Question - Tee connector inside masonry chimney

[bcarton]

My very used pellet stove will be installed tomorrow. I'm replacing an old wood stove that vented into a masonry chimney. The chimney will be lined with 4" flexible vent, with a Tee connector at the thimble where the old stove used to go in. My question is this: is it advisable to leave the bottom of the Tee open so I can more easily clean the liner from the roof?

My inclination is no, seems like I'd be opening up an otherwise nicely sealed system. But it's an attractive idea to just go out on the roof and push any accumulated guck straight down to the masonry chimney's cleanout, which is 9 feet below where the Tee will be.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. I already talked to the local building inspector, who told me that he would go by whatever the installation manual says. The manual doesn't address this issue.

Thanks!

Brian

 

[claydogg84]

I imagine that would effect your draft. You're basically saying you want to leave the clean out cap off of your Tee pipe permanently because it's inside your sealed masonry chimney? I vote no.

 

[railfanron]

No. The exhaust gasses would be pushed out the bottom of the tee into the chimney instead of out the top. If you cannot reach the inside of the tee from the house side of the pipe you have a problem. The ash will build up in the tee until the horizontal run from the stove is blocked. Can you put the tee in the horizontal run outside the thimble? That way you could run your pipe cleaner down from the top and the ash will fall out the tee cap. The flex pipe can be bent into an elbow and then hooked to the regular pipe run or you can add an elbow of regular pipe and then start with the flex.
Ron

 

[bcarton]

The Tee will be only 9 feet down from the top of the chimney, easily reachable with a vac hose. That's probably less effort than pulling apart the connections from inside the house. I'm only asking because 3 people have suggested it so far, including 2 at local stove shops. I can't understand how it would be a good idea, but since it was suggested to me more than once, thought I might be missing something.

 

[railfanron]

9ft is a long way to vacuum up. If you put the tee inside the house in the horizontal run you can run the lint eater down the pipe and through the elbow all the way to the tee cleanout. Instead of the tee being vertical with the leg on the horizontal the tee would be horizontal and the leg would be vertical pointing downward. That way there is no need to disassemble anything except the tee end cap.
Ron

 

[Pellet-King]

T belongs right off back of stove, I cant Imagine what your doing here?

 

[bcarton]

Sorry, I'm not using the right terminology. It's the Flex Adapter Tee that goes inside the chimney: http://www.icc-rsf.com/main.php?t=chem_produits&i=137&d=&l=en

 

[Jigger]

By leaving the clean out cap off. You'll be losing the effects of your natural draft. In case of a power outage you'll run the risk of getting smoke back into the house. Pellet stoves chimneys work on positive pressure not negative like a wood stove. You might have to move the stove slightly further into the room so you have access to the clean out. Pellet stoves no matter who the manufacturer is. Produce small particles of fly ash. The clean out is put in place to collect these particles of fly ash before they go into the chimney and clog it.The draw on a vacuum is designed to work on a level plain not to an elevated platform. So trying to use a vacuum from the roof down will probably not work.