Rookie with creosote question

[CrappieKeith]

Keith - What's that 'rule of thumb' where you loose "x" number of feet for each angle?

Shari

You got me on that one...I do know that 2 -90's are a maximum.
He did say that the flue was shorter than 15' so to lengthen it might also help...fun playing Carnak....if the flue is at or longer than 5' outside you may want to add a support or guide on.

the issue may not be just 1 thing either.It could be bits of all of the things discussed.
A hair short on make up air,a scosh too wet of weed,just a tad too short of pipe and the unit gets dampered down a might soon or too much.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

You got me on that one...I do know that 2 -90's are a maximum.
He did say that the flue was shorter than 15' so to lengthen it might also help...fun playing Carnak....if the flue is at or longer than 5' outside you may want to add a support or guide on.

Well, Carnak, we are kind on the same train of thought. I also understood two 90's are maximum but was thinking something like for each 45 you loose something like 2' for each angle....

Shari

 

[CrappieKeith]

Well, Carnak, we are kind on the same train of thought. I also understood two 90's are maximum but was thinking something like for each 45 you loose something like 2' for each angle....

Shari

I don't know about pipe but when I hit 45 I know I lost something only with C.R.S I can't recall what it was that I lost...LOL They say that blue pill helps though...whoever they are.

 

[wdchuck]

90* is like adding 10' of straight. From the guys at the HVAC supply house.

45* ........didn't come up in the planning.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

90* is like adding 10' of straight. From the guys at the HVAC supply house.

45* ........didn't come up in the planning.

So......... you are saying if you have a 90 degree bend, you have to add 10' of straight to make up for the 90 degree?

(Just trying to clarify the statement. )

I don't know the answer, that's why I'm asking for clarification.

Shari

 

[laynes69]

I've read its 5' of length per 90* on a woodstove. I would guess a 45* wouldn't be even half of a 90* due to more of a transitional bend. In ductwork wdchuck is right, thats due to higher pressures in the ducts.

 

[sunfish]

I bet she is shutting down the air on the stove too soon, and or too much.
A smoldering fire makes big creosote.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Okay, we have here one 10' and one 5' statement.

Wdchuck, you state 10'. I know you run a wood fired furnace. Are you speaking 10' in reference to a wood fired furnace install?

Laynes, you state 5' and are referencing a wood stove.

Sounds like we have apples 'n oranges going on here.

Clarification anyone?

Shari

 

[laynes69]

Wdchuck is talking about ductwork on a home. You don't have the pressures in a chimney, so from what I have read you will see a 5' reduction for every 90* in a woodstove. It sounds as if they installed the fluepipe correctly, eliminating the use of 90*s due to a shorter chimney. 500 or 600 stove top doesn't sound as if its starving for air. I would guess that its not getting up to temperature before its being closed down. That with the importance of shutting down in a few stages.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Wdchuck is talking about ductwork on a home. You don't have the pressures in a chimney, so from what I have read you will see a 5' reduction for every 90* in a woodstove. It sounds as if they installed the fluepipe correctly, eliminating the use of 90*s due to a shorter chimney. 500 or 600 stove top doesn't sound as if its starving for air. I would guess that its not getting up to temperature before its being closed down.

Laynes69 - Thanks for the clarification.

Shari

 

[laynes69]

Also one other thought... Check to see if the baffle is seated correctly.

 

[smilin possum]

All systems sound fine, except the obvious: use. Flue is good, wood is fine, stovetop temps sound good, but-----

Many damp their stove down too soon, before the wood reaches the coaling and gas state. True when not much heat is needed. It's a normal reaction by many users.

The load needs time to get up to pyrolysis or efficient, clean burns.

Also, most have a daily morning "hot burn" to "burn off" the accumulation of any flue deposits from a nightly slow burn.

Bets are on.

Yea what he said.

 

[wdchuck]

A 90* elbow has a similar effect as 10' of straight pipe when viewed as points of reduced air flow.


Sorry for any confusion.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

starting with a 45 she has a great pitch in the pipe ,but you may have hit on something Shari in your last paragraph.

But - but........

(EDIT: Duh! 45 degree, dummy me - I was visualizing 90.)

Starting out with a 45 to 4' horizontal section to another 45 - shouldn't there be 1/4" rise per foot in that 4' straight section before it connects to the 2nd 45 degree elbow?

Go ahead, talk me through it - maybe I'm not understanding.

