Want to build a mason chimney

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Thu. Apr. 30, 2020 8:21 am

Yep, nothing ventured, nothing gained!! :)


 
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Post by Hoytman » Thu. Apr. 30, 2020 11:09 am

In complete agreement. In fact, me and the boss was discussing it and even before reading your post I decided that would be the best route. Besides, that would be changing one thing at a time and I do think it might help me idle it down more.

Also, thinking about me accidentally letting it go out during the warm spell, I did some reading on Hitzers site. I believe it was the operator manual for the 983 insert with double door option...I think. Anyway, it gave me a clue as to what I may have done to keep it burning.

I had the dial turned down and it had been idling a few days with it set that way, draft closed. I knew I could open the draft and keep it going, but I wanted to see how the thermo would run it while it was warm out. I had also been burning pea coal as well.

According to what I read I probably should have opened the spinners after reading the input from Hitzer. I will try that some time while leaving everything else as is.

 
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Post by coalder » Thu. Apr. 30, 2020 12:30 pm

Bill, those spinners or secondaries on the door seemed to work well for "ultra" with his comfortmax. Also, I gotta tell ya that the manual for my Harman boiler recommends running with the spinners on the door open 1/2 to 1 turn. Which I have open 2/3 of a turn with excellent results. This is all the time. Now I have from time to time tried running with them closed & guess what? About 4" of the coal bed right behind the door goes out. Go figure when conventional wisdom says to keep them closed after a reload gets going. So I really think you just might be on to something.
Jim

 
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Post by Hoytman » Thu. Apr. 30, 2020 8:39 pm

You saying that jogged my memory...

I do remember that in cold temps I had to keep those spinners closed...colder weather...because I was having the opposite problem...front part of the fire was way too much glowing red for how I was running it and that’s why I started running all the way closed. Just need to remember to open them when it’s warm out and trying to run low and slow.

I’ll figure it out I suppose. My first year under my belt...well 2 months worth anyway. I’ll learn more about it each year I guess.

Ran it low a couple times and got lucky I guess, then gambled too much. Lol!!

 
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Post by franpipeman » Fri. May. 01, 2020 8:25 am

Rob R. wrote:
Wed. Apr. 29, 2020 7:27 am
I agree with not having an oversized flue, but would suggest following the recommendation of the stove manufacture - that way you won't have an argument with the code officer, or a poorly performing stove. I also suggest insulating the flue with vermiculite.
Lot of folks have problems with insulating something that is out side already. That is when the chimney needs it most when outside and losing heat, especially on the transition weather and wet foggy and not very cold and fire rate is low. My son in law built a masonry block chimney most of it outside, when i said you should insulate with vermiculite or other type he looked at me as i was crazy. I think he filled it with motor,,,,, and on foggy chilly and not that cold with a small fire the carbon monoxide alarm would go off all the time.

 
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Post by Chancey P. » Sun. May. 03, 2020 8:51 pm

The system I'm installing will never call for max output (in theory), BUT it will never set idle Like a typical pump run system where at times all it will do is maintain boiler water temp when not heating the house. Pulling minimal btu's to stay fired. It will be running consistently to maintain the house temperature Like a conventional hand fed coal stove so using an 8"x8" vertical flue with 6" round horizontal flue should do just fine.
However I do agree that a 6" round flue would be ideal, it isn't practical. IF I ever need to get it re-ligned, hopefully not in my life time, but IF I do I'm up *censored* crick as far as code is concerned. Plus there's still the complication of connect a horizontal 6" flue to a vertical 6"flue. This will be my first mason job, outside of clothesline and mailbox polls. I don't need that kind of complication.
Probably by the end of the month or first half of June I will be starting this endeavor. Two questions left I have.
1. The clean outs will run into the basement below the chimney flues... Do they need 8"s of solid mason as well? Do they use a clay flue and that's it or just some thinner concrete walls do the trick?
2. Do I just set some mortar on top of the insulation near the top end of each clay flue length to hold them in place? Or will the insulation and caulk hold them just fine?

 
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Post by freetown fred » Mon. May. 04, 2020 6:17 am

Well, you've already complicated the hell out of this simple project---keep us posted with pix--should be interesting!!! :)


 
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Post by McGiever » Mon. May. 04, 2020 9:03 am

Build it the Last Way First...do-overs cost more than getting it right to start with...single situation reasoning goes out the window when that situation has a unforeseen change of plans later...

 
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Post by coalder » Mon. May. 04, 2020 1:43 pm

freetown fred wrote:
Mon. May. 04, 2020 6:17 am
Well, you've already complicated the hell out of this simple project---keep us posted with pix--should be interesting!!! :)
Nothing is impossible, for those that don't have to do it!! :what:
Jim

 
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Post by coalder » Tue. May. 05, 2020 8:46 am

Chancey, Been pondering your last post with some serious deliberation; & after much thought have decided not to offer any further guidance or suggestions. Reasons being that codes change often & I don't want to be responsible for any possible mishaps. Especially with me being a retired mason contractor.

Every thing you do regarding your chimney project should be inspected & approved by your building inspector. Both for liability & insurance purposes.

