Help with mark 2 barometer

nepacoal · Post by **nepacoal** » Fri. Nov. 22, 2019 11:10 am

megamike wrote: ↑
Fri. Nov. 22, 2019 11:02 am
1) As far as temperature, my temps in the ductwork a few feet from the furnace are 120F. My oil furnace is 140F. Should it be hotter?

2) The stovepipe looks to be in excellent shape. It's probably 7 years old. It doesn't really smell like sulfur, just a very faint burning smell. Like when you pull in the driveway, get out of your car, and the wind is just right, you get a faint smell of coal burning. We have CO detectors all over the house and they don't go off. I know they work because one time I lit a fire in the fireplace and forgot to open the flue (drunk gathering lol). When we had a wood boiler, the smell of burning wood was 10x this when you opened the door to load wood in it. I also test the CO detectors by putting them near my generator whenever I start it up.

3) Last year I had around 2 inches of ash at the end of the grate. With this years coal it's more like 1/2 inch. It's not dropping burning coal into the bin, but it's close. Should I lower the feed or increase air flow to correct this?

7 years is close to the max on pipes that sit all summer in the humidity. If not cleaned, dried, and stored in a dry area, pipes can develop pin holes in 2 to 3 years. I'm betting your pipes have pin holes in them.

Your choice on adjusting for the ash. If you have a very strong draft you can add combustion air. Just keep a close eye on it on warmer days to see if you went too far.

megamike · Post by **megamike** » Fri. Nov. 22, 2019 11:17 am

Ok thank you. I'm going to look over the pipe really good.

Edit on #3

After a 2 hour full burn, it is now pushing some red coals off of the grate. So the question still stands, lower the feed, or increase combustion air flow. You said add combustion air, but my question is a little different now. If I go too far with increasing the combustion air, do you mean it will run too hot? I have a few days off starting monday, so I'll mess with it then and keep an eye on it.

Also, you've been a huge help so thank you again.

nepacoal · Post by **nepacoal** » Fri. Nov. 22, 2019 11:23 am

No, not too hot. If air is set too high, your draft may go positive on a warm afternoon and pump CO in the basement instead of out the chimney.

If your fire is close to or touching the top of the stove, reduce feed by going CCW 1.5 turns. Give it a good 3 hours before making any more adjustments. If your fire seems low, increase air a little and then reset your draft.

nepacoal · Post by **nepacoal** » Fri. Nov. 22, 2019 11:37 am

Glad to help... Check your PMs. I sent a note to clarify the draft settings.

titleist1 · Post by **titleist1** » Fri. Nov. 22, 2019 12:04 pm

megamike wrote: ↑
Fri. Nov. 22, 2019 11:02 am
1) As far as temperature, my temps in the ductwork a few feet from the furnace are 120F. My oil furnace is 140F. Should it be hotter?

2) The stovepipe looks to be in excellent shape. It's probably 7 years old. It doesn't really smell like sulfur, just a very faint burning smell. Like when you pull in the driveway, get out of your car, and the wind is just right, you get a faint smell of coal burning. We have CO detectors all over the house and they don't go off. I know they work because one time I lit a fire in the fireplace and forgot to open the flue (drunk gathering lol). When we had a wood boiler, the smell of burning wood was 10x this when you opened the door to load wood in it. I also test the CO detectors by putting them near my generator whenever I start it up.

3) Last year I had around 2 inches of ash at the end of the grate. With this years coal it's more like 1/2 inch. It's not dropping burning coal into the bin, but it's close. Should I lower the feed or increase air flow to correct this?

There should be no smell at all in the house. If your CO detectors are alarm only and not monitors I suggest getting at least one that gives a number readout on it.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Kidde-Plug-in-Carbon- ... lsrc=aw.ds

As mentioned 7 years is a long time for the basic black flue pipe to last in a basement, especially if the unit isn't run all summer. When checking the pipe make sure there is a good seal where it fits into the thimble through the wall. Seal any cracks there or where the pipe fits together with furnace cement.

megamike · Post by **megamike** » Tue. Nov. 26, 2019 11:13 am

Ok I just got back from a 40 hour weekend...

