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Thread: Chimney fire

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
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    Hartford, CT
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    30

    Default Chimney fire

    I had a chimney fire yesterday, turned my 6" single-wall into a torch for about 10 minutes. The temperature about 2' from the evaporator exit went from 130F to 700F. It occurred after about 40 hours of boiling total. It was probably because early on I burned a lot of pine and as a back-yarder on an uninsulated chimney it never got hot and likely creosote formed either in the chimney, in the evaporator after the baffle, or both.

    Kinda wild.
    2019 LNG fired pot, 20 taps on 3/16, 10 buckets, gave it up after 3 gal.
    2020 New Mason 2x4 XL; 30 taps on 3/16

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    MA
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    Default

    Was 130F the chimney temp? That's pretty cold and likely the cause of the creosote formation rather than the use of pine firewood
    60ish taps on buckets
    D&G Sportsman 18x63
    Turbo RB15 RO Bucket

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Hartford, CT
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    Default

    Yes, about 2’ from the evaporator exit. Not sure how to avoid it or if it’s a problem. Insulated pipe was inconveniently heavy for this seasonal setup.
    2019 LNG fired pot, 20 taps on 3/16, 10 buckets, gave it up after 3 gal.
    2020 New Mason 2x4 XL; 30 taps on 3/16

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    MA
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    588

    Default

    Insulated pipe is not a necessity. All you need is wrist sized dry wood for a hot fire. You should be getting 10ish gallons per hour evaporation rate. Are you close to that?
    60ish taps on buckets
    D&G Sportsman 18x63
    Turbo RB15 RO Bucket

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Hartford, CT
    Posts
    30

    Default

    Yes, usually 11-12. The wood was dry, stored under cover for 18 months, mostly from summer 2019.
    2019 LNG fired pot, 20 taps on 3/16, 10 buckets, gave it up after 3 gal.
    2020 New Mason 2x4 XL; 30 taps on 3/16

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    MA
    Posts
    588

    Default

    Having a chimney fire just seems really unlikely if you consistently have hot fires. Can you tell us more about your setup?
    60ish taps on buckets
    D&G Sportsman 18x63
    Turbo RB15 RO Bucket

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Oakville, ON
    Posts
    144

    Default

    Are you saying the creosote build up has just been in past month or so? Seems unlikely that it could have built significant amount that fast if you're getting an evaporation rate like that. Also does not seem right that chimney temp could only be 130F, that's not even enough to boil water.Are you sure thermometer is working?
    2023 - 130 taps, 90L from 4,000L as of mid March
    2021 - 84 taps, 50L from 2100L
    2020 - 100 taps on buckets, 21L syrup from 2700L so far (FEB 26-Mar 13) and then the pandemic hit! End of our season!
    2019 - 62 taps on buckets, 95L syrop from 3215L sap
    2018 - 62 taps, collecting by hand, 90L syrop from 3200L sap
    2017 - Lapierre Waterloo Small mini pro with 40 taps
    2014 - 2016 40 taps making one or two batches on a 2x6 flat pan over an open arch as it would have been done in 1900

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,544

    Default

    I believe that's the first chimney fire I ever heard about on an evaporator. Creosote is generally built up when a fire is choked down and run too cool, not when it's fired hard. In 19 seasons I never cleaned my stack and it's single wall for 12 out of 17' total length. The 5' not counted is insulated from 1' below the bottom cord of the trusses up to the roof steel. My stack runs at 650F up to about 950F once it gets going.
    In the off season did that pipe get used for another use? Maybe a smoker?
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Nashville, MI
    Posts
    939

    Default

    You mentioned you had a baffle are you talking in the chimney pipe like for a wood stove to control heat loss? If you are using one lose it on the new chimney pipe. you want a straight shot out the evaporator and up the chimney.
    2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
    2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
    2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
    2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
    made 17 gal. syrup
    2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
    2021 - Didn't work out
    2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Hartford, CT
    Posts
    30

    Default

    I was overloading the arch. Use of a timer to load more regularly, use of smaller wood, and less resulted in a happy stack temp of 350F
    2019 LNG fired pot, 20 taps on 3/16, 10 buckets, gave it up after 3 gal.
    2020 New Mason 2x4 XL; 30 taps on 3/16

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