[Cob] Cleaning rocket stove flues in cob benches

[Shannon Dealy]

On Fri, 6 Mar 2009, Susan Hagan wrote:

>
> I am in the process of building a rocket stove.  Does anyone have 
> experience of  if and how often the flues in the benches have to be 
> cleaned out?

Hello Su,

Properly designed and constructed, using properly seasoned wood, there 
should be no creosote in the bench, only ash.  Over time, you will get a 
build up of ash which will eventually cause enough obstruction to 
interfere with the  proper operation of the stove (it won't draw properly, 
may start burning less cleanly).  For this reason it is recommended that 
you include cleanouts in the design of your bench so the ash can be 
cleared.  How often you will need to clean it out depends on how 
heavily you use it, but it is good practice to thoroughly inspect any wood 
stove heating system at least once a year.

I helped with the reconstruction of the rocket stove in the "Heart House" 
years ago, and aside from the ash, the stove pipe next to the barrel had 
burned out and some of the cob in this section had broken off and fallen 
into the flue/exhaust system.  This stove had been in use for a long time, 
but for maximum life, I would tend to recommend heavier pipe right next to 
the barrel if it is available.

FWIW.

Shannon C. Dealy      |               DeaTech Research Inc.
dealy at deatech.com     |          - Custom Software Development -
Phone: (800) 467-5820 |          - Natural Building Instruction -
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