Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m in a California (Bay Area) house built mid to late twenties. I have an abandoned furnace pipe that is about 8" to 10" in diameter which has a clay pipe on the inside wrapped in galvanized metal.  The pipe sits on the floor of the basement and extends through our single floor and exits the roof through just a framed in dead space in the living area.  That is, it’s not inside a brick chimney. It’s put together in sections about three feet long and it looks like they are only connected by a slip joint.  I’m told the sections weigh about 90 pounds each. Does this sound right? What I’m not clear about is how the clay liner pipe is connected to the outter galvanized metal wrap, if at all. Anyone have experience removing these? I’m having the roof replaces and the pipe goes up through a false chimney that we plan to remove. I’ve had a number of furnace contractors comment about it — a few of which were sure it was not clay lined (which is it).  A few have suggested knocking out the bottom section one by one and letting the pipe fall.  Sounds like a bad idea. Another contractor suggested cutting two 2×4 boards just a bit larger than the inner diameter of the clay pipe.  Bold them together in an "X" and insert the thing into the inside of the pipe at an angle so that when pulled with a rope or chain from the center it wedges itself and can be used for lifting a section. There’s about 1" or so between the inner clay pipe and the outer galvanized metal wrap, so another idea was to drill maybe four holes around the outside of the middle of a section and use hooks connected to cable or chain to use to grip the section. I had an asbestos contractor look at it and they did not belive there was any asbestos in the pipe. Any suggestions for how to remove this pipe?  I’m looking for ideas how to best grab each section, ideas for lifting, and what to do if the sections are bonded from years of sitting there.  I’d rather not drop a section through the living room ceiling. Thanks,

sure is a bad idea, all the weight will be on the bottom when the thing comes tumbing down and could possible take the house down or do some real damage… start from the top and work you way down that way you dont have much of a load on anything if it starts to go down, just the one piece that you break off the top…. dont let any contractor do the bottom from the top unless you check out his inusurance policy and make sure you are covered for when he messes up….

Response:

I have an abandoned furnace pipe that is about 8" to 10" in diameter which has a clay pipe on the inside wrapped in galvanized metal.  The pipe sits on the floor of the basement and extends through our single floor and exits the roof through just a framed in dead space in the living area.  That is, it’s not inside a brick chimney.

The removal was fun.   Started at the roof and worked down.  Each section was about three feet long, about 12" in diameter metal outside and a think clay pipe on the inside about 10" in diameter.  The clay sections weigh about 45 to 50 pounds each and were mortared together and then a band of metal about 6" wide covered the mortared joint.  There were about 12 or 13 sections reaching from the floor of the basement out the roof (single story house). We would remove the outter galvanized metal a section at a time, then rock the pipe back and forth to break the mortar and then "just" lift.  First two sections were done from the roof then two or three more from the attic. The tricky part was the sections inside the wall on the first floor. We could just reach down far enough to grab one section and pull it up into the attic.  For the next three sections we cut a 2×4 just a tiny bit longer than the inside diameter of the clay pipe, added some rubber on the edges for friction and an eye-bold into the 2×4 off center which we attached chain.  This board was lowered on a chain into a pipe section and then pulled to (hopefully) wedge (cam) it in the pipe well enough to haul it up.  Sounds a bit easier than it was. Half a century of soot makes the inside of the pipe slippery.  Again, the sections were mortared together, so to break the mortar one person climbed down into the wall space and stood right on top of the clay pipe and rocked it back and forth. Kind of amazing no damage was done anyplace. Removing the few sections in the basement was more sawzall, hammer, and very dirty work than it was tricky. Anyone need 600 pounds of clay pipe?

Response:

I have an abandoned furnace pipe that is about 8" to 10" in diameter which has a clay pipe on the inside wrapped in galvanized metal.  The pipe sits on the floor of the basement and extends through our single floor and exits the roof through just a framed in dead space in the living area.  That is, it’s not inside a brick chimney. The removal was fun.  

Great story, thanks for sharing.  What are you gonna do with the dead space?  Run a laundry chute?  Knock out the drywall and create a nook?

