When my furnace was working badly (the flue was clogged with soot, and
only about a 2 inch diameter open), it got soot on the walls,
especially where there were air currents and especially where the
sheet rock was nailed to the wall in the big bedroom**

As suggested last year, I put cloves in the fire, but didn't smell any
cloves coming out of the furnace. That is supposed to mean that the
firebox is ok, a complete separation between the fire and the forced
air.

So how did the soot get on the walls, especially where the hot air
vents are in the walls or floor or ceiling?

Is the firebox breached even though I don't smell the cloves.



**It's amazing that even though I could never tell where the nails
were before, there is a one-inch circle of light soot on top of most
of them now.

Thanks, mm

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

"mm" wrote in message
...
When my furnace was working badly (the flue was clogged with soot, and
only about a 2 inch diameter open), it got soot on the walls,
especially where there were air currents and especially where the
sheet rock was nailed to the wall in the big bedroom**

As suggested last year, I put cloves in the fire, but didn't smell any
cloves coming out of the furnace. That is supposed to mean that the
firebox is ok, a complete separation between the fire and the forced
air.

So how did the soot get on the walls, especially where the hot air
vents are in the walls or floor or ceiling?

Is the firebox breached even though I don't smell the cloves.


I mean no offense, but:

Sounds like you don't get regular maintenance on your furnace (if you had,
you wouldn't have a clogged flue).

Have someone come out and clean it and check it over real good.

Eff the cloves! If you are trusting that with your life, you had better
think again.....

On Sat, 15 Oct 2005 23:30:08 GMT, "Dr. Hardcrab"
wrote:


"mm" wrote in message
.. .
When my furnace was working badly (the flue was clogged with soot, and
only about a 2 inch diameter open), it got soot on the walls,
especially where there were air currents and especially where the
sheet rock was nailed to the wall in the big bedroom**

As suggested last year, I put cloves in the fire, but didn't smell any
cloves coming out of the furnace. That is supposed to mean that the
firebox is ok, a complete separation between the fire and the forced
air.

So how did the soot get on the walls, especially where the hot air
vents are in the walls or floor or ceiling?

Is the firebox breached even though I don't smell the cloves.


I mean no offense, but:

Sounds like you don't get regular maintenance on your furnace (if you had,
you wouldn't have a clogged flue).

Right. I didn't at the time.

Have someone come out and clean it and check it over real good.

Well, someone from a heating oil company did clean it. That's when I
saw how clogged it was. And I've had it serviced again since then by
another company, and neither said anything bad about the firebox. The
second guy said it was ok.

But my question is, If the firebox IS ok, how is it possible that
there are streaks/areas of soot on the wall at the outlets for the
heated air?

How does the soot from the firebox get to the household air on the
other side of the firewall?

I can imagine that sooty air escapes the fire chamber, permeates the
house and deposits itself everywhere, but that isn't what happened.
It's only on the sheetrock nails in most of the rooms where the heat
was on, on the walls where the vents are, and by the mail slot (which
I have now attempted to put weatherstripping in.) which is not too far
from a heating vent.

Eff the cloves! If you are trusting that with your life, you had better

I would trust my life to cloves. I also have a CO detector, which
went off once beffore the furnace was cleaned.

Thanks,

mm

think again.....



Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

"mm" wrote in message
...
When my furnace was working badly (the flue was clogged with soot, and
only about a 2 inch diameter open), it got soot on the walls,
especially where there were air currents and especially where the
sheet rock was nailed to the wall in the big bedroom**

As suggested last year, I put cloves in the fire, but didn't smell any
cloves coming out of the furnace. That is supposed to mean that the
firebox is ok, a complete separation between the fire and the forced
air.

So how did the soot get on the walls, especially where the hot air
vents are in the walls or floor or ceiling?

Is the firebox breached even though I don't smell the cloves.



**It's amazing that even though I could never tell where the nails
were before, there is a one-inch circle of light soot on top of most
of them now.

Thanks, mm

There is a dry sponge that will HELP remove the stains.
Start talking to the SO. Time to repaint after you service the furnace.

http://www.thegadgetsource.com/Merch...e=021283300038

But my question is, If the firebox IS ok, how is it possible that
there are streaks/areas of soot on the wall at the outlets for the
heated air?

