re: old chimney issues from oil and gas furnace?

[soot face]

Hello,
I have a chimney in my 1950's house that used to be used for an oil furnace many years ago. In the mid 1980's, a gas furnace replaced the oil furnace, which also vented through the chimney.

About 3 years ago, we got a new high efficiency gas furnace that vents out the side of the home rather than the chimney. The chimney was then abandoned. At that time of installation, the interior port hole of the old chimney was sealed with sheet metal and some silicone.

4 or 6 months ago, we renovated the basement, making it far more air tight than it used to be. I am wondering if this chimney could be backdrafting, and making me sick with a soreness in my throat however my wife has felt nothing. During the course of our investigation, we have tested and/or no trace left of

1: mould 2: Carbon monoxide 3: gas montior which has H2S (hydrogen sulfide) 4: alergist and main doctor


The old cast iron port (i guess for the old oil supply) was only slight nudged yesturday. This port was not sealed, and i put some metal tape yesturday to seal it.

Could this be backdrafting? what are common symptoms of such a thing? Is there a way to test?
Can capping a chimney, say with a piece of flashing sheet metal solve the problem?
Would removing the old liner and sweeping the chinmney a good idea?

 

[begreen]

It could be that the gas furnace is depleting air supply. If so it may need an outside air supply? Usually modern condensing furnaces have this. Does yours? Another possibility is that some material was used that is outgassing and you are sensitive to it. How was mold checked for. If basement walls are not insulated and vapor barriered correctly they can be mold traps.

What is the cast iron port?

 

[soot face]

Yes, The furnace boiler has a dedicated air supply. Every new home i have seen has 2 pipes, 1 in, 1 out. Off-gassing is something i am looking into, but difficult to test. Mold was tested using a specialized testing company that uses a compressor, and is sent to a lab. Results were not elevated The reno is not finsihed. The only thing on the walls is rigid foam XPS insulation which does not breed mold.

Yes the port appears to be cast iron. when i nudged it yesturday, i saw some black soot hit the floor. What does that mean?

 

[fire_man]

My guess is the cast iron port is the flue cleanout door.

 

[soot face]

If it is the cleanout door,
could this be backdrafting at all? what are common symptoms of backdrafting? Is there a way to test if it is happening?
Can capping a chimney, say with a piece of flashing sheet metal solve the problem?
Would removing the old liner and sweeping the chinmney actually improve air quality?

 

[begreen]

Take a tube of silicone and lay a generous bead of it around the cleanout door flange to create a gasket. Then close the door onto the silicone to seal it shut.

 

[soot face]

so i have to open the door to access the flange? what does a cleanout door flange look like?