Response:

I’m in a California (Bay Area) house built mid to late twenties. I have an abandoned furnace pipe that is about 8" to 10" in diameter which has a clay pipe on the inside wrapped in galvanized metal.  The pipe sits on the floor of the basement and extends through our single floor and exits the roof through just a framed in dead space in the living area.  That is, it’s not inside a brick chimney. It’s put together in sections about three feet long and it looks like they are only connected by a slip joint.  I’m told the sections weigh about 90 pounds each. Does this sound right? What I’m not clear about is how the clay liner pipe is connected to the outter galvanized metal wrap, if at all. Anyone have experience removing these? I’m having the roof replaces and the pipe goes up through a false chimney that we plan to remove. I’ve had a number of furnace contractors comment about it — a few of which were sure it was not clay lined (which is it).  A few have suggested knocking out the bottom section one by one and letting the pipe fall.  Sounds like a bad idea. Another contractor suggested cutting two 2×4 boards just a bit larger than the inner diameter of the clay pipe.  Bold them together in an "X" and insert the thing into the inside of the pipe at an angle so that when pulled with a rope or chain from the center it wedges itself and can be used for lifting a section. There’s about 1" or so between the inner clay pipe and the outer galvanized metal wrap, so another idea was to drill maybe four holes around the outside of the middle of a section and use hooks connected to cable or chain to use to grip the section. I had an asbestos contractor look at it and they did not belive there was any asbestos in the pipe. Any suggestions for how to remove this pipe?  I’m looking for ideas how to best grab each section, ideas for lifting, and what to do if the sections are bonded from years of sitting there.  I’d rather not drop a section through the living room ceiling. Thanks,

Response:

Hi, FWIW, I’ve seen these removed from within brick chimneys by carefully smashing them up from within and letting the small pieces fall to the bottom to be scooped out. How this is accomplished is by attaching a small ( about 2 pound) hammer-like device to the end of an gradually decreasing length set of extension rods… these are attached to an electric drill and lowered down to the bottom from the top. The drill turns the hammer at high speed inside the shaft, centrifugal energy causes it to contact the pipes surface, smashing up the clay –  it’s a simple idea, but very effective. The chimney ( or in your case, exterior of the tube) acts like a trash chute, keeping the broken pieces flowing to a confined, controllable space (the bottom of the tube). The upside to this process is that the pieces are now small and can be swept up an carted off easily. Usually this is done in conjunction with replacement of the clay liner pipe with a stainless steel liner, therefore it is designed not to damage the exterior surround. I would check w/ local tool rental companies for the equipment. You may also want to have a look inside this pipe before you start – consider buying one of those cheap 2.4 Ghz video cameras that transmit to your tv/vcr and lowering it down the pipe w/ a flashlight – the cost for there things is really low(under $75.00), and it may reveal useful data… If your goal is permanent removal, this may not be the ideal solution.  You would still have to deal with the outer tube – but it would weigh a whole lot less! Good luck, Kevin O’

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m in a California (Bay Area) house built mid to late twenties. I have an abandoned furnace pipe that is about 8" to 10" in diameter which has a clay pipe on the inside wrapped in galvanized metal.  The pipe sits on the floor of the basement and extends through our single floor and exits the roof through just a framed in dead space in the living area.  That is, it’s not inside a brick chimney. It’s put together in sections about three feet long and it looks like they are only connected by a slip joint.  I’m told the sections weigh about 90 pounds each. Does this sound right? What I’m not clear about is how the clay liner pipe is connected to the outter galvanized metal wrap, if at all. Anyone have experience removing these? I’m having the roof replaces and the pipe goes up through a false chimney that we plan to remove. I’ve had a number of furnace contractors comment about it — a few of which were sure it was not clay lined (which is it).  A few have suggested knocking out the bottom section one by one and letting the pipe fall.  Sounds like a bad idea. Another contractor suggested cutting two 2×4 boards just a bit larger than the inner diameter of the clay pipe.  Bold them together in an "X" and insert the thing into the inside of the pipe at an angle so that when pulled with a rope or chain from the center it wedges itself and can be used for lifting a section. There’s about 1" or so between the inner clay pipe and the outer galvanized metal wrap, so another idea was to drill maybe four holes around the outside of the middle of a section and use hooks connected to cable or chain to use to grip the section. I had an asbestos contractor look at it and they did not belive there was any asbestos in the pipe. Any suggestions for how to remove this pipe?  I’m looking for ideas how to best grab each section, ideas for lifting, and what to do if the sections are bonded from years of sitting there.  I’d rather not drop a section through the living room ceiling. Thanks,

