Leaking Leader Flue Pan

[PerrinFarm2]

We have a 40" x 6' Leader Stainless flue pan. Went to start boiling yesterday and we have quite a few leaks in the pan. The pan is about 13 years old and compleatly lead free. All of the leaks are from spots of corrosion. Does anybody know why the Stainless would have corroded? Has this happened to anybody else?

Ben

[super sappy]

Soot and moisture may be the culprit. Did you lift your flu pan off the arch during the off season?- SS

[PerrinFarm2]

nope for the last several years the pan has stayed in place, shouldn't the stainless resisted corrosion from moisture?

[nhmaple48]

It could be 400 series s/s,not slid like 300.Water +soot=lye.Not good for even s/s.

[Fred Henderson]

This is just another good reason why a stack cover is a must in my book.

[PerrinFarm2]

Its got a stack cover, but we haven't cleaned out the soot in many years, oh well, i guess we learned our lesson. I hope the machine shop will be able to get it fixed up pretty quickly.

[Flat47]

400 series stainless corrodes as it has a higher iron content and therefore is magnetic, as opposed to current 300 series which has a lower iron content to the point that it is not magnetic. This fact may help the repair shop. Try and see if a common refrigerator magnet will stick to the pan. If so = 400 series. If not = 300 series. At 13 years old, it's probably 400 series.

I don't really think there is anyrhing really "wrong" with the 400 stainless. Don't get me wrong. Technology just refined things a bit.

[PerrinFarm2]

Got the pan back from Machine Shop, they watertested it before we picked it up and said that it was pretty good. However in the process of getting it onto the arch we must have created a few more holes. Most of the lower two inches of the flues were corroded. Does anybody have any quick and dirty solutions to get us through this year?

[802maple]

If it is just pin holes I have screwed in sheetmetal screws before.

[maplehound]

if it is just pin holes, just boil with it the way it is. The holes will soon sugar over and you won't have any more leaks till you clean the pan.

[drake1271]

the same thing happend to me ... i zapped it with a mig welder in about 5 spots . good so far at 65 gallons.