This year is the last year for me....

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SidecarFlip

Minister of Fire
Feb 7, 2010
5,273
S.E. Michigan
No, not quitting the bio mass game, last year for my venting. I cleaned and lubricated the stove last fall, spritzed the inside down with Stabil Fogging oil like I usually do, but I put off taking down my venting and cleaning it until last week

Big surprise. it's just about shot. The stainless liner is in just about every section is developing 'acne'. I soaked the sections down with Zep Purple power and pressure washed them out.

Remember, from the outside 3-4" clean out tee (which I renewed last year so it's fine, it's 18 feet to the rain cap with 2 elbows to get around the eave. It's a royal PITA to take apart and it takes 2 people to get it down and put it back up and it's 4" all the way to the top

Looks bad inside after a good pressure washing. I'll be replacing all of it except the new cleanout Tee next summer. I guess it's what I get for burning corn. The nitric acid vapor eats the stainless liner. having said that the venting is 15 years old so I guess it's time to renew.

The rain cap up top actually has some holes in the flange so it all on borrowed time and the price on venting has really went up too.

I think the other issue is my venting run is so long that the upper sections don't get hot enough to vaporize off the condensate produced by the combustion process but in my situation, the venting cannot be modified, it has to be as long as it is.

Guess me and Venting Pipe.com will be exchanging bucks for vent this summer.

Oh well, everything wears out I guess. Even me.
 
You take such good care of your equipment but I do know the tired of doing something feeling. But 15 years burning corn in a stove seems to me a long time for the venting and its just wore out..but maybe its time to buy a new...lol--hate the loss of the money..lol but you sure had good years with it after all the work you did...clancey
 
Everything, including us, wears out eventually. I was kind of taken back by how much the price of venting has increased. If I went with my current vent configuration and replaced all the venting, it would cost me well over one thousand bucks.

Like I said, I think the main issue is the upper sections don't get hot enough to 'boil off' the condensate produced by the stove and that is causing the stainless liner to corrode away. I need to change the configuration somehow and still get the end of the venting about the roof line.

I'm good for this season but I need to modify it somehow. because of the length of the venting, I'm locked into 4". Don't believe 3" would flow enough considering the total length.