Response:

Question:

I know what you mean.  Dennis bought a 1985 Hyundai Pony for $750 just to drive for a year.  But we were so lucky with that car, all it ever needed is points and that was cheap.  He ended up driving it for 3 years, but wouldn’t you know it, 4 months before moving to Thailand it needed a new clutch ($500).  We had to pay it because we needed transportation for the rest of the time and we figured that the evil we know is better than the evil we didn’t!  All in all, still a very cheap car. — Britta http://www.members.home.net/badwilson/catpage.html

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Yup, that was Oscar, and he had to go. Apparantly we were just living on borrowed time after the flood. A car does not survive well from being completely engulfed in cold muddy water for several hours, and he eventually was put to pasture due to car cancer (rust). He still went (just – the fifth gear no longer existed, 1st was so pernicity I often started off in 2nr, and getting it into reverse was becoming a major issue, and he leaked all the time – he blew smoke, and the demisters and heater didn’t work etc etc, all due to water getting into places water should never be allowed into). We now have Martha Mazda, a little 1983 white 323 hatchback. She would have been the top model of her time, with air.con, back wiper, bucket seats, nifty head-light warning system, a light on the ignition section so you know where to put the key, central locking etc etc, and she’s been well loved through the ages. Bu I suspect, that just like with Oscar, I will be her last owner. I don’t see the point of servicing a car that cost me less than $2000 and we just patch her up when necessary. Regular services seem to be a false economy when cash is tight and the car is a cheapy – for 4 full services, I could  buy another one just like her. Yowie

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just wondering if any of our clan is in danger of the flooding??? It’s awful. Karen One of our cars got flooded (full of water over the hood and inside) in a parking lot in Houston while my husband was on a trip. His return flight was diverted to Dallas and he was stuck there because the airport in Houston was closed yesterday. I’m at home in Corpus Christi, and he just called and said he is back in Houston. He saw the car and it is totally trashed. We still have a year to go on the loan. At least we have a good insurance company.

Sheesh, your lucky – insurance company wise that is. When Wollongong got flooded in ‘98 and cars got full of water, the insurance companies insisted it wasn’t so much as a flood as *run off* which meant it was the council’s fault for not employing adequate drainage. And the council said it was an Act of God and wasn’t their fault. So lots of people had their cars ruined and no-one to pay for it. I was relatively lucky – my car was full of mud and yucky stuff, and eventually neded a new starter motor, alternator and bearings because of the water, but because it was an old bomb in the first place and didn’t have a sophisticated computer controlled engine, all it needed to get going again was a new air filter. I drove the thing with my feet in muddy water. My friend’s car was not so lucky – it was never found. We assume it was washed out to sea. Insurance didn’t cover that either. But even so, a lost car was better than what some people suffered. Because it was fast moving water, it just rushed through people’s houses, taking in its way with it. I hope never to see another "flood" like that again. Hope your hubby get shome safely soon, and my thoughts are with those whoa re dealing with the aftermath. having been there and done that, I know how heartbreaking it can be. And, oddly, how wonderful complete strangers can be. Yowie

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You’re right, when we had our flood in Amesville in ‘98 we were all working furiously on clean up, pulling sodden stinking things out of houses and stacking then along the road, a semi truck drove slowly through town, stopped at the end of town and backed back in, the driver found the mayor and told him to have the loader and fill up the truck, he was dead heading to Cincinnati and could not leave us without helping, he felt so bad…  so he hauled a load to the dump for us at his own expense..  and we are talking probably 300 bucks or more for people he didn’t know.  We also had a family driving through a few days after the flood, all dressed up and going someplace ( not a gawker as many turned out to be), they also couldn’t go through, instead spent the day in their good clothes and shoes shoveling mud from the sidewalks which was a God send literally, I kept slipping in that slime and wrenching my knee.  And then there were the church groups that sent down crews of certified electrician and plumbers, furnace contractors and plasterers, that swept through town after the clean up was done and repaired, painted, and restored not just the house but our very weary souls as well.  The kindness of strangers is the strongest healing force in the world.

