Draft in Milder Temps?

coalder · Post by **coalder** » Sat. Feb. 01, 2014 5:34 pm

Am looking for a little guidance "AGAIN". I was searching mid season cleaning and found a lot of members shut down temporarily to check for fly ash buildup. Don't know if it is my problem or not. As of yesterday draft was pulling pretty good .15 with mpd open, and roaring fire. Today 38 deg and sleet; can barely reach .11 on mano. I have burned out twice this year with firewood, hoping to clean out any built up flyash, and I mean burnt out!!! I hate to shut down, To shop vac. But if I have to so be it. stove pipe is 5 ft at about 45 deg to thimble. Suggestions???
PS: an stepping out for dinner, will check upon return
Thx
Jim

Carbon12 · Post by **Carbon12** » Sat. Feb. 01, 2014 5:42 pm

When I did my stoker mid season clean out, I turned the stoker off and let the fire die down a bit. I opened the nearby door and window and had a digital carbon monoxide detector handy. I quickly took down the smoke pipe, took it outside and brushed it out. Quickly brushed down the boiler, shoveled out the fly ash, re attached the smoke pipe and turned the stoker back on. CO meter never read above zero.

coalder · Post by **coalder** » Sat. Feb. 01, 2014 7:38 pm

Here's my question. How heavy is fly ash? I've haven't yet pulled stovepipe to get an idea. Is it possible that even with a very strong wood fire and strong draft fly ash could still remain? Last fire by wood I did flames were up to top of stove. Chimney is interior , block with flue 22 to 24 ft above thimble. very good draft!!! Could this weather be the culprit? I realize that I'm an old wood burner in denial

but I can't believe that this thing needs a cleaning after 2 strong wood fires. Flames near door were almost horizontal and no hint of restriction.

Post by **Lightning** » Sat. Feb. 01, 2014 10:47 pm

J F Graham wrote:As of yesterday draft was pulling pretty good .15 with mpd open, and roaring fire. Today 38 deg and sleet; can barely reach .11 on mano.

Seems like a strong draft to me. The warmer temps outside will have an impact on draft strength. Mine came down a little bit today too..

J F Graham wrote:I have burned out twice this year with firewood, hoping to clean out any built up flyash, and I mean burnt out!!!

I've never heard of anyone using this technique to clear fly ash in the flue pipe. I can't say as if it would have any impact at all..

joeq · Post by **joeq** » Sat. Feb. 01, 2014 11:45 pm

^^X2^^

blrman07 · Post by **blrman07** » Sun. Feb. 02, 2014 7:38 am

I have never heard of burning a hot wood fire getting rid of fly ash. Now if you burn a wood burning stove HOT you could remove some creosote. But since coal doesn't form creosote probably all you accomplished was to get your stove really hot and burn up some wood.

Shut it down, pull the flue and empty it out.

Rev. Larry
New Beginning Church
Ashland Pa.

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Sun. Feb. 02, 2014 7:59 am

I believe the concept was burning coal to get rid of creosote??????????????? Not REAL sure but I think that was it. Damn interpretations

titleist1 · Post by **titleist1** » Sun. Feb. 02, 2014 8:05 am

I don't think the wood fire is going to clean the fly ash out of the pipe.
Your draft of .11 is still pretty good, but since it is almost 1/3 less than you had, it would be a good idea to shut down and clean it out to see how much you have in the pipe. That will give you an idea on what your schedule should be for cleaning by how much is in there versus how much you have burned. Does your stove have any place internal near the exhaust port that could be blocked up with ash?
If there is any way to configure your flue pipe to get a T in place of a 90* then you could insert the vac wand while the unit is at very low fire to clean out the ash.

coalder · Post by **coalder** » Sun. Feb. 02, 2014 8:38 am

I fully realize that a wood fire has no effect on the fly ash itself. However I thought that by creating a strong wood fire on top of the coal, that the extra draft created, might help to dislodge and remove any residual fly ash. And the wood fire DID greatly increase the draft! Right now it seems fine but I am still suspect that atmospheric conditions play a key role concerning draft.

joeq · Post by **joeq** » Sun. Feb. 02, 2014 8:50 am

I'll drink to that. (Wait a minute...I don't drink)

michaelanthony · Post by **michaelanthony** » Sun. Feb. 02, 2014 8:59 am

I could increase my draft 3 fold and the flue pipe would be 600*, manometer reading .15 and the living room cooler than it is now because 75% of my heat would be going up the chimney. My point is that fly ash will accumulate regardless of how much fuel is wasted!

If .15" of w.c. is needed for proper heat, I would investigate further.

titleist1 · Post by **titleist1** » Sun. Feb. 02, 2014 9:05 am

i think those readings are with his mpd open before he closes it up to get optimal heat from the install.

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Sun. Feb. 02, 2014 9:13 am

And that 45 degree angle pipe run he has is pretty steep for having much build-up like w/ what a near horizontal run would.

coalder · Post by **coalder** » Sun. Feb. 02, 2014 9:47 am

just to clarify, I have recently experienced abnormally low mano readings. Usually on overcast days. .09 with mpd wide open and a strong fire. I normally see .15 under these conditions. Not being sure if there was a fly ash buildup or it was atmospheric influence I became nervous!! And decided to try something. Realizing that a wood fire has no effect on fly ash, but it does burn faster than coal I threw a couple of pieces of wood on top of the coal and let her rip, with the ash door open. Mind you I stayed put to monitor. My intention was to possibly increase the draft enough to dislodge and suck out any residual fly ash; if it even existed. As the fire increased, so did the mano readings. For about 20 minutes I watched the flames disappear up the stove. Again I constantly monitored temps and mano. When the mano hit .18 and the boiler temp 170 I shut it down. This morning, I shook down, reloaded and waited. My mano reading as we speak is .06 with mpd CLOSED!!! Was it fly ash or atmosphere? All I know is that every thing is working just fine now.
Just because something isn't conventional doesn't mean it's WRONG!!!!!!!

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » Sun. Feb. 02, 2014 10:33 am

yes,you will experence lower draft on overcast/warmer days,but having .09 on a bad day is still a good/high reading.With those high draft measurements your still wasting coal and extra heat going up the chimney.Next year would be a good time to install a tee and baro after the MPD.That way you can still burn wood with the MPD and remove the baro and insert a cap in the tee,the while burning coal install the baro.You will then be able to clean the stove pipe by inserting the shop vac in the tee without shutting down the boiler.