How does the soot from the firebox get to the household air on the
other side of the firewall?

I can imagine that sooty air escapes the fire chamber, permeates the
house and deposits itself everywhere, but that isn't what happened.
It's only on the sheetrock nails in most of the rooms where the heat
was on, on the walls where the vents are, and by the mail slot (which
I have now attempted to put weatherstripping in.) which is not too far
from a heating vent.

It may not be the fire chamber, but just the hot air. Forgot what it is
called but the wall behind a refrigerator that has the coils in the back can
have a deposit of "dirt" on the wall due to the hot air flow.

"mm" wrote in message
But my question is, If the firebox IS ok, how is it possible that
there are streaks/areas of soot on the wall at the outlets for the
heated air?

How does the soot from the firebox get to the household air on the
other side of the firewall?

I can imagine that sooty air escapes the fire chamber, permeates the
house and deposits itself everywhere, but that isn't what happened.
It's only on the sheetrock nails in most of the rooms where the heat
was on, on the walls where the vents are, and by the mail slot (which
I have now attempted to put weatherstripping in.) which is not too far
from a heating vent.

The soot was probably escaping and getting sucked right in to the ducts and
deposited around the house. Some areas will have different deposits because
of the convection currents in a given room. Sheetrock nails are less
insulated than the rest of the wall. They are metal and the studs are wood
and the R factor is less than an insulated wall.

"mm" wrote

I can imagine that sooty air escapes the fire chamber, permeates the
house and deposits itself everywhere, but that isn't what happened.
It's only on the sheetrock nails in most of the rooms where the heat
was on, on the walls where the vents are, and by the mail slot (which
I have now attempted to put weatherstripping in.) which is not too far
from a heating vent.

If you are getting soot out of the vents, then you probably have a cracked
heat exchanger instead of a cracked firebox (or course, a cracked firebox
can cause a cracked heat exchanger, but I digress).

Good possibility: when the chimney was stopped up, you were getting a lot of
back pressure. Depending on the design of your furnace cabinet, sometimes
the blower compartment doesn't have a tight seal and it cab suck fumes/soot
into it a blow it throughout your ducts.

Hey! It may be O.K. Just have it checked over real good (every year!) and
keep those batteries fresh in the CO detector...

mm wrote:


But my question is, If the firebox IS ok, how is it possible that
there are streaks/areas of soot on the wall at the outlets for the
heated air?


Any smokers or candle burning in the apartment? Both will leave the type
of soot deposits you describe.





How does the soot from the firebox get to the household air on the
other side of the firewall?


See above, the crap is in the household air.

"George" wrote in message


Any smokers or candle burning in the apartment? Both will leave the type
of soot deposits you describe.


Yes, candles can be nasty. I know people that have one or two burning all
the time. Makes no sense to me. Where do they thing all that burned was is
going to go? On the walls, ceiling, furniture, etc.

Years of smoking can be nasty too. I remember buying new lamp shades and
then sitting on the sofa having a cigarette. The smoke was going up the
inside of the new lamp shade and would soon discolor it. I quite smoking
and since have not permitted it in my house. That was almost 30 years ago.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"George" wrote in message


Any smokers or candle burning in the apartment? Both will leave the type
of soot deposits you describe.



Yes, candles can be nasty. I know people that have one or two burning all
the time. Makes no sense to me. Where do they thing all that burned was is
going to go? On the walls, ceiling, furniture, etc.

Years of smoking can be nasty too. I remember buying new lamp shades and
then sitting on the sofa having a cigarette. The smoke was going up the
inside of the new lamp shade and would soon discolor it. I quite smoking
and since have not permitted it in my house. That was almost 30 years ago.



The part I can't understand is that the candle burning is usually done
by smokers who claim it "freshens" the air?

The soot may have been coming out the barometric damper.

Stretch

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 03:51:48 GMT, "Dr. Hardcrab"
wrote:


"mm" wrote

I can imagine that sooty air escapes the fire chamber, permeates the
house and deposits itself everywhere, but that isn't what happened.
It's only on the sheetrock nails in most of the rooms where the heat
was on, on the walls where the vents are, and by the mail slot (which
I have now attempted to put weatherstripping in.) which is not too far
from a heating vent.

