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Stove chimney extension corroded on to collar


Chribley

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I've bought a 50' replica Thames stemhead barge about a month ago. The stove, a Morso Squirrel 1410, was working fine at first and the whole boat got really hot, but now it won't get more than warm, even with the ash pan air valve wide open. In fact, even with the ash pan door open it doesn't really heat up like it did before. I think the flue needs investigation for blockages and cleaning, but  I can't get the stainless steel extension off the collar on the roof. It's a custom made extension and I think should just lift off, but something - corrosion? tar? - has glued it solid. I tried tapping it with a hammer round the base but only managed to make some dents in the otherwise smooth and shiny steel! My next thought was to heat it up vigorously with a blowlamp round the base, but before I do I'd appreciate any thoughts that might save me from doing any more damage.

 

 

 

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18 minutes ago, Chribley said:

I've bought a 50' replica Thames stemhead barge about a month ago. The stove, a Morso Squirrel 1410, was working fine at first and the whole boat got really hot, but now it won't get more than warm, even with the ash pan air valve wide open. In fact, even with the ash pan door open it doesn't really heat up like it did before. I think the flue needs investigation for blockages and cleaning, but  I can't get the stainless steel extension off the collar on the roof. It's a custom made extension and I think should just lift off, but something - corrosion? tar? - has glued it solid. I tried tapping it with a hammer round the base but only managed to make some dents in the otherwise smooth and shiny steel! My next thought was to heat it up vigorously with a blowlamp round the base, but before I do I'd appreciate any thoughts that might save me from doing any more damage.

 

 

 

 

There isn't a lot can go wrong with the Morso. If you have access through the top of the steel extension, rattle a ball of chain on a rope down the flue. Hopefully the fire is out. I clean my flue this way and flail the inside of the flue. It shifts the crap. 

 

 

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Usual problem is the crud building up on the top of the baffle plate at the top of the firebox.  Take the baffle plate out before rattling the flue.

the other baffle referred to by TD shouldn’t be there, but some installers don’t understand the setup for a short flue and don’t remove it.

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22 minutes ago, Baldy1976 said:

Hi

I think custom stainless steel flue extensions are made on site and by the looks of things .....they don't come off easily,

Here is a link to cruising the cuts video on his experience -

 

https://youtu.be/hoVFU0E8kAA

That's the video I remembered and couldn't find, thanks so much!

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53 minutes ago, Chribley said:

I tried tapping it with a hammer round the base but only managed to make some dents in the otherwise smooth and shiny steel!

It is most likely just gummed on with tar. You need a bigger hammer! Or try waggling it around. Eventually it should come off. If the stove has been run stopped down to prevent the boat overheating, common in Autumn and Spring, when it isn't that cold, then the flue can clag up badly and needs frequent cleaning. Weekly, or fortnightly, not much longer. The chain idea is a good one. Not heard of it before, but sounds very sensible. My boat has a straight flue, so I have a scaffold pole with a couple of bolts sticking out at the bottom, extending out just slightly short of the flue inside diameter. Rattle this around in the flue to scrape off the crud. Remember to do with the stove unlit and clean it out before lighting, or you'll smoke out the cabin. Ask how I know this! ?

The advice in other replies about the horrible flue base baffle plate in boat installations is good.

Jen

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Dry yer nuts before feeding into the stove. Wet or damp nuts will cause the solid cement like lining in the flue pipe and will block it entirely after a while requiring serious umph do dislodge it. I've had to use a steel water barrel pipe with a flattened end and had to auger through it, turning it on the roof with 2foot Stilsons to break through it.

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1 minute ago, bizzard said:

Dry yer nuts before feeding into the stove. Wet or damp nuts will cause the solid cement like lining in the flue pipe and will block it entirely after a while requiring serious umph do dislodge it. I've had to use a steel water barrel pipe with a flattened end and had to auger through it, turning it on the roof with 2foot Stilsons to break through it.

This cement like clinker stuff is horrible if it happens and as @bizzard says takes serious persuasion to clear. It tends to form at a certain height in the flue, restricting the diameter, till it blocks. Mine does it at around 6" above the stove. I've used a mooring pin at the end of a bit of rope, repeatedly dropped on to the blockage from above and hauled back up. Be careful not to punch through the back boiler, if fitted, when the blockage does go!

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I make sure my nuts are dry by keeping them on a homemade Meccano trivet before use. The nuts are made of coal, anthracite dust and bound together with something horrid, Molasses, cement like stuff anyway, damp or wet makes it into like cement, especially when the stove is closed down ticking over over night when smoke-unburnt fuel goes up the fluepipe. Like leaving the choke out on a car after the engines has heated up to normal running temp.

SAM_1559.JPG

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Thanks for all the advice, I've learned a lot! Watching CC's video I realised my chimney is exactly the same as his and made by the same guy. I'll try heating with a blowlamp to make it expand, but if that doesn't do it I fear I will end up having to do what he did and break the spot welds till the cement stuff comes out.

 

I'll update with my progress.

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14 hours ago, bizzard said:

Dry yer nuts before feeding into the stove. Wet or damp nuts will cause the solid cement like lining in the flue pipe and will block it entirely after a while requiring serious umph do dislodge it. I've had to use a steel water barrel pipe with a flattened end and had to auger through it, turning it on the roof with 2foot Stilsons to break through it.

Hope you stopped before winding it right through the bottom of the boat.

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Update: I heated it with a blowlamp till it almost glowed but it still didn't budge, so I had to resort to CC's  sardine can method to get the chimney off. There was a load of thick rust holding it in place so I had to chip it off the collar. Surprisingly the flue was fairly clean and there were no blockages. The riddling grid broke in two when putting it all back togethert so have ordered a replacement, though it does sort of work as  is. Tests in progress now. Thanks again for the help.

IMG_20201020_110503748.jpg

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To be honest I don't use those dopey chimnies that go on the outside of the collar, just because the old working boats often used them, I think the sensible ones didn't. I just use an extended flue pipe measured and cut off for the lowest bridge I'm likely to encounter,'' if I come across something lower I just saw a bit off'',  with a homemade coolie hat on top.

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10 hours ago, bizzard said:

To be honest I don't use those dopey chimnies that go on the outside of the collar, just because the old working boats often used them, I think the sensible ones didn't. I just use an extended flue pipe measured and cut off for the lowest bridge I'm likely to encounter,'' if I come across something lower I just saw a bit off'',  with a homemade coolie hat on top.

Have you recently sold a boat to a chap in Droitwich, he had to chop his off to get under the bridge/hole

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