Marjorie Has Been Wandering!

After the cleaning the stovepipe and chimney after the chimney fire that I mentioned in the last post, I had quite a time reconnecting the stovepipe.  It was not damaged or changed in any way, but I just had difficulty getting everything connected properly, but I finally managed it.

However, last week, the stovepipe kept coming apart where an elbow and straight piece join.  Now, I know that screwing the pipe together would have solved that, and for longer runs of stovepipe, installing three screws at each joint is a requirement, but they have never really been necessary in our installation.

I completed another cleaning on Saturday morning, and had a TERRIBLE time re-installing the stovepipe.  After further investigation, I discovered that Marjorie the Margin Gem cookstove had actually migrated backward enough that the stovepipe was no longer able to line up properly.  Fortunately, we have some wiggle room in our rear clearances, or the movement could have been a big safety hazard, too.

I think that the reason for the rearward movement can be attributed to vibration from the floor as we walk by the stove or perhaps repeated force from the front of the stove as we fuel from the front lid or front door or as the oven door is closed. 

Whatever the reason, I wanted to record what had happened to us here on the blog so that others could benefit from what we've learned.  It pays to know exactly where your stove is supposed to sit so that if things don't seem right, you can check to see if the stove has been subtly shifting.

Be safe!