Black Liquid From Flue

codycoal · Post by **codycoal** » Tue. Jan. 27, 2015 8:11 pm

Today I got home from work and my coal fire was almost out. I got a good fire burning in it flue temp was around 300-350 and I started getting a black liquid leaking down from the flue. As soon as the liquid starts running down it smokes like crazy and filled my house. After it cools down it sets up like a hard plastic and is flammable with a lighter...I have never seen this before.... I killed all the inlet air to shut down the fire.

I have the hotblast 1557m.

Can anyone help me? Electric heat is to expensive!

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Tue. Jan. 27, 2015 8:13 pm

Does your pipe go through the roof? If so it's sealer, black jack, kinda asphalt stuff where they put the flashing I would think. They mighta just got a lil sloppy with it.

codycoal · Post by **codycoal** » Tue. Jan. 27, 2015 8:17 pm

This is the black liquid

codycoal · Post by **codycoal** » Tue. Jan. 27, 2015 8:18 pm

Full setup before baro

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Tue. Jan. 27, 2015 8:19 pm

Orrrrr just creosote. Did you ever burn wood. The plastic texture is what throws that theory off??

codycoal · Post by **codycoal** » Tue. Jan. 27, 2015 8:32 pm

My setup goes into a chimney. It was never used before 2 weeks ago.

I haven't burnt an arm load of wood through my stove. I used some to start the first few fires but barely any.

BTW I am burning bit coal if that matters

Post by **Lightning** » Tue. Jan. 27, 2015 9:03 pm

I think condensation formed from you adding a big load of coal on a cold fire. The condensation picked up soot/creosote in the pipe and carried it out thru the pipe joints. I had that happen when I first started using coal after burning wood for few days.

codycoal · Post by **codycoal** » Tue. Jan. 27, 2015 9:57 pm

I thought that might be it to so after I posted this earlier I went down and let air to the firebox. It got burning good and I opened the baro damper to look in and it is extremely built up and was making a sizzling noise.

Here is a pic of inside the baro. It has only been installed since Sunday I believe.

nortcan · Post by **nortcan** » Tue. Jan. 27, 2015 10:08 pm

As seen on the photos, the pipes are supposed to be on the other way= the male end goes downward in the female one so the liquids going down run inside of the stove pipe wall. Makes a safer installation.
Looks like creosote accumulation, a chimney inspection may gives you some answers.

warminmn · Post by **warminmn** » Tue. Jan. 27, 2015 11:01 pm

nortcan wrote:As seen on the photos, the pipes are supposed to be on the other way= the male end goes downward in the female one so the liquids going down run inside of the stove pipe wall. Makes a safer installation.
Looks like creosote accumulation, a chimney inspection may gives you some answers.

That can be debated as many run pipes the other way for coal, to help stop fume leaks. I never worried what direction I have.

It does look like creosote but could be some type of moisture, whether rain, snow, or condesation, mixing with the soft coal soot??? Im guessing on that but you said you havent burned hardly any wood. Other than that I don't have any guesses.

waldo lemieux · Post by **waldo lemieux** » Tue. Jan. 27, 2015 11:23 pm

Is the chimney new or just the stove and installation. I think thats creosote, possibly from a previous home owner? go up on the roof with a hand mirror on a sunny day and bounce the sunlight down the chimney. youll be able to easily tell if there is creosote build up. The same trick can be used to look down a well pipe, or if your a proctologist....

SWPaDon · Post by **SWPaDon** » Tue. Jan. 27, 2015 11:25 pm

I'm not saying it is............. but that's what roofing shingles look like when they burn.

rockwood · Post by **rockwood** » Wed. Jan. 28, 2015 12:24 am

Are you burning a sub bituminous coal with a high moisture content?

You must have had a smoldering fire for an extended period of time to have tarry buildup like that.

I would try to clean as much of it out of the chimney as you can before firing the stove again. I don't know if you'll be able to clean it off the outside of the pipe or not. It would eventually burn off, but that would take time and would be smoky/smelly.

I realize this stove has been producing too much heat for you, but firing the stove hotter with plenty of secondary air (above the fire) will limit soot buildup.

How strong was the draft before you installed the baro damper?

I would also reverse the pipe direction like nortcan mentioned.

SMITTY · Post by **SMITTY** » Wed. Jan. 28, 2015 12:36 am

That happened here when we first started burning. Was just leftover creosote from the previous owners, who knows how many years prior ... plus a little oil soot mixed in there too (oil burner shared the flue). Went away after the first few days.

codycoal · Post by **codycoal** » Wed. Jan. 28, 2015 5:51 am

The chimney was brand new before I fired my stove for the first time, the flue was also as I installed it with the stove.

When I shut it down over the weekend to install my baro damper the build up in the flue looked way different then now. But before I was over firing due to not controlling the draft now I am running it turned way down and am getting this buildup. I would assume the two have to be linked together.

Black Liquid From Flue

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