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Sheesh, your lucky – insurance company wise that is. When Wollongong got flooded in ‘98 and cars got full of water, the insurance companies insisted it wasn’t so much as a flood as *run off* which meant it was the council’s fault for not employing adequate drainage. And the council said it was an Act of God and wasn’t their fault. So lots of people had their cars ruined and no-one to pay for it. I was relatively lucky – my car was full of mud and yucky stuff, and eventually neded a new starter motor, alternator and bearings because of the water, but because it was an old bomb in the first place and didn’t have a sophisticated computer controlled engine, all it needed to get going again was a new air filter. I drove the thing with my feet in muddy water.

Isn’t this the car that you had to get rid of recently?  What are you driving now?  Rob’s car, the Buick, has a leaky windshield and passenger’s side wing window.  When we got hit by Hurricane Floyd back in September 99, We had to bail out several inches of water from the floor of the car.  It was really nasty, ruined anything that was on the floor and stank.  Since the Buick is built like a tank, it still runs well, we only had to bail it out.   Pam S. Snowshoe, who’s dreading this year’s hurricane season

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You’re right, when we had our flood in Amesville in ‘98 we were all working furiously on clean up, pulling sodden stinking things out of houses and stacking then along the road, a semi truck drove slowly through town, stopped at the end of town and backed back in, the driver found the mayor and told him to have the loader and fill up the truck, he was dead heading to Cincinnati and could not leave us without helping, he felt so bad… so he hauled a load to the dump for us at his own expense..  and we are talking probably 300 bucks or more for people he didn’t know.  We also had a family driving through a few days after the flood, all dressed up and going someplace ( not a gawker as many turned out to be), they also couldn’t go through, instead spent the day in their good clothes and shoes shoveling mud from the sidewalks which was a God send literally, I kept slipping in that slime and wrenching my knee.  And then there were the church groups that sent down crews of certified electrician and plumbers, furnace contractors and plasterers, that swept through town after the clean up was done and repaired, painted, and restored not just the house but our very weary souls as well.  The kindness of strangers is the strongest healing force in the world.

I think disasters bring out a person’s real character.  Fortunately, the pond scum such as looters, are vastly outnumbered by people who go more than the extra mile to help out in times like these. Joy

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just wondering if any of our clan is in danger of the flooding??? It’s awful. Karen One of our cars got flooded (full of water over the hood and inside) in a parking lot in Houston while my husband was on a trip. (snip) At least we have a good insurance company. Sheesh, your lucky – insurance company wise that is. When Wollongong got flooded in ‘98 and cars got full of water, the insurance companies insisted it wasn’t so much as a flood as *run off* which meant it was the council’s fault for not employing adequate drainage. And the council said it was an Act of God and wasn’t their fault. So lots of people had their cars ruined and no-one to pay for it. I was relatively lucky – my car was full of mud and yucky stuff, and eventually neded a new starter motor, alternator and bearings because of the water, but because it was an old bomb in the first place and didn’t have a sophisticated computer controlled engine, all it needed to get going again was a new air filter. I drove the thing with my feet in muddy water. My friend’s car was not so lucky – it was never found. We assume it was washed out to sea. Insurance didn’t cover that either. But even so, a lost car was better than what some people suffered. Because it was fast moving water, it just rushed through people’s houses, taking in its way with it. I hope never to see another "flood" like that again. Hope your hubby get shome safely soon, and my thoughts are with those whoa re dealing with the aftermath. having been there and done that, I know how heartbreaking it can be. And, oddly, how wonderful complete strangers can be. Yowie

I’m sorry, but I had to giggle and grimace at the thought of driving with your feet in the muddy water. It sounds so yukky. The loss of our car is an inconvenience, but like you, my thoughts are with those whose homes were damaged and those who don’t have insurance to help with their losses. Also, I haven’t seen any reports of rescues of animals who were caught outdoors. Annie

