8 Inch Metasbestos Chimney Life

Installed 30years ago burn wood in the shoulder months then anthracite in winter. The stove VC Vigilant 1979 with coal conversion. What should I look for if the chimney needs replacement? I sweep once a year get only a pint of soot and creasoke. From the roof its look still good. I heard a story that when one is done with the heating season is to wash the inside with baking soda to neutralize any acids. Can any one support that theory? Thanx, George

30 years and still looks good...I would just continue with what you're doing already.

No way would I recommend for you to do a baking soda rinse.

Are you saying you burnt wood AND coal for 30 years using that chimney? Or, are you saying you burnt wood for 30 years, and now you're burning coal as well? My question, I guess would be; How long have you been burning coal? If burning wood & coal for 30 years, sounds to me like you're doing the right thing now. Your chimney may also be the better grade of stainless, which is 316. When your chimney starts going bad, you'll see rust & deterioration within the first 18" from the top of chimney. You can always replace the top length of pipe only. Otherwise sounds like you're good to go. Everyone's situation is different. I had two metal-bestos chimneys. One in the house, and one in the shop. Both chimneys are straight up, and out (No Bends). The house; Because of surface rust , and deterioration near the top, I put a 5 gallon pail at the bottom (on a step ladder in basement) after shut down. I rinse with garden hose. Then spray a one gallon mixture of baking soda & water. It has stopped the deterioration from going any further. Again, I could replace the top length of pipe. The Shop: I never cleaned, as I knew it was temporary. I knew I was going to install a masonry chimney, once the metal-bestos went bad............and it did. Every year I would look up through the chimney to see if it was useable. It would get worse every year. The inner liner actually rotted to the point where it fell against the opposite wall. I still used it like that, as the chimney had very good draw......and it was only the shop. When I finally took the chimney down, the inner liner was completely gone. The material sandwiched in-between the inner, and outer metal still held its shape. Oliver

I took the top section of my chimney down this spring and cleaned it with baking soda and water. I cleaned the rest of the chimney really well with chimney brush and ran a duster down it to get as much ash off as I could. I put the top back on and covered it with plastic for the summer to keep as much moisture out of it as I could. This is my third season burning coal and the chimney still looks good. The cap will probably need replacing next year though.

Randy

Storm wrote:Installed 30years ago burn wood in the shoulder months then anthracite in winter. The stove VC Vigilant 1979 with coal conversion. What should I look for if the chimney needs replacement? I sweep once a year get only a pint of soot and creasoke. From the roof its look still good. I heard a story that when one is done with the heating season is to wash the inside with baking soda to neutralize any acids. Can any one support that theory? Thanx, George

George, you seem to support a theory that I have recently adopted. I have burnt wood for 40 years, and still do. However, my primary heating now is with coal. Being that said I have read numerous posts on stove and chimney maintenance. And most, if not all have their validity. However, being at the very least unconventional; I prepped my boiler at the end of the burning season, as follows: As we all know creosote is a very powerful preservative. It has been used in telegraph poles for years & years till outlawed. What I do at the end of the burning season I burn wood for about 2 weeks. The burning of wood not only flushes out the residual fly ash, but also coats the chimney and stove with a layer of creosote. I adamantly feel that the burning of wood at the end of the season is the reason your chimney is still going strong. That layer of creosote just might be protecting it from decay.
Jim

I agree that some wood burning protects the chimney. Here are two pictures of chimney top. The rusty one from 2010 and the next one from 2013. Burned some wood at start of season and after cleaning at end.

J F Graham wrote:

Storm wrote:Installed 30years ago burn wood in the shoulder months then anthracite in winter. The stove VC Vigilant 1979 with coal conversion. What should I look for if the chimney needs replacement? I sweep once a year get only a pint of soot and creasoke. From the roof its look still good. I heard a story that when one is done with the heating season is to wash the inside with baking soda to neutralize any acids. Can any one support that theory? Thanx, George

George, you seem to support a theory that I have recently adopted. I have burnt wood for 40 years, and still do. However, my primary heating now is with coal. Being that said I have read numerous posts on stove and chimney maintenance. And most, if not all have their validity. However, being at the very least unconventional; I prepped my boiler at the end of the burning season, as follows: As we all know creosote is a very powerful preservative. It has been used in telegraph poles for years & years till outlawed. What I do at the end of the burning season I burn wood for about 2 weeks. The burning of wood not only flushes out the residual fly ash, but also coats the chimney and stove with a layer of creosote. I adamantly feel that the burning of wood at the end of the season is the reason your chimney is still going strong. That layer of creosote just might be protecting it from decay.
Jim

Thats what I do too. I do brush mine good before switching to wood in the spring, and if I get a cool day in the summer I have a small wood fire to recoat it. Also, I try to burn sooty wood at the end, usually soft maple that is a little green which makes a lot of smoke. Then open the chimney up for air flow in the off season to keep it dry. I wire a piece of screening on the inside opening to keep birds out. the only rust I see on mine at this time is the cap.

Oliver, have been burning both wood and coal (nut and pea). Graham, I also burn wood in the spring, The wood idea supports the creasoke theory to preserve the inner liner. Franco, my chimney looks like your first photograph. Not rusty. Jim, your situation is same as mine. Where in Minnesota are you? I am east of La Crosse,Wi. We're do you get your coal? George

Im about 70 miles west of LaCrosse. I get my coal from an Amish dealer a few miles east from me.

Heres a pic I took this fall. This chimney is about 15 years old and has coal gas going thru it a little over 2 years. I plan on taking pics every year, then in a few years show its progression on this site. The black steel pipes have plenty of rust but my stainless looks ok yet.

I called Selkirk Co., they say 304 stainless is best for the inner lining.

Dug this up, it explains the differences between Stainless Steel 304 grade and 316 grade.

Looks like 304 does the job.

http://www.bosunsupplies.com/StainlessInfo2/

warminmn wrote:Im about 70 miles west of LaCrosse. I get my coal from an Amish dealer a few miles east from me.

Small world, I too live in your area, Just outside Waukon IA (just south of you)

I also get my coal from my Amish neighbor.

Yeah, I looked up the county you have in your profile. I knew you were close. It is a small world for sure.

George here, getting a little off subject, I get my coal Blashak nut and stove size in Mineral Point, Wi. on my way to Galena, Illinois. Summer prices. $6.00 /40 #bag. 60 bags 2.40 ton. Stove size I use in my Harman Mark 111. Like to fine pea size. This form has been very helpfull. Like to fine other coal burners in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota. G.