I just got my fec100 yesterday and can't get the elbow to fit I'm not sure if it supposed to fit on the outside or inside either way it's not fitting Any advice would help
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Please be more specific and/or post a photo. What type of elbow do you have? Mine is a SS Peterbilt exhaust from IOWA 80.
Also, Welcome to the forum!
Also, Welcome to the forum!
For clarity, an elbow is not needed and too long of a pipe can mess up the airflow. Many owners just cover/plug the outlet when not in use.
I used a 5" elbow (galv. sheet metal/ductwork type) from Lowes Home Improvement Store. After a slight outward bending of the elbow's end/edge with some pliers, it fit nicely over the factory 5" outlet pipe. I then put a short piece of 5" duct on that elbow to direct the smoke flow upward, and topped it with a Vac-U-Stack cap for wind control.
I got it from Home Depot it the one used for duct work I want to use it to keep out wind and redirect he smoke It the one that olysmokes is using I'm gonna try to give a slight bend and try again
My FEC sits in the garage between the car bays, near the door. I use an 18" piece of straight galvi aluminum, crimped on one end that fits in the FEC and points out past the garage door to direct smoke outside. Have never had an airflow problem.
quote:Originally posted by Just4fun:
I just got my fec100 yesterday and can't get the elbow to fit I'm not sure if it supposed to fit on the outside or inside either way it's not fitting Any advice would help
Why are you trying to attach an elbow?
As has been stated, there are cases where people put too long a pipe or restricted the airflow in a way that the fire would go out.
Smokin - I cannot speak for Just4fun, but I will chime in my own experience.
3rd or 4th cook on my FEC 100 was at a contest. Just about the time I was shutting down (yes I pushed the reset to let the fan run and burn out the fire naturally), a thunderstorm blew through. The wind changed 180 degrees and blew strongly straight into my exhaust. I looked up about 30 minutes later and my pellet box was pouring smoke. The wind had blown the fire up into the pellet storage, and if I had not seen it would have burned the cooker down.
Today was another example. A winter storm blew through, and I had a really hard time keeping my heat up even with a very small load. (No fire issues today, just temperature issues). Even though I could rotate my cooker for wind direction, I think I would have been better able to keep my heat up if there had been an elbow in my exhaust.
I too will be going to the home improvement store to get an elbow and a really short piece of pipe. In a perfect world of no wind I would not need to do this, but I also live in Oklahoma where the wind never stops blowing. But I will say that any ducting I purchase will be very short with the minimum restriction that I can get. I just think I need a direction change as a wind baffle on bad days, and can easily take off the ducting on those rare perfect days.
3rd or 4th cook on my FEC 100 was at a contest. Just about the time I was shutting down (yes I pushed the reset to let the fan run and burn out the fire naturally), a thunderstorm blew through. The wind changed 180 degrees and blew strongly straight into my exhaust. I looked up about 30 minutes later and my pellet box was pouring smoke. The wind had blown the fire up into the pellet storage, and if I had not seen it would have burned the cooker down.
Today was another example. A winter storm blew through, and I had a really hard time keeping my heat up even with a very small load. (No fire issues today, just temperature issues). Even though I could rotate my cooker for wind direction, I think I would have been better able to keep my heat up if there had been an elbow in my exhaust.
I too will be going to the home improvement store to get an elbow and a really short piece of pipe. In a perfect world of no wind I would not need to do this, but I also live in Oklahoma where the wind never stops blowing. But I will say that any ducting I purchase will be very short with the minimum restriction that I can get. I just think I need a direction change as a wind baffle on bad days, and can easily take off the ducting on those rare perfect days.
quote:Originally posted by Know Bull:
Smokin - I cannot speak for Just4fun, but I will chime in my own experience.
3rd or 4th cook on my FEC 100 was at a contest. Just about the time I was shutting down (yes I pushed the reset to let the fan run and burn out the fire naturally), a thunderstorm blew through. The wind changed 180 degrees and blew strongly straight into my exhaust. I looked up about 30 minutes later and my pellet box was pouring smoke. The wind had blown the fire up into the pellet storage, and if I had not seen it would have burned the cooker down.
Today was another example. A winter storm blew through, and I had a really hard time keeping my heat up even with a very small load. (No fire issues today, just temperature issues). Even though I could rotate my cooker for wind direction, I think I would have been better able to keep my heat up if there had been an elbow in my exhaust.
KNOW BULL,
I had "issues" when I first got my FEC 100. At CS's suggestion I purchased a VacuStack Chimney cap. The harder the wind blows, the more it draws. My problems turned out to be the cast iron fire pot and the controller program but I still feel the cap was a worthwhile investment. I got a SS elbow to match. No issues ever since.
Joe M
Home Depot has them in the heating duct department. The flat part fits over the FEC100 pipe and can be taped on with metal heating duct tape. I then use two 5 foot straight sections and a furnace exhaust cap on top. This gets my smoke above the roof line. I find no effects on the cooking at all but getting the smoke into the wind helps keep the smoke out of the house.
I messed around with those light weight elbows for years. Than a truck repair friend turned me on to 5in diesel exhaust pipe. The inside dia of the elbow is 5in. That fits good and snug over the FEC 100 exhaust. If you want to get fancy you can go with chrome. I went with stainless. Any good truck part supply house has them. Good luck!!!
Thanks for all the info I think Im gonna go with the diesel exhaust
Diesel exhaust fits and looks cool. I know some people that use them.
The reason the Home Depot 5" pipe doesn't fit is because the Cookshack specs call for a double walled 5" pipe. That's actually a different dimension that the single wall woodstove pipe you found at the big box store.
I run with double walled pipe purchased from a heating supply house that sells double walled pipe for pellet stoves. Instead of an elbow, I used a "T" connector with a cap on the bottom, a 2' rise above it, and a high wind cap on top. Once I got the proper stainless steel firepot (I bought my unit during Cookshack's failed experiment with cast iron) the smoker has never gone out, no matter what the conditions are.
The reason the Home Depot 5" pipe doesn't fit is because the Cookshack specs call for a double walled 5" pipe. That's actually a different dimension that the single wall woodstove pipe you found at the big box store.
I run with double walled pipe purchased from a heating supply house that sells double walled pipe for pellet stoves. Instead of an elbow, I used a "T" connector with a cap on the bottom, a 2' rise above it, and a high wind cap on top. Once I got the proper stainless steel firepot (I bought my unit during Cookshack's failed experiment with cast iron) the smoker has never gone out, no matter what the conditions are.