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Oddly enough, I've seen a similar type of build-up in the flue of a natural gas water-heater. It was in the first house I rented after college.
I first noticed an unusual, rather unpleasant smell when the water heater ignited, then started getting headaches. Told the landlord, who had only recently purchased the property. He got his plumber to look at it. The plumber knocked, brushed, dragged and pulled about half a bucketful of a thick substance that looked like greasy soot out of that flue.
It was a really good thing that said house was so drafty.
That must have taken a long time to build up, and that's also probably the reason that it did build up.
Oddly enough, I've seen a similar type of build-up in the flue of a natural gas water-heater.
Wouldn't surprise me a bit, when you have anything that burns fuel that has incomplete combustion because of problems like not enough oxygen it's going to smoke. If you take a simple oil candle and the wick is out too far it will smoke and you'll get a cone of soot that will form on the top of it.
The chimney itself is lined with fireproof cement, and not much of a problem.
That flue pipe isn't and I wouldn't depend on fireproof anything for a chimney fire. I had a house fire. I'm not sure what did more damage, it's a toss up between the fire, smoke, water and the fireman ripping stuff apart.
That flue pipe isn't and I wouldn't depend on fireproof anything for a chimney fire. I had a house fire. I'm not sure what did more damage, it's a toss up between the fire, smoke, water and the fireman ripping stuff apart.
You're absolutely right, and that flue would carry the fire up to the main chimney very well.
I'm going to sweep the chimney anyway, just to be on the safe side.
Anyone have an information on corn stoves (with respect to safety or build-up of crud)?
The literature makes it seem like they are safe. So much so, that they say it doesn't even require a chimney (which I think makes a very attractive quality, if it were not for the fact that it needs electric top operate - I guess like pellet stoves - to continually feed corn into the stove). Supposedly, you just vent it with a common drier vent (the flexible aluminum hosing), and you don't even have to point the vent upwards like a chimney. You can snake it right out the side wall along the ground, just like a dryer vent.
Supposedly, you just vent it with a common drier vent (the flexible aluminum hosing), and you don't even have to point the vent upwards like a chimney. You can snake it right out the side wall along the ground, just like a dryer vent.
Never heard of such thing. A chimney does more than vent gases, it also provides a draft. It pulls gases to the outside, people with short chimneys may hve drafting issues. Having said that I'd imagine you could power vent it which provides mechanical negative pressure. They use power venters on wood pellet stoves and small coal stokers.
This gets mounted on your wall to the outside, the flue pipe gets run from the stove to the venter. Since these types of stoves have very little fule burning and can't operate without electric they go out quickly in the event of a power failure. You cannot use this on a wood stove or hand fired coal stove.
They are expensive, the ones for coal run four or five hundred bucks because they have to make them all stainless steel. Long term it's really not worth it if you have any expectation to be heating with solid fuel for a long time.
Two buckets and a vacuum cleaner full of soot later, and I’m finished.
I had to attack the soot in the inspection hole with a crow bar, it had set solid.
It’s running great now, even with it shut down, the central heating is up and running.
No smoke or smells.
Two buckets and a vacuum cleaner full of soot later, and I’m finished.
I had to attack the soot in the inspection hole with a crow bar, it had set solid.
It’s running great now, even with it shut down, the central heating is up and running.
No smoke or smells.
Job done.
Very informative posts/thread, and hope it saves lives. I just wanted to applaud you being a great son. ( assuming here that your a male ) Bet your parents are proud & grateful. Wanna give lessons to my boys?
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