the air cooled stuff. if they used the air cooled stuff, they should have installed a CAK4A air kit to vent the "air cavity" between the inner and outer pipe. It seems alot of installers skip that. You can tell if you have a 2nd small vent (looks kinda like a dryer vent) poking outside somewhere. There should be a big one (your main OAK (outside air kit, combustion air) and a small one. If you only have the one big OAK inlet outside and you know they used the air cooled pipe. Demand your installer come back and put the CAK kit on.

 

[Deanoxc]

Which chimney did they use, the SL300 air cooled pipe or the duravent? I would have used the triple wall duravent. But if an installer did it, they probably used the air cooled stuff. if they used the air cooled stuff, they should have installed a CAK4A air kit to vent the "air cavity" between the inner and outer pipe. It seems alot of installers skip that. You can tell if you have a 2nd small vent (looks kinda like a dryer vent) poking outside somewhere. There should be a big one (your main OAK (outside air kit, combustion air) and a small one. If you only have the one big OAK inlet outside and you know they used the air cooled pipe. Demand your installer come back and put the CAK kit on.

The chimney is the SL 300, There are both combustion and outside air kits installed. The OAK comes from outside through my floor system(and has frost on it) runs for about 8' horizontally, then drops about 4' to where it meets the chimney. This area of the chimney has ice built up on it, which doesn't melt even when the fire is on for hours. (I posted a pic)
Relit after 2 days of being completely off and this time about 2 cups of water dripped down after about 15 mins of burning. From outside you can see water running down the exterior of the chimney as well.
I'm going to leave it off for a couple more days, and fire it up on Wed. but I'm pretty sure it will be raining again…
Thanks for your help!

 

[73blazer]

The chimney is the SL 300, There are both combustion and outside air kits installed. The OAK comes from outside through my floor system(and has frost on it) runs for about 8' horizontally, then drops about 4' to where it meets the chimney. This area of the chimney has ice built up on it, which doesn't melt even when the fire is on for hours. (I posted a pic)
Relit after 2 days of being completely off and this time about 2 cups of water dripped down after about 15 mins of burning. From outside you can see water running down the exterior of the chimney as well.
I'm going to leave it off for a couple more days, and fire it up on Wed. but I'm pretty sure it will be raining again…
Thanks for your help!

So..I'm a little confused. The area you show looks like the chimney air kit (CAK). Why is there sheetrock on top of your ZC box? I'm no expert, I only installed mine myself, but looking at the current 7100 manual, I guess it doesn't say anything to the top, but the ZC box is supposed to be 1/2" from the back and 1" from the sides. I'm pretty sure you don't want anything directly on top of your ZC enclosure. I can't say I've seen anyone put sheetrock right ontop of the ZC box. I can't say if that's the cause of your issue, there shouldn't be frost there, there never is on mine, I peered in there for weeks before I sealed the chase completely Perhaps if that sheetrock wasn't on top there the enclosure would lose a little heat while it's off and keep the frost from ever forming. I dunno, perhaps a more experienced installer can chime in. Is your chimney chase insulated and sealed fairly decent? Mine wasn't when I removed my old unit, but I insulated and sealed it up pretty good when I installed this new one.
Pure conjecture here, but perhaps that additional sheetrock layer put the cake in misalignment with the holes in the chimney base (the cak vents the outer layer of the chimney pipe, exiting up top just below the main flue exit) , so the CAK air has no where to go and forms frost then?
Here's what mine looks like (cak duct to outside is not installed here yet):

 

[Deanoxc]

So..I'm a little confused. The area you show looks like the chimney air kit (CAK). Why is there sheetrock on top of your ZC box? I'm no expert, I only installed mine myself, but looking at the current 7100 manual, I guess it doesn't say anything to the top, but the ZC box is supposed to be 1/2" from the back and 1" from the sides. I'm pretty sure you don't want anything directly on top of your ZC enclosure. I can't say I've seen anyone put sheetrock right ontop of the ZC box. I can't say if that's the cause of your issue, there shouldn't be frost there, there never is on mine, I peered in there for weeks before I sealed the chase completely Perhaps if that sheetrock wasn't on top there the enclosure would lose a little heat while it's off and keep the frost from ever forming. I dunno, perhaps a more experienced installer can chime in. Is your chimney chase insulated and sealed fairly decent? Mine wasn't when I removed my old unit, but I insulated and sealed it up pretty good when I installed this new one.
Pure conjecture here, but perhaps that additional sheetrock layer put the cake in misalignment with the holes in the chimney base (the cak vents the outer layer of the chimney pipe, exiting up top just below the main flue exit) , so the CAK air has no where to go and forms frost then?
Here's what mine looks like (cak duct to outside is not installed here yet):

My bad, the pic I posted is rotated I/4 to the left. There is no sheetrock or anything on top of the unit.
I'll try and take a better picture tomorrow

 

[73blazer]

My bad, the pic I posted is rotated I/4 to the left. There is no sheetrock or anything on top of the unit.
I'll try and take a better picture tomorrow

I rotated it on my computer for better view, but still looks like the top to me, sure looks like that CAK kit is cemented ot a piece of sheet rock. Perhaps my visualization skills are lacking. Or I'm just crazy.