Check this out -

http://www.cookhaus.co.uk/vinegar/index.htm

Brilliant!

I shall be trying this, looks ace

J

Flippin' Eck !!! I'll 'ave some of that ta very much...

Cheers, Colin.P

Never thought of that, its a cracking idea though, just a mildly acidic bath.
Will give it a go too.

D

Frig, that is impressive! Always the simple things in life. Imagine what that does to your insides when you have it on your fish and chips!

Rather like copper and coke!

Robert.

Very impressive. I still haven't tried the washing soda trick yet.

Steve

Call me a cynic. All looks to good to be true and appears too easy with staged pictures.
I'd love to be proven wrong when you all start raving about the wonderful results in your
own 'tests' mind!

I do recall making coppers appear as new again using Coke when I was a nipper but also
recall the staining it could make too.

Guess I should talk to my sister as she's a 'sharp' chemist complete with doctorate!

Andrew

He probably works for Tesco.

There is a certain type of deposit that builds up in the flues of solid fuel appliances that operate with low temperature, slow moving flue gasses whilst burning damp anthracite based fuel's (Aga's etc) I wont bore you anymore with why it happens but you end up with the flue deposits being very acidic, and are capable of cleaning rusty steel to bare metal within a few hours if not washed off tools.
So this should work fine, but left for a longer period because of the weaker acidity in vinegar.
Would have tried it by now but swmbo wont let me take her vinegar

D

Very true - it eats through stainless steel flue pipe, particularly at the top where the gases have cooled and presumably the sulphur in the flue gases mix with condensed water and possibly rain to produce sulphuric acid - I have in my possesion a section of flue pipe to prove it!

Peter.N.

Yep, metal flue systems are worse because they are so bad for creating condense especially like you say near the top where the flue gasses have cooled and are condensing like mad inside and being weathered outside.

D

Would that be why some companies recommend insulating the liner with rockwool tubes? I've been looking at fitting a smoke controlled zone approved woodburner but due to car buying it's been put off until Autumn.

Steve.

Hi Steve

All factory made metal (twin wall) flue systems are just that, the better ones use a powder insulation but at £200 per meter plus locking bands cieling and roof supports and only a 15 year lifespan we never use them now. The rockwool type insulated ones are worse because over time the loose insulation breaks down and settles within the pipe leaving areas of flue that are un insulated, creating a fire risk not the best of ideas imo.
The best flue systems are solid section pumice liners or flue blocks which can be brick clad above the roof line and plastered directly onto the system internaly, labour intensive but with cheaper materials and a 15yr garantee plus a life expectancy of 60yrs you get the best insulated, lasting, looking and performing chimney money can buy for not a great deal more than a pappy old stainles one.
Most importantly, do not fit them yourself, and solid fuel instalation has to be completed by a Hetas registered engineer, if you do not get a hetas engineer to at least inspect and sign off the work, you can encounter problems with insurance companies paying up or when you come to sell your house.
Oh and dont buy a cast iron stove!

Sorry, bit off topic, guess what i do for a living

I'm just replacing my old Franklyn with a Hunter 8, are they cast iron?

Hi Peter

Most hunters now are steel but not that good on efficiency, controlability or heat output for size campared to modern better built appliances, I rate Charnwood's stoves as some of the best you can get, Clearview are good but with some major design issues in some mdels and a little overpriced imo.
If you happy with you Franklyn though the hunter will be an improvement for you.
Like going from a model T to a mk4 cortina.

D