Originally Posted By: kmcmahon This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Anyone ever seen this substance build up in the burner area?
Just trying to figure out what it is.
A.O. Smith says it may be something coming back down the flue, which made sense since the flue had no vent cap on the chimney. Could this be from rainwater?
Originally Posted By: Guest This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Probably an oxide of whatever metal is being attacked by the acidic flue gases. If it’s a long flue the gas will condense and the acid will precipitate on the flue interior. It looks like an aluminum oxide, but the flue pipe is galvanized steel, so maybe zinc oxide.
Or possibly powdered sugar if it's in a bakery. Hell, I don't know
Originally Posted By: ecrofutt This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Shooting strictly from the hip with no clue whether I’m right or not.
Hot moist air near the water heater, i.e. in the laundry room, (dryer not vented properly) forms condensation in the water heater combustion chamber. When the heater fires and burns away the water, trace minerals are left behind. More pronounced when the burner is burning during moist periods.
