Hit Me With Your Stove Shut Down Procedures

 
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Pancho
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Post by Pancho » Thu. Apr. 16, 2015 6:42 pm

I still have not shut down the stove as it's been still getting cool at night but I expect that soon I will be shutting it down for the summer. What's the procedure?.

Does the stove come completely apart to get cleaned, oiled, inspected, etc.?.
Do the gas rings come out too?.

I know on the Glenwood #6's and #8's that where the barrel meets the base is a critical area for rust. Do I remove the barrel and inspect and slather it up with anti-rust goo?.

I have a central vacuum so I 'think' I can get most everywhere to remove ash/dust.

The plan is to block off the chimney to eliminate moisture entering the stove. If I do that, do I still need to run a light bulb in the stove???.

Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.


 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Thu. Apr. 16, 2015 7:36 pm

I would not use the central vac unless you can use a drywall bag in it. The stuff goes right through most filters. No bulb if you remove the stovepipe.

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Thu. Apr. 16, 2015 10:06 pm

Here's what I do with my stoves. Remove, and clean stove pipe, using baking soda & water. Rinse stove pipe, and let it set in the hot sun to dry. Store away till fall. Vacuum entire inside of stove. Oil door latches, and close doors. I don't close doors tight, compressing gaskets. Examples: Close front load door, but don't latch. For the hopper door, I turn the latch to closed position, then rest it on top of the non moveable part of latch.

 
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Post by ddahlgren » Fri. Apr. 17, 2015 7:49 am

With he cold damp weather I am considering relighting the stove. But was considering when I do shut down is to sweep it well then a few short wood fires to get it good and dry before taping a trash bag over the top of the chimney to seal it. Vac the inside of the stove and hit it with a liberal amount of WD40 at all the joints seams corners etc. to drive the moisture out of them. I am undecided if I want to put charcoal or calcium chloride in some plastic bags left open at the top or both on top of the grates. Both pull moisture out of the air and the calcium chloride by far the best as it will absorb 56% of it's weight of water. I will close the doors tight though to keep new water vapor from entering. It does not take very long to install a new ash pan door gasket. It is my first year burning coal this is all new to me.

 
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Post by rberq » Fri. Apr. 17, 2015 8:17 am

ddahlgren wrote:... taping a trash bag over the top of the chimney to seal it.
I don't know what type of chimney you have. Mine is Class A stainless steel.
One year I took apart and cleaned the stove pipes, then put everything back together and closed the stove tight and sealed up the baro with a plastic bag. By fall the baro had rusted so badly it was not usable, and the stove pipes didn't look real healthy either.
Other years I have disassembled/cleaned/reassembled but left the stove loosely closed so air can circulate through stove, pipes, baro, and chimney -- no problems.
If I don't reinstall the pipes during the summer, I cap the chimney thimble with window screen so air can circulate but ducks can't fly in. :)

 
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Post by ddahlgren » Fri. Apr. 17, 2015 8:46 am

rberg thanks for your info was hoping to get some feed back on that step. I had given it some thought and the reason for the calcium chloride and charcoal to pull the moisture out of the sealed up stove. I thought of this method only that I have stored my ammo in sealed cans with a desiccant pouch and is pristine after years. I live 500 feet from salt water and worry about that as much as anything else.

I don't know if I read it here or a tip from someone else or just an old wives tale that after sweeping the chimney a few wood fires to put a light layer of soot helps seal the chimney and pipes from corrosion. Any truth in that?

 
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Post by JohnB » Fri. Apr. 17, 2015 9:56 am

Since I've only been burning coal for two seasons I've only done the shut down/clean out once as my stove is still burning 24/7 this year. What worked well last year was to pull all the fire bricks, vacuum the ash from the inside of the stove & stove pipe, clean up the corrosion around the hopper opening in the top/repaint, spray all internal stove/stove pipe surfaces with Fluid Film, vacuum out the liner clean out & stuff a rag into the tee opening. Baro & hopper ring were already out as I had a few small wood fires towards the end of the season. The Fluid Film works great but does have an odor. With the stove buttoned up it doesn't come out into the room so it wasn't an issue.


