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Chimney / flue leaking tar on new boat?!!!


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smile.png They do to keep the dust down. Thankfully anthracite, which is what I have, does not absorb water. Not sure about the manufacture briquets.

Ordinary house coal doesn't absorb much moisture either, but smokeless avoids certainly do, they'e quite porous. I've watched them drying through my ovens glass door and wet ones take ages to to dry from a wet jet black colour through to a sort of dark grey'y colour when dry.

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I usually make my own chimneys unless I come across some 4" OD pipe. Just pop-rivet a band round the outside a few inches up from the bottom and let it sit inside the top of the flue. Pretty much guarantees no tar problems (which is more than can be said for the double-skinned chimneys that are supposed to do that).

 

Quite right. We have all suffered at some time over the years with the dreaded tar. I bought this boat only this year and had the usual crappo double skimmed chimney from the ususual chandlers. There is local to me a chap who makes bespoke chimneys and he did me one out of very solid steel that slots down inside the flue for several inches and now even tho its single skinned absolutely no tar and it will last several years instead of one.

 

Tim

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Kiln dried logs are dried to an average moisture content of 20% and are recommended for immediate burning on all wood burning appliances. These logs provide the ultimate clean burn with maximum heat output.

The bulk sacks

Kiln Dried Firewood

  • Premier kiln dried firewood is the most popular pack as it provides the ultimate clean burn with the maximum heat output
  • Source: Sustainable British Woodland
  • Logs: Moisture content average 20%.
  • Log length 25cm (+/- 10%)
  • Recommended: For immediate burning on all wood burning appliances.
  • Large bulk bag (1.6 cubic metres)

 

The photo in the link for the kiln dried wood shows very clearly that it is hardwood.

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Very likely. I've never ever seen covered coal Staithes at a merchants. Who knows in dry weather they might even hose all the coal down when no ones looking, keeping the dust down would be their excuse.

An economical way of drying coal is to load a shovel full into a baking tray and pop it into the bottom of your oven whilst baking cakes or your dinner.

 

I'd be a bit hard pushed to tell the difference, when they all come out of the oven!

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You need to take care with seasoned hardwood. For example Countrywide are quite open in that their seasoned hardwood is 30~50% water and to quote "Not suitable for immediate use on stoves." If you want stuff you know is dry and ready to burn then I would strongly suggest you buy kiln dried wood.

 

I think this is more like you are looking for - To quote "Kiln dried logs are dried to an average moisture content of 20% and are recommended for immediate burning on all wood burning appliances. These logs provide the ultimate clean burn with maximum heat output."

 

A couple of links for you -

 

Seasond wood - http://www.countrywidefarmers.co.uk/pws/ProductDetails.ice?ProductID=4380

Kiln dried - http://www.countrywidefarmers.co.uk/pws/ProductDetails.ice?ProductID=4423

We found a local ish place making timber framed buildings, we bought a pallet of kiln dried oak offcuts, already in cubes and cuboids, and the biggest was about a foot square- had to chop that one down to fit.

 

They were brilliant to burn.

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We found a local ish place making timber framed buildings, we bought a pallet of kiln dried oak offcuts, already in cubes and cuboids, and the biggest was about a foot square- had to chop that one down to fit.

 

They were brilliant to burn.

As students we had a wood stove in one of the hosues and burnt window frames.

 

Had a nice word with the local upvc company at the end of the roadz and they where very happy for use to take pick of anything then had removed.

 

 

Daniel

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Apologies if someone has already said this:

 

1. When I bought a new separate chimney liner (of course I've not needed to use it yet since the old one soldiers on despite shedding massive sheets of rust every time I remove it) the chandler pointed out that you should always fit a separate inner with the narrower end down. As a result, when you slip the outer on, the wider upper end of the liner forms a much better fit to the inside of the outer (eh?!). Has made a significant difference to this occasional boater.

 

2. A wide beam on our marina has an interesting solution although I've not looked at it in detail. It involves a flat plate with a small lip all round the edge - think baking tray with the lip facing up. The plate is slightly larger than the chimney collar and has a large hole through the centre. It fits over the chimney and, more importantly, snugly over and sits on the roof collar. So anything which does run down and would otherwise reach the roof actually sits in the tray. Now make sure that the plate has a slight slope overboard and attach a small gauge pipe through the lip and long enough to drip/run overboard missing the boat sides. This boat used to sport a wide brown stain all down the side but, after this mod and a super paint job, stays smart and clean.

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  • 4 years later...

Hi all,

I'm doing some research and would value your comments.

 

Since this thread, which started a few years ago, has anyone come across a solution to the tar dripping off the rim of the chimney hat problem?

 

I would love to hear from anyone who has a solution that enables you to:

 

leave the hat on 24/7

burn anything, wet or dry

burn the fire on low

leave the boat unsupervised and it not drip while you're away

 

Solutions I am NOT looking for or interested in are:

 

Taking the hat off

Only burning wood

Only burning dry coal

Only burning the fire red hot

Anything that requires you to be on the boat and continually supervise the fire.

 

Please share your experiences. This seems to be a common problem but the only solution I've managed to find so far is 'take the hat off', which, for me, is not an option.

 

Thanks all 

 

Reba

 

 

 

 

 

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13 minutes ago, Reba Danson said:

Since this thread, which started a few years ago, has anyone come across a solution to the tar dripping off the rim of the chimney hat problem?

