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T-Connector vs. 90 degree


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A couple of years ago in another thread Frosty said this:

Use a T on the outside 90* one arm points downwards the other upwards to the rain cap and the horizontal run from your hood enters the leg.  Envision a capital T on it's side coming out of a forge hood. How this works is first it prevents cold air from filling and blocking the stack so your hood will draw as soon as warm air enters it. It's other function is to give down drafts an easy route out, they'll go straight down rather than make the turn and travel horizontally against rising hot air. Lastly it eliminates the need for a rain cap, any that falls in will just keep going very VERY little will make the turn and flow horizontally.

I have a sudden need for a new hood (my long term loan side draft was recalled :blink:) I'm going to build a super sucker that will have a 4-5' horizantal run. Can anyone comment/post pictures and in general give advice about using a T at the bend instead of a 90. I like what Frosty says here - going with a T sounds like it would solve a lot of issues for me.

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I don't have a T on my forge but do on my wood stove. From that experience I can tell you my wood stove will pull a draft better with the T cap open, especially when first lighting the fire. All the cold air in the stack pushes back into the stove with the cap closed. Frosty is correct.

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Thanks. I'm inclined to try it with a T.  I've got a dilemma. I have 10" pipe which was drawing OK enough with a side draft.  I'm tempted to use my existing pipe and cut the intake opening smaller, but I do have a large fire pot. I mostly burn coke. So my dilemma is to go with what I have which might or might not be good enough, or spend the money and switch over to 12". The "want to do it quickly and cheaply" side of my brain is fighting with my "spend the money and do it right" side. Arguments please. 

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the 10" should be fine. If later it turns out not to be just put a 10" x 12" bushing reducer on the T and run 12" up from there. The vertical run is what produces the draw, it'll make the 10" horizontal run suck like a vacuum cleaner. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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  • 2 months later...

My summer has been busy with travel but I have finally gotten around to getting my coal forge operational again. Super sucker with 10" pipe is working just fine. 90 degree coming off of the box, 4' horizontal run, open T connector, then 10' of vertical to well above the roof pitch. I still need to secure the top section of pipe and put a small hood or lip on the box. I might mess around with the opening size. The opening is 10 x 10 square, so I might make it smaller or experiment with a smoke shelf or just reducing the volume with bricks to see if I can get it better. But for a first fire on an 80 degree day, I am super happy. Thanks for the advice!

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Put on your best Doug Marcida accent, "It will suck!"

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Looks good from here. I'm just passing on things I've picked up, glad it helped. 

You know the last pic makes me think if you mounted a Wahl clipper just right you could stand with your head in the pipe like in the pic and slowly turn in circles. Free hair cuts!  Eh? B)

Frosty The Lucky.

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On 9/3/2019 at 4:17 AM, HarvestGapForge said:

I need to get one of those "Caution Air Intake" like you see on jet fighters :D

Oh yeah, and to go with it a doll and some bungee cords. Stand the doll under the T and when someone walks around the corner to take a look you pull the pin and the doll shoots up and out the top of the pipe. Oh OH! Put a top hat and tails on the doll and it's a chimney sweep for real!

Frosty The Lucky.

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