Checking Smoke Opacity

I'll check my stack sometimes just to see whats going on. If I'm outside I'll glance at it, if I'm inside I may peek at it. I've gone outside a few times at night with a flashlight too. I know if the secondaries are going I'm clean. If its snowing, I'll definitely go out and look at it right after a fresh start. Theres just something comforting with seeing smoke coming out of the stack when its snowing. A few moments later, ambience goes away with a clean burn. :lol:

SmokingAndPoking said:

We are having a debate at work on whether the typical customer cares about the smoke output of their unit. I'm a constant smoke checker and when I'm running a wood stove, I'm outside all the time to see how I'm doing. I'll glance up at the stack any time I walk outside and also make some trips outside just to check my smoke opacity. How about you? Give me an answer in the poll below!

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The group that posts here is not your typical customer.

BrowningBAR said:

SmokingAndPoking said:

We are having a debate at work on whether the typical customer cares about the smoke output of their unit. I'm a constant smoke checker and when I'm running a wood stove, I'm outside all the time to see how I'm doing. I'll glance up at the stack any time I walk outside and also make some trips outside just to check my smoke opacity. How about you? Give me an answer in the poll below!

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The group that posts here is not your typical customer.

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^^ This definitely.

I'll check it on reloads once and a while.
But other than that I just look at it when I'm outside doing something or on my way out somewhere or on the way back.
Sometimes after it's been on low all day and snowing hard outside, I'll go out after a reload and watch all the icicles melt off the chimney cap

I rarely ever (only when it's 20+mph winds, and very little at that) see any smoke coming from the stack other than for 5-10min on reload... Then she billows pretty hard on reloads. But as soon as the cat catches up and there are secondaries in the box, it's clean for the next 20-30 hours.

But I doubt the average wood burner cares. They just want to throw their green wood in there, and expect max heat from it.

I look when am outside if i have a fire. I mainly go by what i see inside the firebox and my temps.

BrowningBAR said:

...The group that posts here is not your typical customer.

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At least not after they've been here in our community for a bit. I know whether or not either of my stoves is smoking without going outside to check. I know my stoves, I know my fuel, and I know my burning routine. Start-up from cold & reload...those are the only times I'll make some smoke, and only until the stove gets up to a good temp (which normally doesn't take very long). Rick

I seldom ever check so I cannot vote as that option is missing. If I check once or twice a season, I cannot say never but never is the closest in so far as options.

BeGreen said:

I look at most everyone else's too.

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Glad I'm not the only one! I catch myself doing it all the time, and wondering if there's no smoke, if it's someone doing it right or just not burning at the time...

I look at mine all the time. Noticed a house that I know has an EPA wood stove the other day that had alot of blueish smoke coming out. Could have been on reload but looked even too much for that.

Great question and poll. When I began the season, I checked every cycle. Just recently, I'll probably check every other or 1 out of 3 loads. I can definitely see this decreasing as I get more lazy. Whenever I'm in the yard or getting in/out of the car that is the first thing I look at. It's comical when company visits and it's cold...they'll ask, "where you going?" I'll say, "Checking the Stack". I'm sure you know the look.

I put once a day but it's really not even that. I used to check a lot more but it's boring to continually look up and see no smoke. :cheese: I know pretty much that when I engage my cat and it starts to climb, the smoke has disappeared.

My wife and I were driving somewhere the other day and she saw my head snap around. She said, did you see some wood? I said no I was looking at that chimney back there. Smoke anywhere catches my attention.

Going out to look at the stack isn't too bad....when I first installed my class A...everyday for quite awhile, I climbed into the attic and put my hands on it..."Will this thing really not get too hot?????" LOL
Now, I'm quite content just to let the class A be all by itself in the attic.

Yep, look often. Been known to check the internet weather winds to determine which way to go around the house - love to catch the smell.

I am in the habit of checking frequently when out and about on the property as a habit from when we had our non-EPA stove and family members were apt to run it in "smother" mode. I commented to a neighbor about the lack of smoke from our PH, and she noted it was nice to see some smoke from a chimney because it made a place look lived-in. I have to agree (a wisp, not smudge, of course).

1st and 2nd year it was every hour, 3rd year it was a few times a day, now on the 4th year it's once a day just to double check. Now I'm planning on changing stoves this summer so next year I'll be back to the every hour peek again.

I think the key in your statement is "typical customer" to which I would say, they don't look and don't care because they don't know.

I've gone out just too many times to count. Have thought about setting up a cheapo webcam on the roof that views the flue top. I have the sickness bad, I tell ya.

When I first started this season with this Encore, I went outside on every reload and even at night if I awoke. Now I know the flue gas temperature that starts the cat and confirm that with the stove top temperature. The chimneys are not visible from the approaches to the house, so I seldom see them, but when I do, they are awesome clean cranking.

These modern stoves are fantastic. Temps in the first floor/basement had been drifting down over the past few weeks, so yesterday I ran one load of wood through the Atlanta stove while the Encore was burning upstairs. I went out to check the chimneys and both were shimmering smoke free beauties. Thankfully, this forum brought me out of the stone age wrt fire. I am a believer.

All the time.. I have a webcam pointed at stack.

Treacherous said:

All the time.. I have a webcam pointed at stack.

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Is there a URL where I can watch it??

woodgeek said:

Treacherous said:

All the time.. I have a webcam pointed at stack.

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Is there a URL where I can watch it??

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I did have it published out without authentication. Unfortunately doesn't support HTTPS so I have to tunnel in via a SSH tunnel when I want to view remotely.

Treacherous said:

All the time.. I have a webcam pointed at stack.

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OMG I'm outa here. This forum is officially over the top. Can't to tell my wood boiler buddies this one. They already think I'm a geek just for being on the forum.

wkpoor said:

Treacherous said:

All the time.. I have a webcam pointed at stack.

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OMG I'm outa here. This forum is officially over the top. Can't to tell my wood boiler buddies this one. They already think I'm a geek just for being on the forum.

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My wife is a techie too...but she thinks I'm crazy when I am streaming it through the Wii browser so I can display in on the TV.