What the ELL? Check It

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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Sun. Nov. 06, 2016 8:37 am

Remember to check your ELLs, as in elbows for your stove pipe!

We replaced our bottom 8" black stove pipe elbow- the first one next to the back of the boiler- yesterday with a very hard to find, heavy gauge black Tee and cap on the bottom for clean out.

Everything seemed fine. Took the elbow outside carefully to empty the fine ash out of it, then set it aside until the full cleaning and prep work was done, Tee installed, everything put back together and vacuumed.

As I picked the elbow up and was explaining to my daughter,"...although we've replaced this elbow, we don't throw it away, we keep it- just in case we ever have to do a repair...WHAT?"

The inside joint of the elbow was rusted and it just fell apart in my hands!!! :shock:

I had smacked it off the upright to remove it, smacked it from the boiler, carried it around, all seemed plenty strong. But sure enough...

The inside lip had rusted and failed. I could see gaps I didn't notice before.

Maybe it was from Summer non-use, but I hate to think of what might have happened if we hadn't serviced the stove pipe this year :shock:

So here's the public service announcement: Be sure to check ALL your stovepipe before starting your boilers and furnaces this year- and check it regularly!

It "looked good" before I removed it. I have excellent access, can see it quite well just walking past. But looks can be deceiving.

We're planning a first fire of the season in the next few days.

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Sun. Nov. 06, 2016 8:39 am

Good post C!! Point being--all that looks well-- :blah: :)

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Sun. Nov. 06, 2016 9:57 am

Thankfully we ALL have Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector/alarms. 8-)


 
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StokerDon
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Post by StokerDon » Sun. Nov. 06, 2016 10:47 am

That is a great idea putting a Tee on the flue outlet. It makes cleanings a breeze. Just pull the cap off and empty it into the ash pan, done!

You can go one better and put a short piece of stovepipe with a cap on the bottom. This way, you have a convenient can to carry the fly ash out in.
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I also like putting a horizontal Tee in the top any vertical run. This makes quick work of cleaning the horizontal section, pull the cap, brush the fly ash into the outside Tee, done.
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-Don

 
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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Other Heating: Oil Boiler

Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Sun. Nov. 06, 2016 11:26 am

Yessir! CO detector right beside the furnace and outside the upstairs bedrooms.

A Tee on top? Yep! I stole that idea from here. Took the cap off it yesterday and not only vacuumed the edge, but also stuck the shop vac ALL the way in to the chimney.

That and a quick vac trip to the chimney cleanout and she's all cleaned up ;)

This old chimney has a homemade flat metal door on it that doesn't seal, so I think I'm just going to use some silicone caulking I have here to seal it up. Shouldn't be any heat down there, don't burn wood, so no creosote risk of flu fire, and I don't mind using a putty knife in a year to perform a clean out. It had 30yr old packing tape sealing it up before :shock:

I want to replace the inspection and ash door gaskets this year. Probably not before lighting it, but somewhere during the season. With the baro and manometer, we can be fairly confident in knowing the firebox always has negative pressure, so it's more of an efficiency thing now.

We've been doing almost exclusively outdoor work this summer. Cold weather and heating season brings back the remodeling work. Truth be told, we were glad to have a break, even for a little bit.

Some people move into a finished house and take up hobbies. But some of us have to make a hobby out of moving into our house, LOL.

We are ALL looking forward to UNLIMITED HOT WATER again! Just wish I could remember where I put my 3 way selector valves :oops:

 
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StokerDon
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Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sun. Nov. 06, 2016 12:39 pm

CoalisCoolxWarm wrote: Some people move into a finished house and take up hobbies. But some of us have to make a hobby out of moving into our house, LOL.
Truer words were never spoken!

That's what I've been doing for the last 5 years!

-Don


 
rberq
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Post by rberq » Sun. Nov. 06, 2016 1:20 pm

CoalisCoolxWarm wrote:... it just fell apart in my hands!!! :shock:
I had smacked it off the upright to remove it, smacked it from the boiler, carried it around, all seemed plenty strong. But sure enough...
Kind of like when you eat a steak and your teeth are fine, then a week later you lose a filling while eating soup. :lol:

 
rberq
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Post by rberq » Sun. Nov. 06, 2016 1:25 pm

StokerDon wrote:
CoalisCoolxWarm wrote:Some people move into a finished house and take up hobbies. But some of us have to make a hobby out of moving into our house, LOL.
That's what I've been doing for the last 5 years!
It's been my full time job since I retired -- catching up on 40 years of deferred maintenance and child-inflicted destruction. :P

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