Also I recently spoke with Steve & he told me that he hasn't heard from you; However one of his guys does do masonry side work. & he might be willing to help you on weekends. I highly suggest that you contact him for details. Trust me this isn't something that you want to do twice.
Jim

 
Chancey P.
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Post by Chancey P. » Thu. May. 07, 2020 2:36 am

Not mad or bitching, Just for your understanding.
Coalder,
I'm on this form for discussion with experienced individuals, that I can gain knowledge from. I love to learn. That's it. I do my research on what I'm told and sort the truth from the bullshit.
I will go over my plans with the code enforcer and get a builders permit.
I'm not sure if I'm going to call your friend or not I'm pretty confident I can pull this off just fine.
I don't want you or anyone else feeling obligated to give me more info, No hard feelings if you don't.
I definitely don't want you worrying that I'm going to hold you accountable, Or anyone for that matter. To me that's immoral and a really shitty thing to do.
However I'm very appreciative of the help I have received.

 
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Post by freetown fred » Thu. May. 07, 2020 6:14 am

AND--that's how it works here C--take what's useful & *censored*-can the rest!! :) You'll do fine.

 
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Post by Hoytman » Sun. Jun. 28, 2020 7:55 pm

Reviving an old thread.

Huh...I’m not sure where all that came from. Oh well.

As I said, my chimney is 8”x8” clay. Ten (10) feet tall from thimble to the very top. I recently read that that the full length of the chimney should be counted from the bed of the fire. Not sure if that is true, but in that case my chimney is yet shy of 15ft from top of chimney to the grates on the coal stove.

Someone can feel free to verify if adding the additional length is correct or not.

I know there are deductions for the two (2) 90* turns will supposed to shorten that over-all length. Shorten it by how much is the question.

The chimney extends on through the floor and below the frost line. There is no clean out below the thimble. The thought recently crossed my mind that my grandpa likely thought that it was just as easy to clean out the chimney via the thimble by in hooking the stove. The thimble is head high anyway, so this would make some sense. Not sure if it conforms to today’s code or if it was code back then.

 
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Post by Hoytman » Sun. Jun. 28, 2020 8:25 pm

I am getting close to starting on my chimney. For grins I think I’m going to call a chimney sweep and let him look at it with a camera so we both can see what this chimney looks like before I start.

I already know they’re going to say pull out the clay ... even if their were nothing wrong with it ... because I anticipate some sort of up-sell.

As I see it, there only 5 tiles to make up that ten feet to my thimble ... and possibly one below it for a grand total of 6 tiles at the most. So, it shouldn’t be that much trouble to tear out on my own. I plan on using a scissor-jack like this guy ... . Should be easy enough to take them out and replace them via this method. What breaks can be removed via the thimble .

One question is; can I leave the existing thimble? Removing it would mean chipping it out of the hearth wall. Would like to refrain from that if at all possible.

I was also very seriously considering not only adding 1-2 tiles in length, but also switching from square to round 8” four tiles ... of course only after doing more research with the links I provided some pages back to see if they indeed do use recommend using the round flues. Both the round and the square come in tongue-n-groove type tiles. This should aid in lining up the tiles. I want to do more research as to use grout or just let them rest on each other. I am almost certain my existing tiles have zero grout between them, and this may be why some of them have shifted some. The old clay tiles were not as precise in measurements as the tongue-n-groove will be.

Another thought I had on using the round tiles it that may give me more room to insulate around the tiles with vermiculite. Hmmnnn ... vermiculite? This brings me to another thought (I know Fred, complicating it too much for you by over-thinking it...).

What opinion, if any, do any of you have on a cast-n-place chimney ... 6” or 8” round? They say they fill the chimney with a lite concrete mix that has vermiculite in it and reinforced with fibers. This they claim can also strengthen the chimney structure itself and some things I read recently said this method offers the best insulated chimney offering better insulation properties, and therefore increasing draft by allowing the chimney to be hotter without allowing heat to transfer sideways to combustibles. Sounds good, but it’s certainly not easy and most certainly will be more costly as well. The big question is will it last. Instinct says use clay or go with SS. LOL.

Recently read that SS flu joints are not totally sealed or insulated and this caused cold air infiltration. Also read a post from a guy where his joints failed on his stainless pipe. Not sure if he was talking about SS rigid liner or outside chimney pipe, which is a different animal.

If I can get the clay out easily by myself, and barring any issues at the thimble, then replacing clay liner should go smoothly and be the cheapest route and hopefully will last and last ... so long as I do my part to heat the chimney slowly. I’m still on the fence about a cap. Don’t have one now, but when I’m not burning it may offer some protection from water infiltration.
Last edited by Hoytman on Mon. Jun. 29, 2020 6:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
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Post by Hoytman » Sun. Jun. 28, 2020 8:49 pm

Oddly enough, the video link above has been copied and posted by several different YouTube users. Even more odd is that I can’t find any videos of anyone, other than that guy, using clay to feline a chimney. Every video relining is using a SS liner. Fine for wood, but I don’t want to have to spend $$$$ money on a new liner every 15-20 years.

At least one master mason I watch on YouTube, Mike Haduck ... https://m.youtube.com/c/MikeHaduck/videos?disable ... HcecBdk%3D ... he’s from NEPA, says he will no longer reline a chimney with clay. He says he’ll repair existing ones partially and only for friends. Otherwise, he recommends the SS. He says he’s torn apart too many clay chimneys for repair and they have too many problems just from freezing and thawing. I can see that and we have similar freezing and thawing here, but we always maintain our chimneys as well.


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