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Thread: WD-40 on rusty stove pipe...?

  1. #1

    WD-40 on rusty stove pipe...?

    Anyone ever try this? wondering what the implications might be... Its too late for me, just did it. Was just going to use a little on elbows, but it just cleaned up so nicely, nearly the whole darned thing got a light coat.

    Am I in trouble..?

  2. #2
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    WD-40 evaporates fairly quick.

    Not sure if there is enough residual to start a fire.

    Is this a wood stove or a gas stove? If wood, was the chimney swept? I wonder how much could have seeped into the pipe at the joints, just sitting there building up a volatile mass waiting for a flame to touch it off.

    If you have some more loose stove pipe, maybe you can set up an experiment outside to see if building a fire under it causes it to burst into flame.

    My choice would have been to use a nonflammable cleaner.

    jtk
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  3. #3
    Thanks for the insight Jim. It is a wood stove. I just cleaned the chimney and felt due diligence to go though the black pipe from wall to stove also. It was so rusty and disagreeable that I had to do something. A little wd-40 loosened those elbows up so fast...

    My first concern was accumulation inside the pipe, but then I figured that it would burn off fairly quickly. As I wiped off the excess with a rag, it brought back the black finish that I haven't seen in years. Looked so nice I had to keep going. But once I wiped down the entire exterior surface, I began wondering if fumes from evaporation would be harmful. Not much information on the can on that topic. Was going to light it up tonight, but thinking now maybe I'll wait a day or two...

  4. #4
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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chad Helme View Post
    Thanks for the insight Jim. It is a wood stove. I just cleaned the chimney and felt due diligence to go though the black pipe from wall to stove also. It was so rusty and disagreeable that I had to do something. A little wd-40 loosened those elbows up so fast...

    My first concern was accumulation inside the pipe, but then I figured that it would burn off fairly quickly. As I wiped off the excess with a rag, it brought back the black finish that I haven't seen in years. Looked so nice I had to keep going. But once I wiped down the entire exterior surface, I began wondering if fumes from evaporation would be harmful. Not much information on the can on that topic. Was going to light it up tonight, but thinking now maybe I'll wait a day or two...
    I have used WD-40 on seized parts many times over the years. Many of them required several doses of the torch then sprayed with WD-40 (or whatever was available) cooling the heated parts and shocking them and soaking them at the same time with penetrating oil. What I can tell you for sure is that there is a unique smell to WD-40 that is on hot metal. Not necessarily heated red hot, but hot enough that it starts smoking. You can recognize that smell anywhere for years after smelling it a time or two.

    I bet you will find out what I mean the first time you build a fire in the stove and get the pipes good and hot.
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  6. #6
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    I am thinking the primary ingredient in WD40 is fish oil. You are probably OK. WD = Water Displacement, formula 40 was 40th try.
    Last edited by Roger Rettenmeier; 10-19-2014 at 10:18 PM.

  7. #7
    I seriously doubt you have much to worry about. WD40 will burn off very quickly it there's anything there to actually burn off. You'll probably get a little smoke and smell inside the first time you lite the stove but that will go fast. Kinda like when you first put the new pipe in you burn off that new pipe coating.
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  8. #8
    So I finally fired her up Friday night. Smoked for a few hours, I actually had to open a couple windows and set the fan to blow out to clear the basement out. A process I'm quite familiar with, any time I don't get a draft going when lighting... And while the stove was smoking, the smoke alarm went off several times, a good test for the alarms I guess. The smell was there, about like burning off a new stove pipe. All in all, I think the benefits outweighed the cost. Stove is working normal now, and looks 100% better.

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