Old wall heater - how to remove the surround for outdoors section of exhaust flue?

Hotspur

I need get access to where the exhaust flue passes through the wall of the building.
I need to plug gaps around the flue, through which ants are entering the house.

My access to those gaps is currently blocked by a metal surround, which is the rectangular box-like enclosure visible in the first three attached photos, which are views of the outdoors part of the heater.
By the way, there is an additional heat-guard partial-cover, which I removed and am not showing in the photos.
The additional three photos show the main part of the heater, indoors.

The metal surround has circular holes in opposite sides, through which the exhaust flue passes.
The metal surround fits fairly loosely around the flue.
I can jiggle the metal surround by pushing, pulling or rotating it.

Nevertheless, I have not been able to pull the metal surround off the end of the flue, because the circle and the ring on the end of the flue feel rock solid; and I haven't seen a way to remove them from the end of the flue.

Can you help me figure out how to get access to the gaps between the flue and the wall?

Many thanks in advance.

Jamie Hall

Without actually being on-site and looking at it... hard to say.

But I think your best bet may be to take expanding foam in a can -- there are several brands from the big box -- and spray it into the gap between the metal square covers, both inside and out. Stick the nozzle in an inch or so and make a nice bead all around the edges of the squares.

Then make a test and be sure that the metal pipe really was intact, and that foam didn't get into the pipe. You really don't want foam -- or any insulation -- to touch the stove pipe, unless it is triple wall, which I doubt that it is.

Tim McElwain

The outside portion will not come off by pulling but must be twisted either to the left or right as it connects that way. The only problem with that is you will have to through resealing the entire flue assembly otherwise you will get cross contamination of the flue gases with the air for combustion coming in through the concentric flue.

Do you have the manual? What is the Make and Model number I may have a manual for it?

Hotspur

Re:
Tim McElwain stated,
"Do you have the manual? What is the Make and Model number I may have a manual for it?"

" The outside portion will not come off by pulling but must be twisted either to the left or right as it connects that way."

Thank you, TIm.

Manuf: Commonwealth Co., Alhambra, Calif.
Model: CTV 23, OPT. NAT.
Ser. No. 23 MN 11 62

With my bare hands I grabbed hold of the central circular plate (that covers the end of the flue).
I couldn't get it to turn either clockwise or anticlockwise.

Tim McElwain

Some of the sidewall heaters that is how the outside vent portion is removed. You really need the manual for yours as it may not come off that way. You may need to actually remove the heater off the wall to get it disconnected. Again the manual would help and I do not find that one in my library.

Hotspur

Can anyone come up with a manual for this sidewall heater, please - so that I can learn how to get access (from the outdoors side) to the where the flue passes through the wall?

Manufacturer: Commonwealth Co., Alhambra, Calif.
Model: CTV 23, OPT. NAT.
Ser. No.: 23 MN 11 62

Tim McElwain

Show a picture of the front cover and also the rating plate.

Hotspur

Here are photos of the heater for which I need the manual.

Manufacturer: Commonwealth Co., Alhambra, Calif.
Model: CTV 23, OPT. NAT.
Ser. No.: 23 MN 11 62

Tim McElwain

This is a long shot but give it a try:
All City Heating in Alhambra, Calif. phone number is 626-250-0778 they may know if the Commonwealth Co is still around.