Shut Down: Remove Firebrick?

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Tue. Apr. 21, 2009 9:15 am

lowfog01 wrote:
Jack Magnum wrote:I can't get on the roof and reach the top of the chimney so can't clean from the top. My roof is meatal with a 12-8 pitch and no way to reach the top anyway. Please help. Jack
Lisa, before running a brush up the metal chimney, you may want to check into it a little. It's always been my understanding NOT to use a brush on the interior of a metal chimney. It scratches/scores the metal, causing it to fail prematurly. They're probably talking about metal brushes. Just something I'd check into before doing. I use the garden hose only. All you need to do is rinse off the flyash which has clung to the chimney wall.

Good morning Jack,

My roof is ok to get out on but my chimney is too far away from the house to reach. The chimney is outside and I do have a clean out exit at the bottom of the chimney which I can use; no mess inside. I had intended to drop a brush and line down the chimney and pull it up and down to knock the ash off but that won't work on closer examination. So I will get a poly rod in five foot sections and use it and my hose to clear out what flyash I can. Check out this website to see the type of rod I'm talking about. I am also going to experiment to see if I can put a baking soda/water mix in my hose end sprayer to neutralize the acid. It wasn’t what I planned but it should work. Have a great day.

http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Chimney/Pellet-Stov ... 8Ta38Pax90


 
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lowfog01
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Post by lowfog01 » Tue. Apr. 21, 2009 9:42 am

Thanks for the heads up. The brush I got was poly so I don't think it will hurt anything but I'll ask around. Lisa

 
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Cap
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Post by Cap » Tue. Apr. 21, 2009 8:29 pm

I always remove the bricks, vacuum & wipe ash, oil surface and replace with new bricks. The reasoning is to protect the entire steel box while the unit is SHUTDOWN for the summer season.

Speaking of firebrick, I see no reason to reuse brick after one year. The bricks in my unit are abused to the point of no return. They are always cracked or nearly ready to crack.
I think this is related more to the low quality firebrick available & sold today rather than abusive use on my part. I can't find the high quality brick baked to best quality.

 
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captcaper
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Post by captcaper » Wed. Apr. 22, 2009 4:59 pm

I have never done anything. My last stove was a Chubby for 14 years and it was still going strong when I sold it.
I think your killing it with kindness. But to each his own.

What do your manuals say to do? Mine doesn't say anything much. I would use a garden pump sprayer to hose the inside instead of a brush.

Cheers

 
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009to090
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Post by 009to090 » Thu. Apr. 23, 2009 10:20 pm

I have an advantage: Theres only 3 brick in my DVC-500. Might as well pull them and clean the entire pot and box. Looks like thats gonna be Saturday's chore.

 
Mountainman37
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Post by Mountainman37 » Fri. Apr. 24, 2009 8:14 am

I remove my firebrick.

It was a real pain with the Harman 2000 but there was ash behind the bricks that needed to get vacuumed out. Now I only burn wood in the Harmon, so don't have that hassle anymore.

The Hitzer coal stove is very easy to service, simple disassembly. I had firebricks in the back that were cracked into multiple pieces which needed replacement anyway.

After brushing and vacuuming I was spraying WD-40 on the metal surfaces.....but now reading about the neutralizing wash, I wonder if I should be doing that?

 
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Post by jpete » Sat. Apr. 25, 2009 8:34 am

I understand doing the baking soda thing. I've never done it, so I was wondering how much soda is appropriate.

On the oiling, doesn't that smoke like crazy on the first fire?


 
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lowfog01
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Post by lowfog01 » Sat. Apr. 25, 2009 10:08 am

The ratio I heard was one cup to a gallon and that's what I did. It wasn't too messy. Lisa

 
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Post by sharkman8810 » Sat. Apr. 25, 2009 10:10 pm

I don't think I am gonna do a firebrick strip down. the manual doesnt mention it, and I don't even see how I can even reach in and accomplish such a thing. I did brush it out as best as I can. I know there is know way I can reach the back of the stove from the opening.

 
bhorenstein
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Post by bhorenstein » Mon. Apr. 27, 2009 7:29 am

I don't see a real benefit to removal of the firebrick either.

