# preventing rust on stove over summer?



## caledoniacars (Apr 2, 2011)

I am getting ready to clean my pellet furnace for the season.  I know to clean, clean , clean, but last year I got a bunch of surface rust all over the inside of my furnace.  Any tips on how to prevent that again????


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## Lousyweather (Apr 2, 2011)

marvel mystery oil or WD-40, sprayed liberally on the metal surfaces inside, AFTER cleaning throughly


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## will711 (Apr 2, 2011)

There is another thread going about end of season shut down and some of the folks are using Pam spray or motor oil to coat inside of stove.


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## JoeS (Apr 2, 2011)

Pam works!

Been using it for years and never have a rust issue.


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## pelletkrzd (Apr 2, 2011)

After a thorough cleaning and scraping, I prime and repaint all metal surfaces inside stove this includes firepot.  Use an old pair of panty hose cut off legs fill with cat litter and place inside stove to absorb any moisture.  I have a clean out inside the house as well I plug up the exhaust vent with an old tshirt (just dont forget to remove @ 1st use).  Have not had a lick of rust appear have done this for 3 seasons.


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## ChrisWNY (Apr 2, 2011)

Here is the End of Season Shut-down thread that contains the same info:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/73451/

The Fahrenheit sales engineer I spoke with the other day recommended Pam cooking spray - he suggested spraying the burn pot parts as well as the upper baffles, heat exchanger tubes, and the inside of the exhaust manifold after a thorough cleaning.


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## imacman (Apr 2, 2011)

All bare metal surfaces should be coated with spray, like Pam, and in addition, the firebox should have a couple of silica-gel desiccant packs inside.  I also stuff a rag into the T to keep moist air from entering, and tape over the outside of the OAK (mostly to keep bugs/wasps, etc out, but humid air too).


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## CJ-SR4ever (Apr 2, 2011)

Well in my opinion, the only reason you would be getting rust on the inside of the stove would be because you are getting alot of moisture coming in through your venting.  Do you seal off the venting during the summer time?


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## ChrisWNY (Apr 2, 2011)

I plan on popping the termination cap off and sealing the end of the PL vent pipe with foil tape, same goes for the OAK vent. Since I am dealing with a furnace system, I also have to seal up the heat and return vents, which is just a matter of closing off the grids. The furnace itself seals off air tight when the doors are shut, so if the PL/OAK vents are sealed, there should be virtually no moist air infiltration over the Summer inside the burn chamber.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Apr 2, 2011)

CJ-SR4ever,

Wish it were that simple but you need to consider the air wash systems and the hopper situation.

Between the two moisture can frequently find its way into the stove.


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## CJ-SR4ever (Apr 3, 2011)

Getting one of those fancy dehumidifiers may help the situation.   Do you live in an area prone to moisture during the summer?


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## chrisasst (Apr 3, 2011)

any one ever try this


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## johnnycomelately (Apr 3, 2011)

A beautiful trick that my tech uses is to stuff wrinkled up newspaper into the stove over the spring and Summer. This will absorb all moisture before it adheres to metal. Change the paper every couple of weeks and you will be all set! Has worked well for me.


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## DexterDay (Apr 3, 2011)

chrisasst said:
			
		

> any one ever try this



I use those in my pellet crib and in the stove. My Firebox is a "Open" design, so I put 1 of these in Ash pan, under the burn pot. Cant see it at all. Then another in the hopper....

They also make a DampRid that comes in a black container. It does the same thing, but has "Activated Charcoal" to eliminate odors. Got 3 in my Pellet Crib and 2 ready for the stove. I have used both of them (Blue and Black containers). Both work as advertised.


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## Jack Morrissey (Apr 3, 2011)

I use that also!


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## DexterDay (Apr 3, 2011)

Here is the one with Charcoal in it. There fairly cheap too. Get mine from the Dollar Store.


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## kinsmanstoves (Apr 3, 2011)

I should but I do not worry about it.

Eric


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## rowerwet (Apr 3, 2011)

I used amsoil metal protector on one side of my fire box, and PBblaster metal protector on the other, both sides came out fine. will have to try pam, I wouldn't recommend DW40 as it is a penetrant oil and evaporates leaving your metal unprotected.


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## slls (Apr 3, 2011)

If sealing stove, don't forget auger access.


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## ChrisWNY (Apr 4, 2011)

DexterDay said:
			
		

> Here is the one with Charcoal in it. There fairly cheap too. Get mine from the Dollar Store.



Exactly where I picked mine up, bought a Summer's worth of DampRid, $2 per container. Gonna drop one in the burn chamber and another in the empty hopper.


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## DexterDay (Apr 4, 2011)

ChrisWNY said:
			
		

> DexterDay said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Sounds good. Its amazing the amount of moisture these can accumulate in them. The bottom chamber holds the water that it attracts. I have to replace the ones in my Pellet Crib, about every 6 months. They fill up pretty quick. And I run a De-humidifier 24/7 in the Summer months also (Basement only).


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## gbreda (Apr 4, 2011)

Well I read alot about this last season.  Did a complete and thorough cleaning, capped the venting outside, put couple of silica-gel desiccant packs inside.  The one thing I did not do was coat the inside with pam, oil etc.

A friend of mine turned off her XXV.  Didnt touch it, didnt clean it, did not cap anything and lives less than a mile from the ocean where they get quite a bit of fog. I live well inland. 

I got minor surface rust.  She does not have a bit of rust.

Go figure.....................


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## ChrisWNY (Apr 4, 2011)

My parents never coated the inside of their pellet stove with Pam or oil, nor did they use silica gel or anything else to absorb moisture. They regularly vacuumed and brushed the ash out of the stove, and did a more thorough vacuuming at the end of the season, it's still going strong after nearly 17 years of use (purchased back in 1994). Rust/corrosion was never an issue for them. Knowing that stuff isn't made like it used to be, I figure taking the extra steps to protect from moisture are worthwhile, better to be safe than sorry.

One thing I wonder though is how bad the Pam will smoke up the inside of the burn chamber when I fire the pellet furnace up for the first time next season. I'm hoping most of the Pam will have evaporated by then.


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## BIGISLANDHIKERS (Apr 5, 2011)

Our stove is in the basement and it gets used every so often all summer. Gotta love Michigan.


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