Print

[lugnut]

So I went out just a little bit ago and checked on the fire, same as yesterday and the days prior.  Few chunks of wood left and hot coals, but here we have the darn smoke coming out of the door gaskets again.  ARGH!!!!!!   Up I go on the ladder with my fiberglass rod and poke up and down in the flue.  Down from the ladder...still smoking.  Grab the garden rake...up the ladder I go again and drop the handle of the garden rake into the flue...."ka thunk!"  I hit creosote.  Thus the reason for the smoke around the door gaskets.  Did I mention that I got a larger blower motor and the damper will get attached to it this afternoon?

I knocked the creosote back into the firebox and we're breathing again, but I'm sure only for a little while.  Think I'll do some w/s time this morning and take a ride to Fleet Farm or Menards.

And the saga continues..........

Lugnut     

[mikenc]

I just open door let it burn out creosote. Put a piece of wood in mine last night that was laying on ground under edge of shed,must have been wet. Creosote running down inside firebox this morning. Good hot fire takes care of that.
First year i used OWB seemed creosote was going to be a major problem. Folks in forum said burn it out some said use cardboard others said open door and leave open a few min. Both work I  use latter more than former.I was using same wood my dad was using in his wood stove yet i had much more creosote that he did. Seems OWB's creosote more than wood stoves, some owbs more than others. Bottom line the more moisture in wood the more creosote you will get.

 Setting boiler temps causing longer burn times seems to help with creosote to. As you use your stove you will learn more and more things that make it work better for you.

[Scott7m]

Lol I just cleaned my stove, took about 20 heat exchanger card board boxes and stuffed them inside and kicked the fan on, wow, it's clean as new lol

[willieG]

if you are using a long chimney..insulating it will also help with creosete build up. my chimney is about 12 feet long and i guess about 10 feet is inside my wood shed. i have insulated it right up to the underside of the tin roof and i have a box built around it on top of the roof so i could weather seal it. i do the clean out with the open door method on occcasion and i look up the chimney with a mirror...i have never had to clean the thing by hand ever. I have never seen anything even remotley that looked like it might plug, the most i have ever seen is some slinkers hanging on the sides. a nice warm chimney will stay clean a long time

[lugnut]

Well I think I'm going to try this in the morning.  Just open that firebox door and leave it open for a bit.  I sure would like to use my new chimney brush, but it's too wet out with the rain.  Will prolly wait until Monday to do this.  Let the fire burn down and then run the brush up and down a few times, then change out that darn motor.

Lugnut   

[Scott7m]

Well lug nut, the chimney brushes can be a pain, especially if ur creosote is of the slimy nature.  Gather up some cardboard and throw it in there, open the door and let her roar!  With luck you might get some flames going all the way out the stack

[willieG]

lug..if you are lucky enough to get to the stove just as it hits the low setting open the door about an inch or two so that the fire will draw combustion sir through the door and leave it like that until your stove reaches the high setting for your water. if your chimney is dirty you will likely see the soot flying out the stack (will be hot, make sure the wind is not directing any thing to a roof top that will burn). some will fall down teh stack into the stove and some will fly out the top. if you do this through one burn cycle i am certain you will have a clean chimney.

[jimr]

that brush will be a pain in rear. once you get your auto damper on and running you will see a big differance in your stack build up and that stove will turn into a whole new critter.

[MattyNH]

Stack fires def the best way to clean it out..Had a problem this past early spring..Smoke leaking out of door when the fan turns on...Door gasket would stick when I opened the door....It was frustrating.. Come to find out..My stack was plugged at the very top of the stack..Fire took care of that problem....