Telescoping Double wall Pipe issue

Had an almost 70 degree day yesterday so I figured it'd be a good time to run the soot eater through the chimney. Ended up turning into more of a science project with taking the indoor section of chimney out to do some inspection. That was a mistake.

I've had issue with the pipe being pretty tough to telescope back out into place, but it wasn't too bad this time with my wife holding it on the stove as I pulled it up. Lined up the holes to attach to the ceiling connector (or whatever you wanna call it) screw it in, all looks good. That is until I look at where the flue probe thermometer goes and see those holes not lined up at all

Ok....unscrew again, line the probe holes up - now the holes are impossible to line up with the ceiling connector.

Finally I got so fed up messing with this stubborn telescoping pipe that seemed to get more difficult to actually telescope the more I messed with it, that I just connected it to the ceiling with those holes lined up and ended up drilling a new hole on for the inner portion of the pipe. I went through the original hole that was on the outer pipe so the inner pipe is the only one with 2 holes now. I don't imagine it's good to have a second hole in that inner portion.

At one point I had the original flue probe holes lined up, put the thermometer in and tried to line up the upper holes to the ceiling piece but that didn't work - wouldn't budge even a little with the probe in there.


Is there some trick here to reconnecting double wall telescoping pipe w/ flue probe thermometer I'm just totally missing?

 

You didn't invert the pipe, did you?

 

No, it would be easy to tell if it were upside down.

 

This is why I do not like removing pipes for maintenance. What happened is that you shoved the tapered end of the pipe tighter into the stove. The only other possibility is that the floor settled under the stove.

You should have also had three screws that locked the telescopic section in place. Those screws, just like the probe hole, should have not been aligned.

When you replace the pipe, install the probe outside of the overlap to prevent the probe issue but you still have the screw issue.

Here’s mine just under the overlap.

 

Couple belts ( strap wrench) tightened up on either end of those sliding pipes make them much more manageable. Particularly if your the only one around. Even then it is still an art form to re-align the screw holes. ( usually associated with very colorful language)

 

I didnt have screws in the middle of the pipe installed. Are they predrilled on yours? Mine only have predrilled holes at the top and bottom. It also didnt require a stove top adapter because my stove has what seems to be a built in adapter (?) Or basically the pipe slides right over that tightly but I wouldnt be able to screw it into the cast iron. The overlap on mine is about 8-9" from where its connected to the stove, and the thermometer is 19" up


EDIT....I actually do have predrilled holes to secure it in the telescoping position but they were never installed. With how tightly it fits into the stove and into the 45 its connected to in the ceiling and being hard enough to pull apart as is I'm surprised that it should be screwed there.

 

No that didn't move at all.

 

Lol me either. Just two holes on the inner section of pipe

 

Yes

 

Just so happens I'm sitting right in front of it....

 

I take a sharp object and scribe in some alignment reference lines any time I take pipe apart so that it goes back the same way it was. On the back side because I'm not touch up painting my reference marks. Dunno what brand double wall we have on the installed stove but the pieces don't fit into each other much. Like a half inch, if that.
The short run of horizontal pipe I need to go out and up is the only place in the chimney a bit of creosote/ash builds up and taking it apart is really the only good way to eyeball it without a camera. Has to be done once a year.

 

Yes, you are required to lock that telescoping section apart with the three screws in the middle. It would sure suck if it collapsed on you somehow.

You really can’t attach anything double wall to the stove collar.

 

I mark mine like billb3. But it’s still a PITA!!!

 

I use a white pencil for witness marks, as it's noticeable enough, but not really permanent.

 

I'm assuming it's not as goofy looking as I may have made it out to be, lol