Clogged Secondary tubes?

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fph9999

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Mar 10, 2010
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I have a Regency R14 which is very similar to a Regency i2400.

Recently, I noticed that there is no secondary flame. It looks like that there is no hot combustion air coming out of the secondary tubes. I am going to take a shop vac to clean out the secondary tubes.

Does anyone else have had this problem before and how best to clean out the secondary vents?
 
The stove top temp is over 300 F and the wood is dry.
Under similar conditions, I see flames from the secondary tubes. Now, no matter how I set the air inlet setting, there is no flames.
I can visibly see the unburnt smoke and more evidence of creosote.
 
I do not own the same model as you BUT, I never get secondary flames unless I'm around 450 or higher on my stovetop. Obviously we have different stoves but I would guess that you have wood with more moister than usual thus cooling the inside temps and not allowing the secondaries to fire up.
 
Wondering if it's a draft issue. When was the last time you swept the flue or maybe weather warmed up a lot? Secondary air is pulled in with good draft. I don't have a regency but 300 F doesn't sound too hot to me.
 
I always turn on the insert fan at low speed. With this setting, I can seldom keep my stove above 300F, no matter how large a fire I maintain. I keep my thermometer on the top of the stove.

The moisture content is less than 20% (probably between 15-20%). I keep my wood in a covered shed and the mix of wood that I am presently burning is seasoned at least 2 years.

I watch the stove operatre quite closely and noticed that there is no secondary where, in the past, there were lots of secondary action. So, next week, I will do a full soot eater clean as well as shop vac the secondary vents. Perhaps there is more creosote up the liner than I anticipated.
 
I don't think the tubes can get clogged up. I've never heard of this. I'm betting its the wood and/or partially clogged chimney.
 
Agreed. The secondary tubes are kept clean by draft pulling air through them. It's unlikely they are plugged. A plugged chimney cap screen however is a common problem.
 
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Since all of your variables have remained constant The only variable always changing is your creosote build up levels, I would bank on that being the cause. Your on the right track with a good cleaning I bet. One question though. Do you see any smoke coming out of your chimney outside?
 
I can't imagine any scenario likely to result in clogged secondary tubes...nor can I imagine just what in the world would clog them. If the secondaries aren't firing, the stove's not hot enough...sounds like a draft problem to me, as well. Rick
 
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fph9999 said:
I always turn on the insert fan at low speed. With this setting, I can seldom keep my stove above 300F, no matter how large a fire I maintain.
Click to expand...
Take the temp with a IR gun. ..the fan will throw your gauge way off.
 
fph9999 said:
I always turn on the insert fan at low speed. With this setting, I can seldom keep my stove above 300F, no matter how large a fire I maintain. I keep my thermometer on the top of the stove.

The moisture content is less than 20% (probably between 15-20%). I keep my wood in a covered shed and the mix of wood that I am presently burning is seasoned at least 2 years.

I watch the stove operatre quite closely and noticed that there is no secondary where, in the past, there were lots of secondary action. So, next week, I will do a full soot eater clean as well as shop vac the secondary vents. Perhaps there is more creosote up the liner than I anticipated.
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity.. how are you determining this? I have 2 year C/S/S wood that is still near 30%. Without using a moisture meter on fresh split face, a person is at best, guessing. I don't have your stove, but I have taken a couple different tube stoves apart, and there is virtually no way to clog those tubes. They are pretty much sealed from the fire box and draw air from outside the stove.

My guess is the wood is not as dry as you hope, and/or chimney or cap is clogged, although that seems to always include "smoke in the house" issues.
 
Fuel not where you think it is % moisture wise as mentioned same with flue although it might not be the flue, but possibly a build up of ash in side stove prior to the flue outlet( this would be above any baffle).
 
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Differing stoves and different locations to determine the temp may be involved but most here consider 300 as a starting point - ie. time to re-load. At 300 I am not even shutting the air down yet and cruise at 600+ with 700+ seen often when needed.

Turn up the air and Let er eat!!
 
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I'm not familiar with your stove or how far you have gone to check the problem but whenever I notice the secondaries not firing right in my stove it means I have knocked the baffle boards out of place.
 
300 stove top doesn't even sound like there's a hot fire burning. My stove top generally reaches 300 about 20 minutes into a cold restart just burning kindling. My secondaries don't generally kick in until the stove top is at least 500. My guess is the wood isn't dry enough.
 
The burn tubes can accumulate scale junk on the outside which could possibly plug up the holes. It will be on the outside though and visible.

I have often tun the shop vac nozzle across each tube over those holes to suck em out. Can't hurt. I doubt that the normal dust and dog hair being sucked into the stoves intakes could block the tubes from the inside.
 
I definitely concur with either a wood problem or a draft issue. Maybe your liner burst a seam? Maybe you are digging into a more wet section of the wood pile? I know from first hand experience that when I ran into the same situation as you it was definitely the wood. Somehow I hit a moist patch. Drove me crazy until I tried some kiln dried that burned perfectly.
 
10 to 1 it's the wood!
 
Chimney Smoke said:
300 stove top doesn't even sound like there's a hot fire burning. My stove top generally reaches 300 about 20 minutes into a cold restart just burning kindling. My secondaries don't generally kick in until the stove top is at least 500. My guess is the wood isn't dry enough.
Click to expand...
I don't get secondaries till at least 350-450 on the stovetop unless there is a bunch of kindling firing off warming it up, or it is a fire dying down coming down from a stovetop of 500-600.
If the wood is sizzling, the water will need to boil off(to a degree) before the secondaires will go good.
If the tubes are still black, probably didn't have a hot enough fire to get secondaries going in the first place. After a long hot fire (stovetop>500) the tubes usually self clean.
 
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I am with Tarzan, check the baffles. Same thing happen to me and one of the baffle tiles got knocked out of place. once I moved it back all was well again.
 
I did a sweep with the sooteater today. With my 15 ft, 5" chimney liner, I was able to get about 2 gallons of brownish soot. I did a burn and the secondaries are firing now. So, it must have been the soot build-up in the liner.
 
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Glad you found the problem and glad you posted.
 
Glad you got all that creosote out of your chimney before it caught fire.
Two gallons of creosote could have got a pretty good chimney fire going.
 
2 gallons! I still think you need to burn hotter and/or let that wood season more. As others have said, I don't even expect secondaries until 400F.

Te
 
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