Hi I'm fairly new to using a wood stove, and I have a couple of questions.
This year I started using the wood stove about 6 weeks ago and we only fire it up in the evenings for about 6 hours during the weekdays and about 10 hrs a day on the weekends. The first couple of weeks the burning was going well with the "afterburners" lighting up throughout the burn, and then one day it seemed the stove was getting too hot for my liking 600F (I have a thermostat in my double-walled pipe, about 16 inches above the stove). So I closed the damper and it continued on for a while (it freaked me out, as to me I lost control as the damper was fully closed and the pipe should have started cooling, and didn't, the after-burners just kept going). I searched here and found some replies that 400F should be a good flu temp. So I tried to keep the stove flue around 350-450, and as a result the "afterburners" would only light up once in a while and not very strong). The stove glass doesn't clean itself and I noticed a shiny-black coating forming on the inside of the stove on the left and right side of the glass door.
Also when I went through one part of my seasoned wood outside I noticed the wood behind that row had turned dark and a white hairy (mold?) covered most of it. That was the wood I was counting on for this year as I only have unseasoned wood left. I took a few of that wood and split it, the inside looks good and the moisture content is 20% or less. The only "wet" area is under the bark, and that normally comes off so it evaporates off the wood before I burn it (I have it stacked by the wood stove).
My questions are, is that moldy wood still ok to burn if I split them into smaller pieces? I been burning these splits for the last 3 weeks or so, and noticed there seems to me more turning to coal and less flames, maybe I damper down to quickly? If not can I use unseasoned birch and ash if I dry them out by the wood stove (I tried a couple of pieces and the moisture reading after 4 days by the wood stove is 18%, but is it still considered "green").
Also, my inside pipe goes up about 24" then there is a 90 degree turn, and then goes through the wall to the outside chimney, do I need to inspect it after 3 weeks of "not-so-good" burning? If so, I do not have a brush to clean it out with, what can I use instead? (I'm picking up a brush tomorrow).
One more thing I also noticed in the mornings some of the ashes are dark-brown while some are white, is that normal?
Thanks for your time and answers. Be gentle, I'm new.
edit: after-burners means secondaries, I just remembered that is what they are called.
This year I started using the wood stove about 6 weeks ago and we only fire it up in the evenings for about 6 hours during the weekdays and about 10 hrs a day on the weekends. The first couple of weeks the burning was going well with the "afterburners" lighting up throughout the burn, and then one day it seemed the stove was getting too hot for my liking 600F (I have a thermostat in my double-walled pipe, about 16 inches above the stove). So I closed the damper and it continued on for a while (it freaked me out, as to me I lost control as the damper was fully closed and the pipe should have started cooling, and didn't, the after-burners just kept going). I searched here and found some replies that 400F should be a good flu temp. So I tried to keep the stove flue around 350-450, and as a result the "afterburners" would only light up once in a while and not very strong). The stove glass doesn't clean itself and I noticed a shiny-black coating forming on the inside of the stove on the left and right side of the glass door.
Also when I went through one part of my seasoned wood outside I noticed the wood behind that row had turned dark and a white hairy (mold?) covered most of it. That was the wood I was counting on for this year as I only have unseasoned wood left. I took a few of that wood and split it, the inside looks good and the moisture content is 20% or less. The only "wet" area is under the bark, and that normally comes off so it evaporates off the wood before I burn it (I have it stacked by the wood stove).
My questions are, is that moldy wood still ok to burn if I split them into smaller pieces? I been burning these splits for the last 3 weeks or so, and noticed there seems to me more turning to coal and less flames, maybe I damper down to quickly? If not can I use unseasoned birch and ash if I dry them out by the wood stove (I tried a couple of pieces and the moisture reading after 4 days by the wood stove is 18%, but is it still considered "green").
Also, my inside pipe goes up about 24" then there is a 90 degree turn, and then goes through the wall to the outside chimney, do I need to inspect it after 3 weeks of "not-so-good" burning? If so, I do not have a brush to clean it out with, what can I use instead? (I'm picking up a brush tomorrow).
One more thing I also noticed in the mornings some of the ashes are dark-brown while some are white, is that normal?
Thanks for your time and answers. Be gentle, I'm new.
edit: after-burners means secondaries, I just remembered that is what they are called.
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