Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: Roger2561 on April 23, 2014, 10:12:47 AM
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Hi all, I've been mulling this idea around in my simple mind for a couple of weeks and I need your expert opinion. When I clean my OWB in the spring for the summer shutdown, I have to scrape the creosote build up from all of the corners, walls and roof and it takes a lot of time and effort to get them clean. What would happen to the metal if I sprayed the corners with something like oven cleaner, let it set for a few minutes and then clean it all with a power washer? Would there be an adverse effect on the metal; premature corrosion, failure, fatigue, etc...? After I'm done everything would be dried and the metal would coated with oil to prevent rust. If this is not a good idea, please tell me so I don't do it. Roger
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No water Roger, simply clean it as well as you can and spray the exposed steel with a solution, I use 1 part fuel oil and 9 parts automatic transmission oil.
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Ya I wouldn't go the water route!
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Slimjim, jwood - Okay, no water. I'll definitely coat it with an oil. I have found that a spray bottle works great at applying the oil. Thanks for the words of advise. Roger
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Roger,
I clean mine out the best I can. Sometimes there is a little left in a corner. Then I soak the floor plate only with a off brand of spray oil that you would cook with. Like Pam spray! The sides usually have a slick looking tar, sap coating anyway. Clean out the ash vessel if there is one. and cover the flue.
In the Shaver the flue goes directly into the firebox. So you need to cover the flue. Water and ashes = acid=trouble!
Some of my customers burn year around.
Greg Steinacher
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Since this post is newer and I couldn't find any info on it. What do people do with the water tank? Just leave it full of water? Probably a dumb question on my part
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ffbare,
Yes, make sure your treatment is adequate and leave it full of water.
Greg Steinacher
618-401-0726
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Ok that's kinda what I was thinking but just asking. Thanks
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I agree with Greg, I've never emptied the OWB water tank. It's the same water in the tank now when it first filled 3 years ago. I just keep an eye on the level and treatment to be sure they are up to desire levels. Roger
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I've never scraped the top or sides on mine, ripple top wouldn't be fun.
I simply keep some scrap lumber around, toss that in with some empty seed bags and whoosh. I also let the water temp get down aways so it burns till all the tinder dry wood is gone.
Shovel ashes out, blast inside with 3' air wand to knock any loose stuff out, oil it up, cover stack with bucket then mow around it rest of the summer. Has worked for over a decade so far.
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Water level. Do you fill it till the water comes out the top for the summer or do you leave it at the full line.
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Cleaned mine out tonight and found some very unpleasant stuff! See empyre post. But anyways light coat of diesel/ATF and cleaned all tubes and inside stove/air chamber the best I could. Covered chimney with 5 gallon bucket. Made sure water was topped off watch it run over about a half gallon before shutting off. Don't want any pesky air pockets rusting over the summer.
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I've heard of the cardboard trick to aid cleaning the firebox. I wonder how well that would work in a gasser? My guess is that I'd have to leave the by-pass door open for the duration of the burn, I'm just concerned about the gasket surrounding the opening. Would it hurt the gasket in any way? I really don't want to be the guinea pig on my OWB. Does anyone have any experience burning cardboard in a gasser to clean help clean it? Thanks, Roger
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I have never done it with a gasser and don't think it will do any good, just build a good hot fire with dry wood' the old timers used to use an old aluminum license plate, the gasses from the melting aluminum will dry out the creosote and most of it will flake right off, this i have done and it works.
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Now that's a pretty neat trick Slim!
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Mostly I use Bud cans, Old timers, they have been there and done most of it.
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Hahaha Bud cans, see now I'd have to add a few silver bullets, I'm a sucker for silver bullets!
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Anything but Mexican beer, you know what they say about the water down there!
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Yep they say don't drink the water or put it in a boiler. Ok maybe not the second part. I'm pretty sure culligan could make a killing down there!
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Beer cans huh?
Those creosote sticks for your fireplace also work.
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Beer cans serve a double purpose, I would not want to drink a Creosote stick.
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;D that's a great post Slim!