I have never had that problem (don't know why, can only guess it's maybe type / quality of fuel used)

 

I have had 'tar' running down inside the chimney and leaking out onto the collar, and if not wiped up running down onto the paintwork

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Hi Jen-in-Wellies, if it's one of the things I've listed as not being interested in it's because it's not a solution.

All of those things may prevent tar leaking onto your boat but they are un-manageable for me.

I'm really seeking to establish whether anyone has come up with anything as a permanent, all season, all fuels, all circumstances fail safe solution that works WITH the hat on.

 

Thanks for the question - is useful to be able to explain that.

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11 minutes ago, Reba Danson said:

Hi Jen-in-Wellies, if it's one of the things I've listed as not being interested in it's because it's not a solution.

All of those things may prevent tar leaking onto your boat but they are un-manageable for me.

I'm really seeking to establish whether anyone has come up with anything as a permanent, all season, all fuels, all circumstances fail safe solution that works WITH the hat on.

 

Thanks for the question - is useful to be able to explain that.

This isn't listed on your 'not prepared to do it' list :

 

A wide beam on our marina has an interesting solution although I've not looked at it in detail. It involves a flat plate with a small lip all round the edge - think baking tray with the lip facing up. The plate is slightly larger than the chimney collar and has a large hole through the centre. It fits over the chimney and, more importantly, snugly over and sits on the roof collar. So anything which does run down and would otherwise reach the roof actually sits in the tray. Now make sure that the plate has a slight slope overboard and attach a small gauge pipe through the lip and long enough to drip/run overboard missing the boat sides. This boat used to sport a wide brown stain all down the side but, after this mod and a super paint job, stays smart and clean.

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Usual answer is a double skinned chimney.

The tar then runs back down the flue, rather than between the collar and chimney, but won't stop drips from the "chinamans" hat.

In theory, an inverted hat would drip from the centre, back down the flue, rather than the edges.  But would fill with rain.

 

 

Bod

Failing all else, trays to catch the drips, then guide the tar away over the side have been seen. 

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4 minutes ago, Bod said:

In theory, an inverted hat would drip from the centre, back down the flue, rather than the edges.  But would fill with rain

Two chinaman's hats back to back may work.

 

I gave up on those crappy hat things years ago. The ones with 3 little legs are awful. The ones that clamp around the chimney are marginally better.

Edited by rusty69
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1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

This isn't listed on your 'not prepared to do it' list :

 

A wide beam on our marina has an interesting solution although I've not looked at it in detail. It involves a flat plate with a small lip all round the edge - think baking tray with the lip facing up. The plate is slightly larger than the chimney collar and has a large hole through the centre. It fits over the chimney and, more importantly, snugly over and sits on the roof collar. So anything which does run down and would otherwise reach the roof actually sits in the tray. Now make sure that the plate has a slight slope overboard and attach a small gauge pipe through the lip and long enough to drip/run overboard missing the boat sides. This boat used to sport a wide brown stain all down the side but, after this mod and a super paint job, stays smart and clean.

Some sort of solution like this is your best bet. If you can't prevent it dripping tar, then catch the drips with a suitable bit of metal bashing. A drain isn't necessary, of it is emptied and cleaned. Incidentally, I've found oven cleaners are very good at cleaning shiny stainless steel chimneys and coolie hats. A similar problem, how to clean burnt on tarry deposits, or is that just my cooking?

Jen

Just now, rusty69 said:

Two chinamans hats back to back may work.

 

I gave up on those crappy hat things years ago. The ones with 3 little legs are awful. The ones that clam around the chimney are marginally better.

My latest coolie hat is made from a stainless steel dog bowl. Only a couple of quid, compared with the very expensive ones from Chandlers. The dog was upset though.

Jen

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2 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

My latest coolie hat is made from a stainless steel dog bowl. Only a couple of quid, compared with the very expensive ones from Chandlers. The dog was upset though.

Jen

Interesting. How do you hold it on the chimley?And more importantly, doesn't the dog food fall out?

3 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

A similar problem, how to clean burnt on tarry deposits, or is that just my cooking?

White vinegar is good .

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7 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Interesting. How do you hold it on the chimley?And more importantly, doesn't the dog food fall out?

Bits of stainless strip, pop riveted each end. This is the bit I'm least happy with. The previous hat was made from a neighbours old stainless frying pan she was throwing out. I did remove the handle, though it was still very obviously a frying pan. That had three threaded stainless rods, fitted with stainless nuts through the bottom of the pan. The rods were around a foot long and bent so they were a spring fit in to the chimebely. It worked very well. The hat stayed in position nicely.

 

The dog food smells terrible when it falls down the flue in to the stove.

 

Jen

Edited by Jen-in-Wellies
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2 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

The previous hat was made from a neighbours old stainless frying pan she was throwing out. I

I like it. A bit of lateral thinking. If you get the fire hot enough, you could cook some eggs on top.

 

I toyed with the idea of using a bent piece of clay drainage pipe as a chimney pointed overboard, but decided to bin the hat altogether in the end. Don't miss it at all.

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1 minute ago, rusty69 said:

I toyed with the idea of using a bent piece of clay drainage pipe as a chimney pointed overboard, but decided to bin the hat altogether in the end. Don't miss it at all.

If the fire is lit, then I doubt any rain gets that far down anyway. When not lit, just put a cap over the collar.

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