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sheesh, your lucky – insurance company wise that is. When Wollongong got flooded in ‘98 and cars got full of water, the insurance companies insisted it wasn’t so much as a flood as *run off* which meant it was the council’s fault for not employing adequate drainage. And the council said it was an Act of God and wasn’t their fault. So lots of people had their cars ruined and no-one to pay for it. I was relatively lucky – my car was full of mud and yucky stuff, and eventually neded a new starter motor, alternator and bearings because of the water, but because it was an old bomb in the first place and didn’t have a sophisticated computer controlled engine, all it needed to get going again was a new air filter. I drove the thing with my feet in muddy water. Isn’t this the car that you had to get rid of recently?  What are you driving now?

Yup, that was Oscar, and he had to go. Apparantly we were just living on borrowed time after the flood. A car does not survive well from being completely engulfed in cold muddy water for several hours, and he eventually was put to pasture due to car cancer (rust). He still went (just – the fifth gear no longer existed, 1st was so pernicity I often started off in 2nr, and getting it into reverse was becoming a major issue, and he leaked all the time – he blew smoke, and the demisters and heater didn’t work etc etc, all due to water getting into places water should never be allowed into). We now have Martha Mazda, a little 1983 white 323 hatchback. She would have been the top model of her time, with air.con, back wiper, bucket seats, nifty head-light warning system, a light on the ignition section so you know where to put the key, central locking etc etc, and she’s been well loved through the ages. Bu I suspect, that just like with Oscar, I will be her last owner. I don’t see the point of servicing a car that cost me less than $2000 and we just patch her up when necessary. Regular services seem to be a false economy when cash is tight and the car is a cheapy – for 4 full services, I could  buy another one just like her. Yowie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Rob’s car, the Buick, has a leaky windshield and passenger’s side wing window.  When we got hit by Hurricane Floyd back in September 99, We had to bail out several inches of water from the floor of the car.  It was really nasty, ruined anything that was on the floor and stank.  Since the Buick is built like a tank, it still runs well, we only had to bail it out. Pam S. Snowshoe, who’s dreading this year’s hurricane season

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Just wondering if any of our clan is in danger of the flooding??? It’s awful. Karen

I just returned from there – the day after Allison came on coast the first time.  I am so happy I got out when I stilll could.  I know lots of people down there right now who can’t get anywhere.  Most of the roads are closed – both small county highways as well as the interstates.  My sister lives 10 miles from my parents, but she couldn’t get to them if she had to – he road is under water, the road it connects to is closed, the freeway between where she lives and they live is closed, the road to my parents house is closed and the road they actually live on is completely underwater.  None are in danger of water in the house though as far as I know for right now.  But it is still a lot of water. Bridget Snowshoe

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Are they going to be alright as far as evacuation goes?  I haven’t known anybody personally that has dealt with this sort of crisis before.  The flash flooding I mean.  *grin* – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My "inlaws" got about 36 inches. They stayed up all night the night before last trying to keep water outside their house. Their street was a lake and so was their back yard. They don’t have cats, just a dog, but it seems all the neighborhood cats like to hand out in their yard. Maybe it’s all the bird and squirrel feeders? Cheers. — Victor M. Martinez, Jr.            |   The University of Texas at Austin http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv  |                    Austin, TX 78712 If we knew what we were doing it would not be called research, would it?

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Just wondering if any of our clan is in danger of the flooding??? It’s awful. Karen

One of our cars got flooded (full of water over the hood and inside) in a parking lot in Houston while my husband was on a trip. His return flight was diverted to Dallas and he was stuck there because the airport in Houston was closed yesterday. I’m at home in Corpus Christi, and he just called and said he is back in Houston. He saw the car and it is totally trashed. We still have a year to go on the loan. At least we have a good insurance company. Annie

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Just wondering if any of our clan is in danger of the flooding??? It’s awful. Karen

One of our cars got flooded (full of water over the hood and inside) in a parking lot in Houston while my husband was on a trip. His return flight was diverted to Dallas and he was stuck there because the airport in Houston was closed yesterday. I’m in Corpus Christi, and he just called and said he is back in Houston. He saw the car and it is totally trashed. We still have a year to go on the loan. At least we have a good insurance company. Annie