 
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lowfog01
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Post by lowfog01 » Mon. Apr. 27, 2009 9:44 am

bhorenstein wrote:I don't see a real benefit to removal of the firebrick either.
I guess it's all in your mindset - even though I won’t see an immediate benefit to removing and cleaning behind the firebrick, I did find accumulated ash and some starting rust stops. Both of which I wanted to take care of before they became a bigger problem for me. I figure a little preventive maintenance now will enhance my resale value later if I choose to upgrade down the line. Luckily my fire bricks go in and out easily so it’s really not a big deal and IMHO well worth the extra time. :) Lisa

 
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Post by Mountainman37 » Sun. May. 03, 2009 7:32 am

Coal ash is pretty fine stuff and gets everyplace in your stove....still, removing firebrick may be easier said than done, but it has to be removeable since they can crack and need replacement at some point in the stove's life.

It's the humidity in summer air that is a problem with rust/corrosion. The humidity provides moisture to react with the sulphur in coal ash to produce acid that causes the rusting. If you live in an area with low humidity, you probably will not have serious corrosion problems.

I've got it easy in that my Hitzer comes apart easily, including the fire brick. The bricks across the back were in pieces so I have to replace them. The grates came out and then the frame for the grates lifted out and underneath, on the side facing the ash pan, I found rust!

That discovery now has me thanking you folks for the baking soda neutralization advice. I am going to mix that one cup per gallon on water in the garden pump up sprayer and mist it all over the stove and parts!

 
Jack Magnum
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Post by Jack Magnum » Fri. Aug. 21, 2009 5:24 pm

lowfog01 wrote:
Jack Magnum wrote:I can't get on the roof and reach the top of the chimney so can't clean from the top. My roof is meatal with a 12-8 pitch and no way to reach the top anyway. Please help. Jack
Good morning Jack,

My roof is ok to get out on but my chimney is too far away from the house to reach. The chimney is outside and I do have a clean out exit at the bottom of the chimney which I can use; no mess inside. I had intended to drop a brush and line down the chimney and pull it up and down to knock the ash off but that won't work on closer examination. So I will get a poly rod in five foot sections and use it and my hose to clear out what flyash I can. Check out this website to see the type of rod I'm talking about. I am also going to experiment to see if I can put a baking soda/water mix in my hose end sprayer to neutralize the acid. It wasn’t what I planned but it should work. Have a great day.

http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Chimney/Pellet-Stov ... 8Ta38Pax90
Lisa, I forgot to ask you about what you do after you cleaned the metal chimney out. Do you leave the cleanout at the bottom OPEN ? My chimney is is a thru the wall and into the tee with the vertical metal chimney which as I've said I can't reach from the top but have a cleanout below the tee section. We get birds in the top sometimes and before disconnecting from stove actually had birds in there. Should I leave the screw in bottom out of the tee for the summer ? Thanks
Jack

 
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lowfog01
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Post by lowfog01 » Fri. Aug. 21, 2009 10:17 pm

Hi Jack,

I closed my bottom clean out opening. I figured I didn't want anything crawling up there and getting into my thimble or chimney connector pipe. The inside of the chimney is still exposed to the open air so I put a "pipe end cap" on the interior chimney connector - where it comes through the wall - to block off the outside air. The last thing I need is for the hot, humid, hazy days of summer to have free access to my interior. It also gives my interior wall a “finished” look. I hope you are having a great summer! Lisa

 
Jack Magnum
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Post by Jack Magnum » Sat. Aug. 22, 2009 10:47 pm

lowfog01 wrote:Hi Jack,

I closed my bottom clean out opening. I figured I didn't want anything crawling up there and getting into my thimble or chimney connector pipe. The inside of the chimney is still exposed to the open air so I put a "pipe end cap" on the interior chimney connector - where it comes through the wall - to block off the outside air. The last thing I need is for the hot, humid, hazy days of summer to have free access to my interior. It also gives my interior wall a “finished” look. I hope you are having a great summer! Lisa
Thanks for the speedy reply Lisa. Summer seems to be coming late and going too fast. I wish it would stop raining so I may mow the lawn. First time since moving here 9 years ago to see the lake water go over the edge of the bank. More rain today.
Jack


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