Log burner missing joint?

[GeorgiaMQ]

Hi all,

I’ve recently moved into a new house and the log burner has this on the join - it feels likely we are missing something - I thought it may be the rope you see on the inside of the door but should there be a cover as well? I don’t have any clue when it comes to log burners so any help is appreciated!

Thanks

 

[Fred Blogs]

Limited knowledge on log burners although I owned and maintained three of them on various narrowboats that I have owned. It looks to me as if the flue pipe is the wrong diameter for that fire and someone has tried to bodge it by filling the gap with cement and that is coming apart. There are two common diameters for the flue attachment on the fire they are 4 and 5 inch. You can get adaptors to mate the flue to a different sized flue attachment on the fire. At the moment that looks dangerous because the cement looks as if it is coming apart and that could release carbon monoxide into the house, a highly highly dangerous poisonous gas. I would get a HETAS engineer to have a look but that may not be cheap but better to pay than die of carbon monoxide poisoning. If there is an adaptor available then it would need to be sealed to the existing flue outlet on the fire with heat resistant silicon and then fire rope and heat resistant sealant used to seal the flue pipe to the adaptor. You can use fire cement but I've found that that will break up quite soon. When I have done any maintenance on my log burners, I have used fire rope and heat resistant silicone. As I have said you should get a HETAS heating engineer in to look at it.

 

[lostinthelight]

You don't have much to worry about really its just been finished a bit sloppily.
The flue looks the correct size it could with being packed with suitable size fire tape/rope, being further into the collar and screws through the latter into the pipe to stop both parts separating.
I always fit with no fire cement as it invariably cracks and if anything other than fire rope is needed then 1200⁰C silicone can be used and not the 300⁰c thats more commonly available ....Flues normally, hopefully,suck, so cracking in your existing setup is unlikely to let any more fumes into the room than the vents used to control the burn rate
Edit.. post a picture of the front of the stove if you don't know what model it is, looks like a Clearview from its top, and one showing all the visible pipe

 

[GeorgiaMQ]

You don't have much to worry about really its just been finished a bit sloppily.
The flue looks the correct size it could with being packed with suitable size fire tape/rope, being further into the collar and screws through the latter into the pipe to stop both parts separating.
I always fit with no fire cement as it invariably cracks and if anything other than fire rope is needed then 1200⁰C silicone can be used and not the 300⁰c thats more commonly available ....Flues normally, hopefully,suck, so cracking in your existing setup is unlikely to let any more fumes into the room than the vents used to control the burn rate
Edit.. post a picture of the front of the stove if you don't know what model it is, looks like a Clearview from its top, and one showing all the visible pipe

Hi Lostinthelight, that’s super helpful thank you, here is the front!

 

[lostinthelight]

Hi Lostinthelight, that’s super helpful thank you, here is the front!

Yes its a Clearview Pioneer 400, one of the best stoves you can get.
The part circled in yellow should be a joint clamp with a spring clip which releases with 2 seals inside, one on the upper and one on the lower pipe or one flat one in the centre .When all the mess is cleaned out of the stove joint the pipe should slide in the direction of the arrow until the bulge is tight to the stove collar, the collar should be drilled through and into the flue pipe in a couple or 3 places and self tapping screws inserted. There may be two holes already drilled and if you cant see them the installer may have filled with fire cement

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I would remove the wood stacked in the Fireplace before lighting the stove, (if you weren't aware), it is a hazard there, and could ignite if the stove was lit. Whole areas around the stove needs to have the correct clearances between the stove and any combustible surface.

 

[ChrisJP]

I would also get a carbon monoxide monitor and place it somewhere near the stove so you get an audible warning if there's a buildup of the gas. Such a monitor probably saved our lives when I lit up a gas fire in a rented apartment which clearly had a faulty flue. My wife and I settled down for the evening with the fire on and quickly became unusually sleepy. Ultimately the alarm (which the landlord had fortunately fitted) went off. I realised what was happening, turned off the fire and opened all windows and doors. Our sleepiness subsided!
If it hadn't been for the alarm I think we'd have just dozed off and died in our sleep. Carbon monoxide is VERY dangerous because it is odourless & colourless and produces little in the way of ill effects, except sleepiness.