After walking in the house, the smell is completely gone. I think it was from me opening the stove and checking the fire when I was messing with it. I opened the damper on the combustion blower and the manometer is reading -0.04 now. Not quite there yet.

Also, my CO detectors are monitors. It reads 0ppm if I leave it near the furnace.

nepacoal · Post by **nepacoal** » Tue. Nov. 26, 2019 11:40 am

And the -.04 reading is through the hole in the ash door, right. Not the stovepipe?. Just want to make sure you are checking the over fire draft through the ash door... While the stoker and fan are running, preferably during a 30 min run

megamike · Post by **megamike** » Wed. Nov. 27, 2019 4:45 pm

yes through the ash door after a long burn.

nepacoal · Post by **nepacoal** » Wed. Nov. 27, 2019 4:50 pm

megamike wrote: ↑
Wed. Nov. 27, 2019 4:45 pm
yes through the ash door after a long burn.

During a good long burn... The combustion fan must be running to set the draft. If you're getting -.04 with the combustion fan running, you have phenomenal draft! Is your chimney 40 foot high?

nepacoal · Post by **nepacoal** » Wed. Nov. 27, 2019 5:19 pm

One last thought... Is the hole for the barometric damper that is cut into your stovepipe "full size"? When I moved into my current house, the existing barometric damper did not seem to work correctly and upon investigation, I found the hole cut into the stovepipe to mount the collar was way under sized. It severely limited the amount of air the damper would allow in and it was very slow to respond.

I replaced it and installed the new one correctly with a full size hole and that fixed all my damper and draft issues...

oliver power · Post by **oliver power** » Sun. Dec. 08, 2019 9:20 am

nepacoal wrote: ↑
Thu. Nov. 21, 2019 1:41 pm
For my short stovepipe run, I vacuum the horizontal run coming out of the boiler from inside by removing the inside breech cover. For the horizontal run going into the thimble I just take out the screws holding the 90 and rotate the vertical pipe and 90 out the way to access the upper horizontal into the chimney. Takes me about 15 minutes in December. From power off to re-light is usually less than 45 minutes. In the future I plan to replace the 90 with a tee so I can do a quick vacuum without shutting down.

While you're at it (replacing elbow with "T"), turn the lower "T" as well. Looks like you have room to get the vacuum in both. That's how I have mine set up. Works very well. I've done it both ways, and would never do the "Drop Leg" way again, UNLESS I needed the room. Just something to think about while you're at it.

nepacoal · Post by **nepacoal** » Sun. Dec. 08, 2019 9:40 am

oliver power wrote: ↑
Sun. Dec. 08, 2019 9:20 am
While you're at it (replacing elbow with "T"), turn the lower "T" as well. Looks like you have room to get the vacuum in both. That's how I have mine set up. Works very well. I've done it both ways, and would never do the "Drop Leg" way again, UNLESS I needed the room. Just something to think about while you're at it.

Thanks for the suggestion OP. I have the new style and can get to the bottom pipe from the inside after taking off the breech cover and can also get to it through the barometric damper. I'll probably just put a 90 at the bottom when I redo it.

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Sun. Dec. 08, 2019 12:37 pm

Then you must only vac being shut down...some will do mid season stove pipe cleaning while fire is still lit.
Popping a blank cover on a tee or 2 gets the job done then in a snap.

nepacoal · Post by **nepacoal** » Sun. Dec. 08, 2019 1:04 pm

McGiever wrote: ↑
Sun. Dec. 08, 2019 12:37 pm
Then you must only vac being shut down...some will do mid season stove pipe cleaning while fire is still lit.
Popping a blank cover on a tee or 2 gets the job done then in a snap.

No issue vacuuming out the breech with it running as long as it's been idling for an hour or so. I just pull out the ash tub, pop off the breech cover and give it a quick vacuum. I do it several times during the summer. Just takes a few minutes. Once I get the tee at the top, I won't have to shut down for the late December cleaning.