If you are getting soot out of the vents, then you probably have a cracked
heat exchanger instead of a cracked firebox (or course, a cracked firebox
can cause a cracked heat exchanger, but I digress).

I'm sorry. I forgot the words heat exchanger and meant that when I
said firebox.

Good possibility: when the chimney was stopped up, you were getting a lot of
back pressure.

That would mean the chimney was stopped up for even longer than I
thought. But that could certainly be.

Depending on the design of your furnace cabinet, sometimes
the blower compartment doesn't have a tight seal and it cab suck fumes/soot
into it a blow it throughout your ducts.

That might be.

Hey! It may be O.K. Just have it checked over real good (every year!) and
keep those batteries fresh in the CO detector...

110 Volts. I knew I wouldn't be reliable in changing batteries.
I have a 110 volt smoke detector too on the second floor, and a
battery one in the kitchen and basement.. I used to change the
batteries in those reliably, until I got depressed. Not depressed
anymore. I got to get back inthe habit.



Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

The soot may have been coming out the barometric damper.


Stretch





agreed, that is what I have seen happen too..

to the op, the baro damper is the device on the flue pipe with the
little weighted door that can swing open and closed

Mark

On 16 Oct 2005 08:44:12 -0700, "Stretch" wrote:

The soot may have been coming out the barometric damper.

Strangely, the first company, I think it was, had taped that shut..
He put some silver colored tape around the whole rim.

Technicians before him had ajusted the little counterweight a little,
or just left it alone. I couldn't understand why he was disabling a
part that the original installers (and manufacturers?) thought should
be there, and which is usually there.

I asked the service guy the next time, and he said it was fine that it
was taped up. I asked the next guy from the next company, and he
untaped it, but I don't know if that was just to make me happy,
because he perceived I wanted it this way, or because he agreed it
should be untaped, but didn't want to get into a discussion with me
where he tries to overrule an earlier tech.

And maybe he would have said something in a few minutes if I hadn't.

So, strangely, it was taped up I'm pretty sure when all the soot came
out., but I'm willing to believe.... Note to me: go look at the big
air input vent and finish this paragraph.

Stretch


Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 12:48:35 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:


Years of smoking can be nasty too. I remember buying new lamp shades and
then sitting on the sofa having a cigarette. The smoke was going up the
inside of the new lamp shade and would soon discolor it. I quite smoking

Was that what made you quit smoking? You seem to say that, but not
quite.

Very interesting.

and since have not permitted it in my house. That was almost 30 years ago.


Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 02:27:11 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:


"mm" wrote in message
But my question is, If the firebox IS ok, how is it possible that
there are streaks/areas of soot on the wall at the outlets for the
heated air?

How does the soot from the firebox get to the household air on the
other side of the firewall?

I can imagine that sooty air escapes the fire chamber, permeates the
house and deposits itself everywhere, but that isn't what happened.
It's only on the sheetrock nails in most of the rooms where the heat
was on, on the walls where the vents are, and by the mail slot (which
I have now attempted to put weatherstripping in.) which is not too far
from a heating vent.

The soot was probably escaping and getting sucked right in to the ducts and
deposited around the house.

I should go look at the big intake vent in the basement, but without
doing that, I think this is likely it. It accounts for why the soot
is at the output vents. How the soot escapes in the first place, I
don't know, but there is a lot less to keep me wondering about if I
accept your explanation.

Some areas will have different deposits because
of the convection currents in a given room.

Yes, there are a few triangular dark spots on the ceiling with one
side of the triangle against the wall.

Sheetrock nails are less
insulated than the rest of the wall. They are metal and the studs are wood
and the R factor is less than an insulated wall.

OK. So the cold attracts the soot for some reason. Maybe it has to
with electric charges, or convection or whatever. But at least you've
distinguished between the naiils and the rest of the ceiling.

I will get this all cleaned and painted eventually.

Thanks all for the answers.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 08:35:40 -0400, George
wrote:

mm wrote:


But my question is, If the firebox IS ok, how is it possible that
there are streaks/areas of soot on the wall at the outlets for the
heated air?


Any smokers or candle burning in the apartment? Both will leave the type
of soot deposits you describe.

Thanks for the suggestions, but nope, not a bit. And it only happened
during the month or two the furnace was bad.


How does the soot from the firebox get to the household air on the
other side of the firewall?


See above, the crap is in the household air.