 
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Post by lobsterman » Fri. Apr. 17, 2015 10:42 am

Wow, first of all I ain't even considering shutting it down yet as it is still dipping to the upper 30s at night. Scattered patches of snow and ice still exist in shaded areas. Amazingly for such a brutal winter I am still under 2 tons usage. There is not much I do to the stove anyway. Check the outlet pipe and replace if necessary. Empty the ash. I certainly don't vacuum or wash. Lite the occasional wood fire on cool or damp evenings, not to protect the stove but to take the chill off. I like to keep my stove always ready to lite.

 
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Post by ddahlgren » Fri. Apr. 17, 2015 11:25 am

lobsterman wrote:Wow, first of all I ain't even considering shutting it down yet as it is still dipping to the upper 30s at night. Scattered patches of snow and ice still exist in shaded areas. Amazingly for such a brutal winter I am still under 2 tons usage. There is not much I do to the stove anyway. Check the outlet pipe and replace if necessary. Empty the ash. I certainly don't vacuum or wash. Lite the occasional wood fire on cool or damp evenings, not to protect the stove but to take the chill off. I like to keep my stove always ready to lite.
I am with you on the ready to light it will be running later today not sure if on wood or coal. Probably wood as Saturday and Sunday are going to be very nice but starting Sunday night nother over 50 predicted for a week. Always ready to burn is my motto and any real layup would not be until June.

 
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Post by JohnB » Fri. Apr. 17, 2015 2:04 pm

I don't rush the stove clean out. Last year I had a few small fires into early June. Once the warm weather is here to stay I'll prep the stove for a few months of rest, decide what gaskets will need replacing & give the blowers a good cleaning.

 
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Post by ddahlgren » Fri. Apr. 17, 2015 2:22 pm

Command level decision has been made going to finish the clean out from when weather was warming fast and now evil cold and damp. Will bring in another 40 lbs and decide tomorrow what to do as supposed to be 74 degrees then and 65 Sunday the nothing over 50 for the next week. I have 300 lbs near the door so will see how far that goes and another 1/2 ton on a pallet that is a longer walk.

I was thinking about a thin layer of coal on the grates then the small amount of dry kindling I have to light it. I think I read about that method here and supposed to work very well. Blaschack coal if it matters with size mixed though claim nut LOL. Good or bad idea? I do have some charcoal but never tried it and so short on dry kindling this is not a 3 trys adventure.

 
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Post by JohnB » Fri. Apr. 17, 2015 2:35 pm

I always use the charcoal. Works fine for me. Make a hole in the center of a pile of coal, file it in with charcoal & light it up. Once the charcoal is glowing put a light layer of coal on top & you are done as long as you have a decent draft. On 65° days my draft is still in the .03-.05 range when idling at 200°. We'll see how it does tomorrow with temps in the 70's.

 
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Post by ddahlgren » Fri. Apr. 17, 2015 3:39 pm

JohnB wrote:I always use the charcoal. Works fine for me. Make a hole in the center of a pile of coal, file it in with charcoal & light it up. Once the charcoal is glowing put a light layer of coal on top & you are done as long as you have a decent draft. On 65° days my draft is still in the .03-.05 range when idling at 200°. We'll see how it does tomorrow with temps in the 70's.
How do you light it as not match light and bought what they had in late October and no doubt putting out Christmas things. I needed a new winter coat and January and nothing to be found around here go figure though a bathing suit easy to find, go figure. Will kindling above or below it get it going?

 
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Post by wsherrick » Fri. Apr. 17, 2015 3:51 pm

I am not taking anything down yet. We heat here well into May. Once I am absolutely sure that the heating season is done, I take down the pipe and inspect closely. So far I've gotten four years out of the pipe down stairs. I just take them outside and knock the crud out of them and then store them downstairs. The stove gets a complete vacuuming from the shop vacuum and a 100 watt light bulb goes inside until September. I haven't noticed any problems with corrosion or rust.
I think the key is keeping the stove dry, therefore; taking the pipe down is the critical thing. If the stove is in a damp place then some means of moving the air and providing heat is most necessary.
The light bulb in the Glenwood makes enough heat to cause a weak draw through the stove which goes a long way to keeping the inside dry.

 
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Post by JohnB » Fri. Apr. 17, 2015 5:42 pm

How do you light it as not match light and bought what they had in late October and no doubt putting out Christmas things.
I just use regular charcoal & soak it with charcoal lighter fluid. The EPA has reduced the flash point of the lighter fluid to the point that you have to hope that it will ignite before the match burns out. I've had no problems using it in my stove but that's your call to make.


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