Where is the air coming from.

Posted by mm on November 5, 2009, 8:36 pm

How do I accurately figure out where air is blowing out from, from my
furnace flue area, which is next to my hot air duct.

I'v used a match, but it keeps blowing out. Tonight I took a pencil
and thumbtacked a thin strip of cellophane-like stuff to the end of
it. Later I added a narrow strip of thin cloth. They blow like
crazy when the pencil is on the right side of the flue, but I can't
seem to narrow down where the origin is.

The furnace is a rectangular box, with the heated air duct attached to
the top and going up from there. The fire exhaust comes out the
front side just below the top, into the flue collector, a metal box
which was rebuilt last week and is 14" wide, almost as wide as the
furnace, and 5" high and 8 inches deep. On the top side of it
connects the 6" round flue.

When the pencil and its flags are on the left side of the flue, no
breeze is detected. But in front of the metal box in the middle,
and anywhere above the box to the right of the flue, the "flags" on
the pencil blow around like crazy. I'd like to narrow down where the
air is coming from.

Background:
You've all convinced me that I need to buy a new furnace, and I will
this year, but I don't want to rush, so I'm still using my old oil
furnace until I have time to get recommendations, prices, etc.

As I described in a previous post more than a week ago, I had the flue
collector repaired by a welder. As Eric predicted, when he welded one
place, he made a new hole next to the weld.

So I filled all the holes with GE Red Hi-Temp Silicone, which it says
is good to 650 F intermittent (and a tube from 10 years ago said it
was good to 600 F.) And it doesn't seem to get anywhere near that
hot. And the "glue" is certainly in good condition only a week
later, though perhaps it's not sticking everywhere I think it is.
Maybe air is escaping. I'll put on more layers, but I'd like to know
first where the leaks really are. It's not that cold and I won't be
running the furnace until the leaks are stopped.

When the burner starts, no air comes out through the repaired

Posted by Ed Pawlowski on November 5, 2009, 9:31 pm

> How do I accurately figure out where air is blowing out from, from my
> furnace flue area, which is next to my hot air duct.
> I'v used a match, but it keeps blowing out. Tonight I took a pencil
> and thumbtacked a thin strip of cellophane-like stuff to the end of
> it. Later I added a narrow strip of thin cloth. They blow like
> crazy when the pencil is on the right side of the flue, but I can't
> seem to narrow down where the origin is.

You can buy a smoke pen or light one of those incense things that smoke.
They will generate smoke, but by smoldering, no open flame to blow out.

Posted by mm on November 5, 2009, 10:23 pm

wrote:

>> How do I accurately figure out where air is blowing out from, from my
>> furnace flue area, which is next to my hot air duct.
>> I'v used a match, but it keeps blowing out. Tonight I took a pencil
>> and thumbtacked a thin strip of cellophane-like stuff to the end of
>> it. Later I added a narrow strip of thin cloth. They blow like
>> crazy when the pencil is on the right side of the flue, but I can't
>> seem to narrow down where the origin is.

>You can buy a smoke pen or light one of those incense things that smoke.

Good idea. I have an incense stick. No, I diddn't buy it. I'm no
hippie. It was probably in the apartment I used to have when I moved
in 38 years ago. I put it in a vase and it's still there, I think.
(I've only moved once since then.)

I figured it might come in handy, and 38 years later, it will.

If that doesn't work, I'll look for a smoke pen.

>They will generate smoke, but by smoldering, no open flame to blow out.

Posted by mm on November 5, 2009, 10:23 pm

wrote:

>You can buy a smoke pen or light one of those incense things that smoke.
>They will generate smoke, but by smoldering, no open flame to blow out.

And thanks.

Posted by mm on November 5, 2009, 10:27 pm

wrote:

>You can buy a smoke pen or light one of those incense things that smoke.
>They will generate smoke, but by smoldering, no open flame to blow out.

I found it. It's either an incense stick or a very tiny corndog.

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