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Okay great. A funnel shape is what I was thinking. Thanks! Now i just need to get up the gusto to tear into it. That's going to be the hardest part

oh, yeah. Apprently some of my flue pipe wasn't taped well. They are leaking some crazy gooey liquid all over the floor. Anyone else ever had this? I suppose if it had been cobbed up I wouldn't have run into this....

I used some high temperature caulk, but it seems to be water soluble. What are you guys using to tape and seal up your pipe transitions?

It's normal for it to leak that condensate when it's all new. There is a lot of moisture in the cob around the barrel and the core, and once you cob the whole thing there will be more. Just put a bowl under it for now, and once it's all cobbed and dried out it won't be an issue. To answer your question specifically, I use the foil tape, but really you just have to get it all cobbed.

Okay guys. So here is the next question. I am trying to re-purpose my existing chimney for the RMH given all of your advice. I crawled onto the roof and looked at the chimney (since i didn't know it's construction very well). I was pleasantly surprised!

It looks like the whole chimney is coated in ceramic flue liner! It also looks to be in pretty good condition. The only problem is that i can't fit 6 inch pipe in there. The cross section of the smaller side of the flue liner is exactly 6 inches. Since the CSA of using the entire flue-line would be considerably larger than 6 inch pipe, should I just run 5 inch pipe down the chimney? Or should I try and use the chimney as is? if I did, any suggestions on making the connection from 6 inch pipe to flue liner air-tight?

Seems the huge CSA of using the chimney as-is would cause stalling of the gases...

Thoughts?

Here are some photos to help:


by , on Flickr


by , on Flickr


by , on Flickr

I'm pretty sure you are good to go just tapping right into that chimney. You could just cob in the connection.

I have a similar chimney on mine and I'm planning to do this same thing when I update my system. Whenever the weather breaks...

Oh man, SCORE!! Your system is going to come to life with that chimney improvement. Yeah, just plug right into it. It doesn't need to be airtight, but you can plug holes with fiberglass rope, furnace cement, cob, aluminum foil, foil tape, etc. Depends on the connection, but I bet it will have a thimble that you can just plug right into, maybe behind a wall plate? This is great news man! That will make a huge difference for your heater.

You guys don't think the large CSA will cause it to stall? Its probably double or more the CSA of a 6 inch pipe.

Don't worry, all of the heat you are going to capture will already be in the bench. The added area will allow for a nice flow, and the added height will give you a great draw. The chimney should work just fine for you.

That's great! Its too bad the Ianto evens book shows the exhaust system coning out laterally. I blasted out the back of the chimney on purpose and have just created a whole lot of wasted work for myself. Essentially have to undo the big hole I put in the back of the chimney block. Oh well, its all a big learning experience.

Just wish the literature mentioned that a traditional chimney would work.