Carbon monoxide problem

[Gooserider]

Ok boys it doesnt look good! I talked to one sweep on the phone who seemed very knowledgable and what I got from him without him actually coming to see the situation was that the answer was to extend higher than the highest roof. The sweep that did come and inspect my chimney had many bad things to say about it. One piece has a bulge on the inside, I used screws that were too long on several connecting points, I had some open previous screw holes a no, no, I also installed the insullation improperly in the thimbal area and there is not enough clearance around the pipe where it comes through the deck. As far as the stove goes he said that the insurance company would laugh if there was a claim. It is old and rusty which I did not think was a problem as long as it was UL approved,- am I wrong? He also said that part of the problem was that it was not air tight and also I should add to the hieght of the pipe but I seemed to get that adding another 3' or so to start may be ok. I got an estimate of replacing what I have with new DuraTech 8" fixing the deck section and I hope adding to the hieght is under $2260, but I think that since most new stoves are now 6" that I may stick with that if we go that route. He did not check the draft with a meter however.

Sounds like you have LOTS of problems, and may have been lucky to have made it as long as you did. I certainly would not even think about burning in that chimney until they have been corrected. It sounds like you have some structural problems, probably due to a previous chimney fire and simple age.

Eight inch piping is FAR more expensive than 6", and you really shouldn't be burning those old 8" monsters so I agree that rebuilding with a 6" pipe would be a worthwhile savings.

In terms of the stove being rusty - UL listings assume that the item listed is in good condition. Assuming that a rusty stove is OK because it has a UL label on it is about like assuming that a 40 year old electrical appliance with all the insulation cracking and falling off the wires is OK because it has a UL label... A rusty stove could very well also be a leaking stove - it may also have had gasket and other problems.

Chimney height is also a major safety issue. At a minimum you should be following the "10-3-2" rule, (3 feet above where you come through the roof, 2 feet above anything within 10 feet) and ideally you should be higher than your peak...

I would also agree with the earlier reccomendations for getting an EPA model stove and putting the others in a museum somewhere - and possibly relocating the stove to the first floor instead of the basement.

Gooserider

 

[Jclout]

We did look into a stove upstairs but I think I'm going to have to waite on that one. My hope is to eventually put one in the living room which is currenty our bedroom, and my wife is a little reluctant to give up any more dining room space. Surprisingly the chimney for the upstairs location was actually a bit more than the cellar one, (different roof). I looked at some new stoves on Sat. and found that most new stoves, at least at this dealer were 6", so I the sweep is going to give me a new estimate for 6", 18' high and another one for a little higher. I'm facing the possibility season of not being able to burn wood this year and maybee more. The sweep is not guarrentying that 18' is going to work completely because of the main roof being higher, even though its 12-13' away. The old one is at least 2' above the roof it's near and about 13' away from the main house. Elk if you see this I would like those combustion air calculations but the sweep didnt measure the draft, can this be done with all the other info about the house including new EPA stove info and chimney hieght?

 

[stoveguy2esw]

We did look into a stove upstairs but I think I'm going to have to waite on that one. My hope is to eventually put one in the living room which is currenty our bedroom, and my wife is a little reluctant to give up any more dining room space. Surprisingly the chimney for the upstairs location was actually a bit more than the cellar one, (different roof). I looked at some new stoves on Sat. and found that most new stoves, at least at this dealer were 6", so I the sweep is going to give me a new estimate for 6", 18' high and another one for a little higher. I'm facing the possibility season of not being able to burn wood this year and maybee more. The sweep is not guarrentying that 18' is going to work completely because of the main roof being higher, even though its 12-13' away. The old one is at least 2' above the roof it's near and about 13' away from the main house. Elk if you see this I would like those combustion air calculations but the sweep didnt measure the draft, can this be done with all the other info about the house including new EPA stove info and chimney hieght?

one of the trickier chimney setups is a flue run through a lower roof adjacent but near to a higher one, they can be much more wind sensitive, and must be setup just right or they simply will not consistantly draw. my advise if coming through a lower roof (if this fits the floorplan) is to run close(alongside of if possible) to the higher roof and meet 10-3-2 on it. this will assure proper draw. it may be more expensive but the fact the sweep stated he couldnt guarentee it will work should be setting off all kinds of red flags. my experiences with this type of setup has been that they rarely work completely trouble free.

 

[Gooserider]

If you are doing a Class A, keep in mind that if the first install doesn't work well, it is usually not a big deal to add an additional section or two of pipe on top, and that will often solve the problem. It might also require some additional braces or guy wires to keep the pipe straight, but that's not a major problem.

Gooserider

 

[Jclout]

I talked to another sweep last night, his idea or at least one of them is that maybee the stove needs its own air supply,he's supposed to come check things out next week.

 

[begreen]

Yes, that would be advisable. Of course this will require an EPA stove set up for an OAK.