Firewood Season 2023

[firecadet613]

I had two 40' tall broken trees (the top 40' broke off in storms earlier in the year). Took advantage of the mid 50° temps to take them down and chop them up.

Our two 12' firewood racks were full before this... now to decide if I buy a third rack or not.

Here's a snippet from a video my son took of one of them mid fall. Then the 2nd one I took down today and chopped up.

 

[cg21]

The situation you're describing happens with my stove when the chimney outside is warm, from the sun shining on the unpainted stainless steel pipe and oftentimes when the interior of the cabin is colder than the the chimney. It takes some doing but eventually I can get the stove hot enough that the smoke starts moving up the pipe and continues to flow up and out the chimney. I will also say, even though my chimney clears the roof peak to meet code, I think I should have added an additional section outside.

Maybe you're having a similar issue? Leadeye's technique has merit. Getting heat flowing up the chimney is key.

Old pic from when before we finished the interior
View attachment 320733

Also an old pic from years ago
View attachment 320734

I have a small propane torch I tried heating the inside with…. Maybe tomorrow I will bring the big weed burner in here and really heat it up and see what happens….

 

[buckwacker]

I have a small propane torch I tried heating the inside with…. Maybe tomorrow I will bring the big weed burner in here and really heat it up and see what happens….

Try opening a window or door to get your draft going. I used to have to do that occasionally with an open radiant fireplace. I'd light the paper under the kindling, see the smoke starting to curl out into the room, run over and crack a door or window, and draft would straighten out almost immediately. You might need to keep your stove as open as possible till she builds just enough heat to keep your draft going once you close it up. No expert here either, just a couple suggestions to try.

 

[cg21]

Try opening a window or door to get your draft going. I used to have to do that occasionally with an open radiant fireplace. I'd light the paper under the kindling, see the smoke starting to curl out into the room, run over and crack a door or window, and draft would straighten out almost immediately. You might need to keep your stove as open as possible till she builds just enough heat to keep your draft going once you close it up. No expert here either, just a couple suggestions to try.

Tried that thanks for the suggestion! Open to all advice… I wanted a nice fire with my family and a working dishwasher for Christmas lol both have been squashed so far. (Appliance repair guy was scheduled for Friday 8-12 called at 2 and cancelled) I am having the worst luck with appliances right now

I feel like me in here with the propane weed torch is my Clark griswald moment.

 

[cg21]

Brought the weed torch in this morning. Nothing but heat for 5 minutes got so warm my heat powdered fan started going I then lit the log….. initially smoke was going up and out. As soon as the torch was turned off smoke started pouring into the house. Shut the door….. flame completely goes out.

 

[t-squared]

So the initial lighting of the fire is the issue? Or does it still have draft issues after a fire has been going for a while?

 

[cg21]

So the initial lighting of the fire is the issue? Or does it still have draft issues after a fire has been going for a while?

Honestly I can’t get a fire to last….. I shut the door because smoke is coming in and the fire goes out

And I had no issues for the previous month

 

[firecadet613]

Honestly I can’t get a fire to last….. I shut the door because smoke is coming in and the fire goes out

And I had no issues for the previous month

Have you tried to crack a window open to see if that helps?

 

[stocknup]

Cleaned out the stove

im saying it has no adjustment to adjust the exhaust side of the stove sorry I don’t know all the correct terms lol not an expert hense my problems…..

attached pictures there is no blockage ran a brush from the top today all the way to the stove.

the chimney is well above the peak of the roof and the peak of the roof is over 10’ away from the chimney



so I am pretty bummed out because I was looking forward to using the new stove on Christmas eve with my family….. I climbed on the roof today there are no obstructions in the chimney ran a brush down to the stove and creosote build up is minimal. And it worked perfect for about a month

I looked your stove up online . ( Not sure of your exact model , but I saw one that looked very similar ) In the manual it talks of the air adjustments . (but you stated there were none ? )
It says there is one located under the front shelf . ( unless you got the "Outside air combustion" option )
All the way to the left is wide open for lighting . Hopefully it may be something simple like that .
Maybe it was in the open position a month ago when it performed well and it got bumped in between ?

The manual I saw :

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sbiweb.blob.core.windows.net

 

[cg21]

I looked your stove up online . ( Not sure of your exact model , but I saw one that looked very similar ) In the manual it talks of the air adjustments . (but you stated there were none ? )
It says there is one located under the front shelf . ( unless you got the "Outside air combustion" option )
All the way to the left is wide open for lighting . Hopefully it may be something simple like that .
Maybe it was in the open position a month ago when it performed well and it got bumped in between ?

The manual I saw :

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sbiweb.blob.core.windows.net

View attachment 320804

Yes that is open.

 

[cg21]

Yes that is open.

Drolet bistro

 

[bocefus78]

Honestly I can’t get a fire to last….. I shut the door because smoke is coming in and the fire goes out

And I had no issues for the previous month

This will be hard to believe but my money says your wood is not as dry as you think. Try this and I bet you will have a xmas eve fire with no issues.

From a cold stove:

Shut off all items that move air in your home. Dryer, furnace, bathroom vent etc.

Open the closest door or window to the stove.

Open stove air all the way.

Roll up 2x 10x10 pieces of cardboard from a soda or beer case and place in bottom of stove.

Load stove with kiln dried 2x4 lumber split in half.Half full should do. First piece goes in from front to back on one side. Others go sideways on top of first piece allowing air underneath. Airflow is the key here. Think log cabin style stacking

Light stove. Keep stove door slightly open for 2 to 3 minutes but watch for flying embers.

Close door, watch fire, and laugh that it was the wood all along.

That will show you that it's the wood you're using and not the stove.

Ps...what tipped me off was your post a few pages back about oak logs laying on the ground for 2 years. Once those 2x4 pieces burn down but still have flames, add 1 piece of your firewood.....I bet it smokes and hisses water out the ends. Oak takes 2 full years split and stacked off the ground to dry to 20% moisture

 

[t-squared]

Honestly I can’t get a fire to last….. I shut the door because smoke is coming in and the fire goes out

And I had no issues for the previous month

Ok. So, your fire starting method, what is it?

 

[bocefus78]

Forgot to add...if you are near noblesville, I'll give you a wheelbarrow full of known dry wood for your xmas fires.

 

[cg21]

Ok why won’t wet wood smoke go out the chimney??? If that is the issue???

 

[cg21]

Right now I have a little fire going…. The second I open the door smoke comes pouring into the house

 

[cg21]

My wife is at the gas station getting one of those dried packs of wood I have to figure this out it’s driving me insane

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Right now I have a little fire going…. The second I open the door smoke comes pouring into the house

Does it have a damper? You may have answered that already and I missed it.

 

[cg21]

Ok. So, your fire starting method, what is it?

So before I stacked a small pile of kindling 2x4 scraps underneath a bunch of logs used my propane torch 1 minute walked away done off to the races.

 

[cg21]

Does it have a damper? You may have answered that already and I missed it.

It does and it is open. And functions I looked underneath it is opening and closing