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Post by jethro on Aug 26, 2012 11:21:13 GMT -8
Hi Maybe Im missing something here, or the idea is these things burn too hot to leave deposits on the flue however like any flue I would expect it to need cleaning/sweeping from time to time yet I haven't seen this important maintenance issue addressed anywhere.. Can anyone enlighten me please with thanks
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Post by Donkey on Aug 28, 2012 16:33:05 GMT -8
There is an occasional cleaning routine. I think it's talked about briefly here and there in these pages.. My rule: place a cleanout port on at LEAST one end of every horizontal run, also a cleanout under the barrel. Ash and things will find the MOST inconvenient place to pile up.. Make them ALL accessible and you should do ok. There's little worse than having to dig into a bench to clean out a pile of ash where a cleanout was forgotten. Remember Murphy's laws and act accordingly!
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Post by erikweaver on Aug 1, 2015 5:49:01 GMT -8
In addition, there's another point to be addressed. The chimney pipe itself. To my admittedly limited knowledge about such things there are four primary reasons to inspect/clean (sweep) your chimney annually:
1. Inspection for bird's nests and similar wild life intrusions; 2. Inspection for fire safety (creosote build-up, joints intact, no blockages, rain cap remains open, etc); 3. Inspection of roof and water-proofing; 4. Cleaning (sweeping) of residue, including ash, creosote, and any other debris.
All of these I personally believe ought to be done annually, as with any other wood burning chimney. If one feels up to it, chimney sweep brushes and rods are very affordable, and one should be able to sweep their own chimney with relative ease. If not, or one is scared of heights, or feels too unknowledgable, etc, just hire a chimney sweep, and write it off as part of your annual house upkeep costs. It should be a very small expense as compared to sleeping well at night all winter long. Hire the chimney sweep in the summer during their slow period and maybe you'll get a reduced rate.
As far as the theory of creosote build-up, these systems are supposed to burn hot enough to burn the smoke and particles that cause/contribute to build-up in the first place. So if the RMH is burning properly there ought to be little concern. This may vary by what is being burnt, how efficiently, and other variables.
My impression is creosote and related build-up is of much less concern than for wood burning stoves, assuming we have built our heater properly. But I would also note, "much less concern" is not the same things as saying "no concern at all."
So build well, burn well, and inspect your chimney annually; perhaps even every month or two during your first burning season, if you feel that is warranted. Repair any defects before burning again. That's my opinion, for whatever it is worth.
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Post by Dan (Upstate NY, USA) on Aug 3, 2015 2:04:59 GMT -8
RHMs built up creosote, a little at a time, each time they are started. When the fire has not reached its max temp the startup unburnt smoke is going down the heat bench and up the chimney.
That's why it is important to get the fire up to temp as quickly as possible.
I actually get more creosote in the same outdoor chimney than I did with my old woodstove, its not much but its there and I clean it once a season.
...but I burn 1/2 the wood I used too so its definitely worth it.
Then there is the ash, I made my stove with turns and cleanouts big enough that I only have to clean the fly ash out once a year.
Fly ash on the bottom of the channels, a little creosote on the top...
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Post by invention1 on Jan 20, 2018 10:28:03 GMT -8
I'm worried about cleaning the bell. Is that a concern? Seems like a lot of surface area in there hard to reach from a cleanout door. Right now I am enjoying my old 1970's era Fisher, but next heating season I hope to replace it with a batch rocket heater. Would it be wise to make a bell that could be dissassembled somehow? Say masonry below 4', a steel tank above that point, set in with stove caulk that could break free for annual inspection? Or am I overthinking this?
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Post by peterberg on Jan 20, 2018 12:07:17 GMT -8
I'm worried about cleaning the bell. Is that a concern? Seems like a lot of surface area in there hard to reach from a cleanout door. Right now I am enjoying my old 1970's era Fisher, but next heating season I hope to replace it with a batch rocket heater. Would it be wise to make a bell that could be dissassembled somehow? Say masonry below 4', a steel tank above that point, set in with stove caulk that could break free for annual inspection? Or am I overthinking this? Hi Invention1, welcome to the boards. Yes, you are overthinking this. Bells don't need to be cleaned, only the fly ash that lands on the bottom need to be removed from time to time. During a burn, some soot and/or ash will stick to the walls. But once the layer is thick enough it'll fall off and end at floor level. See for example the big masonry contraflow heaters in North America, it's a closed system with sweep doors at floor level, nothing more. Same for the large masonry heaters in Eastern Europe.
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Post by invention1 on Jan 20, 2018 16:44:39 GMT -8
Hi Invention1, welcome to the boards. Yes, you are overthinking this. Well, overthinking, that's how it usually works with me. I'll find a masonry ash cleanout or a tight barrellstove door with a gasket and call it good.
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Post by smokeout on Jan 20, 2018 18:40:18 GMT -8
I'm worried about cleaning the bell. Is that a concern? Seems like a lot of surface area in there hard to reach from a cleanout door. Right now I am enjoying my old 1970's era Fisher, but next heating season I hope to replace it with a batch rocket heater. Would it be wise to make a bell that could be dissassembled somehow? Say masonry below 4', a steel tank above that point, set in with stove caulk that could break free for annual inspection? Or am I overthinking this? Invention 1 I think you have one of the best stoves ever. Maybe Your Fisher could be converted to a a batch rocket with a bell. Is it a single or double door?
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Post by invention1 on Jan 27, 2018 4:15:02 GMT -8
Smokeout, yeah, I love me old Fisher stove, although it's probably no better than 40% efficient. There's one problem with hacking into the Fisher. The wife says "OK, you hacked a solar hot water heater that's flooded the house twice, hacked an electric bicycle that's always needing repair, started building two hacked wood stoves that are laying in a heap behind the house, and now you want to take a cutting torch to this beautiful old wood stove?" That's pretty much the end of that conversation. She's ok with the idea of building a rocket stove in the living room as long as the back yard prototype works first. Seems like she's a lot smarter than me.
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