crackling noises

Would appreciate opinions and other people's experiences on this. I have crackling noises both in my stove and my pipe when they are heating up--the hotter and faster the more crackling. I read some old posts that said this could be small creosote fires. However, I just had the chimney swept in December, and after 3 months of burning (including many shoulder season fires) there was only about a cup of powdery creosote with a couple of shiny flaky pieces. Also, I get no black on my glass and the inside of my stove looks clean. There is some brown stuff near the door on the sides but when I scrape it it just looks like powder.

As far as my burning habits, I believe I am burning dry wood because it flames right up on a bed of coals. THere have been times when there has been smoke coming out of the chimney longer than I would like, mostly on new fires, but then often there is no smoke within a few minutes of reloading. I usually get my single wall up to about 500 within 10 minutes on a reload, or less, and then the stove heats up to at least 600 within another 10 minutes. New fires are much less efficient but really since the cleaning I only did new loads when we have had warm spells.

Is it possible that this crackling is just normal sounds from the metal adjusting to changes is temperature.

I also notice that when the temp on the stack unexpectedly goes to a new high because I have reloaded with too many coals, I get that new stack smell--like when it was curing. The stove was installed in May--Alderlea T5.

BobUrban said:

normal. Heat and steel = expansion - cooling = contraction so you will here it on the way up and down to different degrees. At some point you will be able to hear what temp your stove is getting to without looking and know when to shut down the primary air.

Installed in May means it "may" not be fully cured so every time you get to a higher temp than ever before you smell it a bit. I saw 800 for the first time on the 30 a couple weeks ago and after 1.5yrs of burning the smell was there. That and/or something burned like the dust mentioned above or some creo flakes from the cleaning that had not gotten hot enough before and again - normal. Wait until the first couple fires next fall and you burn off any dust that collected in the off months - you will smell it.

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thanks guys--I figured all of the above was true but just wanted to make sure. And I was just noticing that it does indeed make noises as the temp is dropping as well. Love this forum

begreen said:

I've noted that some stove manuals advice about these noises in their manuals to allay concerns.

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meager manual

one more question--maybe should be new post---my stovepipe is beginning to lose some of its black--ghostly white blotches, mostly nearer to the stove but also trailing up the the second section. Is this sign of a poor quality pipe? It is new as of about a year ago.

BobUrban said:

Single wall? Dbl wall? Cheap pipe? Got a little hot? Pics?

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single wall not sure quality of pipe--that is what I was hoping to find out--has happened slowly over time.

dyerkutn said:

single wall not sure quality of pipe--that is what I was hoping to find out--has happened slowly over time.View attachment 125345View attachment 125346View attachment 125347View attachment 125345

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oops--messed up on getting the pics in there right side up and repeated one--kind of new at this.

HotCoals said:

That shield behind the flue is interesting ..can you tell me about it?

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THe stove was short on clearance from back of the pipe to the half wall behind it, just from the top of the stove to the top of the half wall. That is a distance of about 1 foot. The stove itself has a heat shield on the back. So the extra shield makes it like a double wall for that short distance to meet clearance requirement.

I have a very tight space and had to get a stove with the least clearance requirements for floor and half wall.