To put it together I slid the stove out, put the pipe in the flue, the elbow in the pipe, the piece in the thimble, slid stove forward and worked the elbow into the thimble section.
I think you'll find that when it is time to take it apart, by removing the screws and working the pipe around it will come up out of the stove, and then can be pulled out off of the chimney too. Stove pipe can be pretty "flexible", the joint don't fit super tight and those adjustble elbows have lots of give. Us wood furnace guys don't have choice when it is time to clean...1000# furnace...wiring...ductwork, yeah, the furnace ain't gettin moved...that pipes coming off!
The thimble adapter twist locks in. I think I should be able to twist it off and then it will slide out of the Class A pipe.
once-twice a year is safe. You'd need to have a fire in the stove first, to worry about that The exterior stove pipe will be more prone to creosote buildup due to temperature extremes The interior pipe is unlikely to see anything but fine ash buildup, not typically combustible
I check mine twice a year. That's once in the middle of the heating season, and once at the end of the season. My middle, which is usually the coldest of months is the first part of February. Then once the heating season comes to an end which might be the end of March or the beginning of April. This way it's already set for the next season. I also clean the chimney at the end. Monitoring creosote buildup is a good idea until your familiar with the characteristics of your setup. You can usually tell what's happening inside the chimney without climbing up onto the roof by looking at the cap. Especially the mesh that keeps birds and other critters out of the chimney. If there's a buildup, it would be worth climbing up to take a look. Bring a flashlight to look all the way down. A little brown fuzz (soot) isn't anything to be concerned about. A lot of brown fuzz should be cleared. And The black stuff which may form towards the top should be brushed away before it builds up too thick. That black stuff is the creosote. You might want to check out the resources page for a lot of useful information, but this article from there I do believe will fit your situation. Responsible Wood-Burning or How to Not Make Your Neighbours Your Enemies | Firewood Hoarders Club That will also help with keeping creosote buildup to a minimum.
My cap does not have a screen. Also, I can not reach the cap due to the installation. I can inspect from the bottom of the chimney.
Absolutely! Just remove the cleanout cap on the bottom of the tee and look straight up. You may not need a flashlight since there will be light coming in through the top. Then you should be able to see what's going on from the ground, and really, you should be able to clean the chimney that way too. Do wear eye protection in either case. You don't want something falling into your eyes. I would suggest when you decide to inspect the chimney, to do so when it has cooled a bit, like before you build another fire in order to keep air movement to somewhat of a minimum in order to keep as little debris from falling as possible.
She has a fire going look here, post 59 First Fire In New Stove Guidelines Please | Page 3 | Firewood Hoarders Club
