Metalbestos Chimney Rusting?

Hey, Bob.

That looks exactly like mine!! Did you buy it from Lowes?

I just figured it was normal

No Rick, I bought it at a local hardware store.

218Bee wrote:That looks exactly like mine!! Did you buy it from Lowes?

I saw that one at Lowes. A magnet sticks to it.

Did you burn wood in the stove?
Prior to the Harman I burned wood and my Metalbestos Chimney cap looks the same.
The pipe itself discolored in drips where there was some creosote.
My bet is a cap issue discoloring the pipe.
Try a little ‘Barkeepers Friend’ on the cap or pipe.
http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/about.htm
http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/Special.htm

I had a chimney company install a new SS Metal-Fab chimney last November. Boy is that stuff expensive ! The top section of the pipe is showing signs of rust and there are small spots of rust all down the remaining sections. Odd, the worst is the South side of the chimney. Must be how the gases vent out! I called my chimney company and they are coming to look at it next week. Lifetime warranty...wonder what that means ? Hopefully they replace the top section, man it looks ugly! I know there are issues with SS and coal gases so I thought I would share my humble experience. I would ask for advice but it seems we are all in the same boat.

tcalo wrote:I would ask for advice but it seems we are all in the same boat.

Yes we are! Mine looks the same as it did when I started this thread. I remove the cap when I start burning in the fall like CapeCoaler suggested.........then reinstall it when I shut down. Nature of the beast I guess.

sterling40man wrote:The inside of the chimney is fine. The rust is only on the outside.

I have several sections of SS above a one-story roof, with a rusty cap. After 5 years, my top section looks a lot like yours.

Somebody suggested to me that perhaps the flue gasses condense near the top and cause corrosion. But if that's true, the inside of your chimney should be rusted. I'm glad to see the inside of yours still looks good -- I will have to get up there next summer and hope to find mine is the same. A magnet sticks to mine so I guess it's not the premium grade.