Shari

 

[wdchuck]

The first section out of the stove is a 45 angle joint, second is an adjustable 6" sliding section about 4 ft long, third piece is another 45 angle joint that connects to the stovepipe coming out of the ceiling. Goes out thru a 4ft crawlspace, then out the roof and is 4ft above the roof. Near as I can tell her set up meets the 10/2/3 rule. Only part of it she may not meet is the 15 ft recomendation for stovepipe and chimney length. The part going from the ceiling to the roof is pipe with cinder block around it, above the roof is all triple wall pipe. The inside pipes are all single wall. Wood should be plenty dry, cut and stacked for at least a year and in this climate I would think that is plenty. We burn the same stuff and have no issues. Hope that covered everything, if not please ask.

But - but........

Starting out with a 45 to 4' horizontal section to another 45 - shouldn't there be 1/4" rise per foot in that 4' straight section before it connects to the 2nd 45 degree elbow?

Go ahead, talk me through it - maybe I'm not understanding.

Shari

It sounds like the stove is not directly below the hole in the ceiling so the two 45's are compensating for the offset.

 

[Marine5068]

LogButchr is right on track here.
With many inexperienced wood burners, they tend to turn down the stove too fast or not open the vents up enough to get it hot fast. My wife always makes smoke when she tries (she's banned from fires now....lol).
I can't comment enough on how to start a good fire in a stove/fireplace insert.
First off start a small fire with dry kindling using coals or new firestarter. Then add a couple of dry pieces of fire wood logs. Not too many right away or you may smother the flames. Smaller, dryer pieces are better at this point.
Firewood should be dry and try not to use too much from coniferous species. They have sap that when burnt can adhere to the inside of the chimney.
Make sure you open the flue in order to get the temps up to MIDDLE of optimum burning temperature on your heat gauge indicator (if you have one).
The gauge should also be installed 18 inches above the top of the stove for best readings.
After it's there, open door and reposition logs and make sure there is lots of air space under logs. Then you can adjust stove vent to burn a bit slower.
These are not gas appliances and you can't just crank the heat up or down and walk away from them. It takes some time at the stove.
If none of these tips help you may need to install a damper in the pipe to keep the temps higher in the stove.
Good Luck.
~Stan

 

[Wife'nHubby]

It sounds like the stove is not directly below the hole in the ceiling so the two 45's are compensating for the offset.

Agreed - but I think a picture would help a lot.

Shari

 

[Marine5068]

Yes.
Need more info and pictures are a thousand words.

 

[mini14]

ive got the same problem, i have to clean once a month, i harvest my own wood and dry it for min of 1 year, have only 1 90 degree bend, and allways have stove running hot, its a small pita, but i clean it all myself, only takes a half hour. i know when its time cause i can hear the cresote falling on top of the baffle. i add copper sulfate powder to the stove the day befor i clean it so everything flakes right off.

 

[logbutcher]

LogButchr is right on track here.
With many inexperienced wood burners, they tend to turn down the stove too fast or not open the vents up enough to get it hot fast. My wife always makes smoke when she tries (she's banned from fires now....lol).
I can't comment enough on how to start a good fire in a stove/fireplace insert.
First off start a small fire with dry kindling using coals or new firestarter. Then add a couple of dry pieces of fire wood logs. Not too many right away or you may smother the flames. Smaller, dryer pieces are better at this point.
Firewood should be dry and try not to use too much from coniferous species. They have sap that when burnt can adhere to the inside of the chimney.
Make sure you open the flue in order to get the temps up to MIDDLE of optimum burning temperature on your heat gauge indicator (if you have one).
The gauge should also be installed 18 inches above the top of the stove for best readings.
After it's there, open door and reposition logs and make sure there is lots of air space under logs. Then you can adjust stove vent to burn a bit slower.
These are not gas appliances and you can't just crank the heat up or down and walk away from them. It takes some time at the stove.
If none of these tips help you may need to install a damper in the pipe to keep the temps higher in the stove.
Good Luck.
~Stan

Stan's got it ! :agree2:

Working a wood stove is like making love: not too much, not too fast. You got to enjoy the ride with who or whatever.

Give the wood the chance to coal, then close off the air or damper ( NO damper for newer EPA stoves however).

Can't tell you how many of the local boys tell me : "..been burning this way all my life..." as they build permanent roof ladders to clean their chimneys once a month. Throw in a load, damp the air, close the damper to 'save' wood. " Can't help it, it clogs up too fast, and you know, those chimney fires can burn the place down." Enjoy the beer, keep foot out of mouth.:hmm3grin2orange: