Deflector Box

SusanC

Thanks. I should have mentioned that I realized it was to prevent backdrafts. My concerns are CO-related. Regarding box, on boiler side the 7" flue pipe opening into the box has a piece closing approx. bottom 1/2 of opening; mid-box there is a piece open at the top (inside the box, of course) and then extending down on an angle and then straight, presumably to prevent backdrafts from blowing out the pilot and then the box opens through 7" opening into 7" flue pipe going into chimney. This Fall my chimney had its top 16 courses restored and it's terra cotta lining inspected; it's been cleaned top to bottom, and a thimble installed for flue pipe to enter chimney. I should collapse before my chimney.

What I'm concerned about is the potential for CO to get out into basement from open bottom of box; I am more concerned now than previously because the chimney restorers disconnected it and reconnected it when installing thimble and, of course, cleaning chimney and I'm not sure thimble height is exactly the same as previous hole into chimney where flue entered and also because I've been paying more attention to heating issues these days than previously.

I have had a Pro outfit make minor repairs over the 7 years I've owned the house. They have never paid attention to the flue or even the burner. Gas Co. has always said the burner is firing fine; they've never done anything more than that. Periodically had chimney inspected and cleaned and, as mentioned above, worked on in major way this Fall.

I am looking forward to finding a very, very knowledgeable Pro to thoroughly inspect whole system, make changes and do maintenance procedures suggested on Wall and in Holohan books and also through observation; I hope I find one.

SusanC

Deflector box

Anyone familiar with deflector boxes such as the one on my flue line in the attached 2 pictures. It is open at the bottom; how CO nervous should I be? I have CO detectors of the unreliable sensor type mentioned in the thread on the topic a week or so ago.

john@TR

That looks like a draft diverter that was added after-market. It's purpose is to maintain zero draft at the burners on an atmospheric gas-fired boiler. You should have your boiler serviced by a reputable company (see the Find a Pro section of this website) and as long as they check the chimney base and do a combustion test with something capable of measuring CO air-free you probably don't have too much to worry about. It's not much different than most atmospheric draft appliances.
You might want to ask them to install a spill switch on it in case the chimney ever does collapse.
Then again you probably should be looking to upgrade the equipment to save operating expense and invest in the future of the property.

Dave_4

Draft diverter classic -- thanks

Thanks, John, for taking the time to inform us. (I suppose the question was really basic, and common, like on the Volvo groups in which I participate: "Where is the flame trap?")

I am simply a homeowner, who came to The Wall to get better informed about converting an old gravity system to the 21st century.

About the diverter: as I puttered recently I disconnected (and temporarily sealed) the makeup (combustion) air inlet (6" diameter) that I had added to our tightened house, near the boiler. As we later ran relatively small exhaust fans (clothes dryer, range hood, bathroom) I suspected that the boiler exhaust vent might be back-drafting. I bought some sticks on incense (first time in 30 years!), and held one here and there near the diverter as we ran one or more fans. (And had already placed a CO alarm very near.) Yup... incense smoke was sometimes going the wrong way, into the house. So, duh!, I undid the puttering, and added back air...

But I really want to find a way to add fresh air NEAR the uses (e.g. bathroom, kitchen oven, clothes dryer), rather than drawing cold air into the entire basement, and cooling it so, as we have been doing for years. :-(

SusanC

Draft diverter

> That looks like a draft diverter that was added

> after-market. It's purpose is to maintain zero

> draft at the burners on an atmospheric gas-fired

> boiler. You should have your boiler serviced by a

> reputable company (see the Find a Pro section of

> this website) and as long as they check the

> chimney base and do a combustion test with

> something capable of measuring CO air-free you

> probably don't have too much to worry about. It's

> not much different than most atmospheric draft

> appliances. You might want to ask them to

> install a spill switch on it in case the chimney

> ever does collapse. Then again you probably

> should be looking to upgrade the equipment to

> save operating expense and invest in the future

> of the property.

Dave_4

Backdraft and CO? CO detector as cheap insurance

Susan, don't you think a little CO detector, sitting right down there by your source of worry, would be fast, prudent, cheap, and easy to do? I do. :-)

$20 or so at your hardware store. You just insert the battery, marvel at its operation, place it where you want, and walk away. The hardest part is opening the plastic clamshell packaging. ;-)

SusanC

Re: my CO monitors

Have 2 - 1 in basement and 1 in house proper. From what I understand from other threads on this Wall, the type you buy in hardware stores do not pick up low CO levels and the sensors may not even be working to pick up the higher level for which they are set.

jp_2

buy COexperts,

if you have concern about CO get a real detector, not found in stores, buy COexperts. do a search.

SusanC

CO Experts

Thanks. Someone mentioned CO Experts in the previous sensor discussion, also the NCI. I plan to order the monitor.