Tar

Finally had some time to think about the stove tar problem yesterday evening. Since the builders installed the joists at the end of last week, we've had a problem with tar running down the outside of the stove flue after it has been lit for several hours. After they cut the holes for the joists, but before they'd installed them, I'd looked in the holes and checked that the stove flue wasn't damaged. So I was fairly confident that wasn't part of the problem.

When the stove was installed they also put in a liner plate, blocking the chimney off at low level. So my thought was maybe the debris that the builders have knocked out has fallen down the chimney, complete with solid lumps of tar from the chimney lining, and these are in contact with the flue and after a couple of hours of stove use get hot enough to liquify. So decided to lift the lining plate to see - only to find it welded in place. Nothing in my toolbox could break the weld, so has to rely on the builder and his grinder to help, which he did this afternoon.

Sure enough, along with a load of brick dust there seems to have been a lump of old tar sitting on the lining plate and touching the flue which was melting and dribbling down the flue. Thankfully that has all been cleared out and after a whole evening of burning the stove is back to normal. Just in time for visitors for dinner tomorrow evening, just hope they don't mind eating out on a building site!