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just wondering if any of our clan is in danger of the flooding??? It’s awful. Karen One of our cars got flooded (full of water over the hood and inside) in a parking lot in Houston while my husband was on a trip. His return flight was diverted to Dallas and he was stuck there because the airport in Houston was closed yesterday. I’m at home in Corpus Christi, and he just called and said he is back in Houston. He saw the car and it is totally trashed. We still have a year to go on the loan. At least we have a good insurance company. Annie

So it isn’t bad by Corpus Christi? I have a friend who has some land out there where he is building and unreachable. I was wondering if you had had much rain in that area. His land is by a Bay called Espiritu. Karen

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One of my best friends lives in Corpus.  She was online last night, didn’t mention anything about it so I assume they’re ok out that way. Gra e

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just wondering if any of our clan is in danger of the flooding??? It’s awful. Karen One of our cars got flooded (full of water over the hood and inside) in a parking lot in Houston while my husband was on a trip. His return flight was diverted to Dallas and he was stuck there because the airport in Houston was closed yesterday. I’m at home in Corpus Christi, and he just called and said he is back in Houston. He saw the car and it is totally trashed. We still have a year to go on the loan. At least we have a good insurance company. Annie So it isn’t bad by Corpus Christi? I have a friend who has some land out there where he is building and unreachable. I was wondering if you had had much rain in that area. His land is by a Bay called Espiritu. Karen

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Are they going to be alright as far as evacuation goes?  I haven’t known

They’re fine, but some people in their neighborhood had their homes flooded. anybody personally that has dealt with this sort of crisis before.  The flash flooding I mean.  *grin*

We have quite a bit of it here in Central Texas. My sister in law called yesterday during a terrible hail storm. Not a single leaf was left in their trees and all their other plants (veggies, flowers, etc.) got killed. It lasted for at least 40 minutes and they got tennis ball size hail! I never knew North Dakota got bad weather like that. — Victor M. Martinez, Jr.            |   The University of Texas at Austin http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv  |                    Austin, TX 78712 If we knew what we were doing it would not be called research, would it?  

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Yes, we are fine here.  We got some badly needed heavy rain, but nothing like Houston and no flooding that I know of.  Kind of an exciting start for hurricane season, though. Annie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – One of my best friends lives in Corpus.  She was online last night, didn’t mention anything about it so I assume they’re ok out that way. Gra e Just wondering if any of our clan is in danger of the flooding??? It’s awful. Karen One of our cars got flooded (full of water over the hood and inside) in a parking lot in Houston while my husband was on a trip. His return flight was diverted to Dallas and he was stuck there because the airport in Houston was closed yesterday. I’m at home in Corpus Christi, and he just called and said he is back in Houston. He saw the car and it is totally trashed. We still have a year to go on the loan. At least we have a good insurance company. Annie So it isn’t bad by Corpus Christi? I have a friend who has some land out there where he is building and unreachable. I was wondering if you had had much rain in that area. His land is by a Bay called Espiritu. Karen

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Just wondering if any of our clan is in danger of the flooding??? It’s awful. Karen

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I’m four hours northeast of Houston.  We’ve got a few inches, in the teens but not near as bad as they look on the weather channel.  I have been wondering the same thing.  Closest I know is Mark and he’s in Dallas.   New Orleans is looking bad too.  Not Houston’s  40 inches worth (half that), but they are below sea level and cannot deal with flooding very well at all. That puts them in the same boat danger wise.  Thankfully, there aren’t clan members there.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just wondering if any of our clan is in danger of the flooding??? It’s awful. Karen

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My "inlaws" got about 36 inches. They stayed up all night the night before last trying to keep water outside their house. Their street was a lake and so was their back yard. They don’t have cats, just a dog, but it seems all the neighborhood cats like to hand out in their yard. Maybe it’s all the bird and squirrel feeders? Cheers. — Victor M. Martinez, Jr.            |   The University of Texas at Austin http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv  |                    Austin, TX 78712 If we knew what we were doing it would not be called research, would it?  

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