Taping stove pipe?

I’ve noticed a lot of pictures in the anthracite boards have stove pipe taped. Is this an anthracite thing?

I have only burned bit and never had a need. However, I did recently buy 17 bags of anthracite and wonder if I should tape?

I did burn one bag to test. I noticed a peculiar scent in the house and I had a headache the whole time. None of my alarms were going off. So, in hindsight, I’m guessing this is why I see so many anthracite burners taping their stove pipes.

One thing that concerns me is when reloading bit the stove pipe will well exceed the temperature limits of the tapes ive seen. I can imagine this being an issue when I go from anth to bit.

Whatever works for "YOU" F. Don't use it or need it in my set-up

I use it if I can see a gap and its a distance from the stove. I also have it in the upstairs area that is a bedroom that a pipe runs thru, just extra C/O insurance. If its close to the stove I have used tin foil with a furnace clamp around it. I never worried about it burning wood and I dont think I would with bit either, just ant. And it may not even be needed but is awful cheap insurance.

The scent you smelled was likely sulfer. If you have concerns and since you got a headache, I'd get a C/O detector with a digital readout if you dont have one already.

Just an observation in my own setups, but I think most sulfer smells come from the stove and not the pipe. Leaky gaskets.

They only use the tape to maximize draft. Or if they have a forced or power draft stove it keeps fine dust from coming out....if you had a scent from anthracite you should have a scent from Bit. Unless Bit runs hotter and drafts better because of it. Check your draft when using Anthracite.

Kevin

I was running .06 with both. So maybe the anth needs more. I don’t have any issues with bit. Just the one time I burned anth.

Crack a window, sounds like the house is tight. If the appliance can't get make up air it can create an issue as you describe. The stovepipe is at negative pressure so it is doubtful anything is leaking into the room from it.

I recall seeing a few images where silicone was being used around the stove pipe joints. My joints look pretty tight and the joint orientation is right for coal but sealing the joints might be worth considering too.

With any negative pressure in the pipe there shouldn't be any leaking. Taping them should help draft though since no more cool air can enter the pipe after the baro (if a baro is used.)

I suspect that any sulfur smell in the house was due to opening and closing of the load door if your draft was healthy. Make sure your mano is "zero'd" properly and nothing is obstructing your mano probe in the pipe.

I zeroed the Mano. I just unhooked it and adjusted the knob until it was at zero then re inserted it

I’m burning anth at the moment. I was having trouble getting extended burns with the bit so I’ll test this anth out. No headache or smells yet.

I think maybe I was just running my draft too low. I have it at .08 now and so far so good. I threw 80 lbs on top of my bit coals. I’d like to see how long this will last. Maybe I’ll have to switch if I can’t get the bit sorted out.

With my warm morning I could get 12 hour burns in bit, which is what I need with my work schedule. So far with he Hotblast I’ve only managed an 8 hour burn once. The rest have been 3-5 hour burns. I’m living in the basement. This bit has a lot of fines so I’m wondering if that’s the issue. It didn’t matter with the warm morning.

.08 is pretty heavy. I normally ran mine between .03 and .04. On warm mild days as low as .01 to .02

Did you block the bypasses between the fire box and the front/rear liners?

Follow lightnings info on modifying that stove, but you likely already know that.

If you get that headache again or get that smell make sure to get a CO detector that shows the numbers. It may be too low of a number to make a normal one go off but still isnt healthy.

These liners don’t have bypasses. It’s at about .08 now dipping to .07. I have 400 above the load door. I’ve got the load door sliding air vent open about 1/8”. The ash door spinner is 2.5 turns open. It’s about *72 in the house. *48 outside with 20mph gusts. So far this anth is burning better then the bit but we’re back into a warm spell for a few days.

I’ve been thinking maybe I’ll burn bit while I’m home and load it with anth when I leave for work. Maybe that will get me the 12 hours I need.

warminmn wrote: ↑

Thu. Jan. 02, 2020 2:33 pm

get a CO detector that shows the numbers. It may be too low of a number to make a normal one go off but still isnt healthy.

Good idea. I’ve got about six throughout the house. None are going off. They are all up to date.

Do you measure stack temp? Seems if you run the draft that high you are putting heat up the chimney.

Kevin

How tight is your house fig?