Thoughts on When a "T" With Clean Out Is Worthwhile...

I personally have a masonry chimney and use 6" black stove pipe with a Manual damper on the horizontal, the only place I need to clean each year is between the stove baffle and the damper, so I have to disconnect the pipe at the stove either way and therefor I think I want to change up to welded 6" stove pipe and a simple seamless 90% angle pipe (its heavier gauge, its smoother, its more airtight and Im just not seeing a purpose for a clean out T and adding more seams or potential areas in the pipe that are not airtight in my case... any thoughts or comments about this?

dcrane wrote:I personally have a masonry chimney and use 6" black stove pipe with a Manual damper on the horizontal, the only place I need to clean each year is between the stove baffle and the damper, so I have to disconnect the pipe at the stove either way and therefor I think I want to change up to welded 6" stove pipe and a simple seamless 90% angle pipe (its heavier gauge, its smoother, its more airtight and Im just not seeing a purpose for a clean out T and adding more seams or potential areas in the pipe that are not airtight in my case... any thoughts or comments about this?

Hey, wt....doug come on man. With your coal burning history and ability you could probably figure a way to use paper mache. Personally I enjoy popping the baro off and vacuuming both the horizontal and vertical pipe with out shutting down. Sounds like your set up is less involved than mine, as you know there are plenty of products to seal the pipe connections as well. Personal preference I guess if you don't mind pulling your set up apart to clean but what about when you get old like me!

If you got a good draft, there's no reason for the pipe to be 100% air tight.

I've got a mediocre draft, and my pipe leaks like a sieve. Some parts are room temp from all the air leaking past. Works just fine.

I do wish I had installed a T instead of a 90° coming out the back ... but the pipe gets removed and stored upstairs for summer, so it really doesn't matter. Since I shake with the ash door closed, there is almost no flyash buildup, even after 5 tons of coal.

I have a " T " on the horizontal run of 6" black stovepipe about 16" from timble at the wall. I have a cap on the " T " which is made for the " T " and is the male cap which extends into the " T " opening. Nice tight fit, also have 3 screws holding the cap to the " T ". When you want to check the pipe periodically for any build up of flyash all I do is remove the cap and use a mirror and flashlight to check both runs of the horizontal stovepipe. You can also use the " T " where your Vertical pipe meets the Horizontal pipe instead of an elbow. I like the " T " on the horizontal run of the pipe so you don't have to be over the stove if you have to work on it. I let my stove idle down and use the vac hose to suck out any buildup. Only takes a matter of minutes. Haven't melted any hose yet. This way you don't have to break down you stovepipe and disconnect it from the stove. I've been doing it this way for 34 years with no problems.

well my thought was... if im disconnecting at the stove anyways (i don't screw it or anything so its pretty simple), I can take my vac hose and it will reach through the entire pipe with a nice smooth 90 (with the "T" not so much), I know my set up is the way it was decades ago but it works for me and its cheap (i refuse to have some kid telling me im supposed to run a $2,000 stainless pipe all the way to the top of my terra cotta lined chimney)... thats just NOT going to happen

Your vents are under negative presure unless your draft is horrible. In that case you've got bigger problems than stove vent pipe. I've got T's at both places where fly ash can accumulate and I'd never consider anything else. It takes less than a minute to remove the flyash with a shop vac and I'm done. No need to shut down. I tape my joints because I'm nuts. All smoke pipe joints should be screwed together too.

The "T" works out GREAT for me. I use to have it set up as a "drop leg" when it was hooked to the HITZER. That's how I've always hooked up the clean out "T". It worked good. Now, with the Kaa-2, I have it hooked up a little different. I turned the "T" so I have no "Drop Leg". Every now and then, while tending the boiler, I'll pop the cap off, stick the shop vac into the "T" , and tap/bang on stove pipe. Seeing I have my shop vac on at every tending time, it takes about 15 seconds to vaccume out the fly ash. I do this about once a month. I like the way I have it now, much better than when it was set up as drop leg.

Anyone worry about lighting your shop vac on fire with a stray hot ash when you clean while running?

Not me. Theres only flyash in the vent pipe.

Blah... im swapping out pipe with when I change over to this 404 (its got a removable baffle and ill stick the vac right down the whole run past the 90% smooth as butta )
Im sure all correct in what your saying about the clean out "T" being cheap, easy and wonderful but in my case its only going to function as blocker of my vac hose

It is the T system for me.They make it quick and easy ,as well as minimizing the chances of getting sliced when fighting a nasty ill fitting vent pipe joint back together for the umpteenth time. Yeah tees. Mike