Can anybody give me advice on why my secondary air tubes stopped working. The stove is about five years old. The tubes worked great untill last year. Now im getting a lot of smoke untill the fire is burning real hot. Im wondering if i need to clean the stove better. I usually scoop all the ashes out and brush what ashes are left thru the grates. Does the stove need vacumned? I bought a ash vacumn but it didnt hardly have any suction so i took it back to the store.
hearthstone heritage secondary air tubes not working
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Grisu
Minister of Fire
Welcome to the forum!
Secondaries depend on the firebox being hot enough that the volatile gases from the wood can ignite. Some ash in the bottom of the firebox will insulate it and therefore help secondary combustion by making the firebox hotter. I usually leave about 1/2 inch spread out over the bottom when cleaning the stove.
Lots of smoke at the startup could also be a sign of wood that is not dry (= below 20% internal moisture). How long has it been split and stacked in a sunny and windy location? Has the moisture content been confirmed by splitting a few pieces in half and measuring the fresh surface with a moisture meter?
Any changes to the house that could have made it more airtight like weathersealing, new windows etc.? All that can make it harder for the stove to draft well which would explain smoke spillage and missing secondaries. When was the last time the chimney was cleaned? How tall is it and what kind (class A, masonry with liner etc.)?
Secondaries depend on the firebox being hot enough that the volatile gases from the wood can ignite. Some ash in the bottom of the firebox will insulate it and therefore help secondary combustion by making the firebox hotter. I usually leave about 1/2 inch spread out over the bottom when cleaning the stove.
Lots of smoke at the startup could also be a sign of wood that is not dry (= below 20% internal moisture). How long has it been split and stacked in a sunny and windy location? Has the moisture content been confirmed by splitting a few pieces in half and measuring the fresh surface with a moisture meter?
Any changes to the house that could have made it more airtight like weathersealing, new windows etc.? All that can make it harder for the stove to draft well which would explain smoke spillage and missing secondaries. When was the last time the chimney was cleaned? How tall is it and what kind (class A, masonry with liner etc.)?
There havent been any changes to the house. The chimney is a double wall insulated stainless steel going straight thru the roof. It is on the lower side of the roof so it is about 7 feet above the roof and about 13 feet total in length. I dont have a draw problem or spillage in the house, it smokes a lot out the chimney, and my glass door is getting very dirty. I don`t have a moisture meter and i do know some of the wood sizzles. Most of my wood is from logs that were cut a couple years ago but i just split them this fall. I put most of them on long skids to season but but about four ranks on the covered front porch to use. I picked the lighter weight splits to put on the porch to use thinking if the were lighter they were seasoned.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
The secondary air comes from the same hole as the primary on that stove. I doubt your secondary air is clogged, it is more likely that your fire is too cold for secondaries. Split drier wood smaller.
Grisu
Minister of Fire
Your problem is simply wet wood. Wood does not dry when still in logs and one or two months during the fall are not enough to get it to acceptable levels. I highly recommend to split the wood and stack it in a sunny and windy spot at least two summers before you want to burn it. That way it will almost surely be seasoned (very dense hardwoods like and oak and hickory may actually need 3 years to dry out).
For now, I would suggest split it thin, put it inside for some time before burning, and supplement with dry wood like lumber scraps or buy some compressed wood logs like Envi-blocks, Bio-Bricks etc. A moisture meter may help in sorting the pile into drier and wet pieces. Make sure to measure the wood at room temp.
Please clean your chimney often or you may soon have a chimney fire. 13 ft of chimney is also on the short side. Don't know the specs for the Heritage but most manufacturers recommend at least 15 ft of minimum length for the flue.
I get and spilt my own wood when i can get it. Right now I have a deal with a guy that that has a woods with a power line right of way. the utility company came thru and cut a bunch of trees down and cut most of them to stove length. I have already split 15 large truck loads. He is letting me have 3/4 of the wood. Im wondering if i should just let it season another year and buy some for this winter. The stove gets very hot 400- 450 degrees on top of the center stone. I do know it takes longer to heat up when the wood sizzles. But even with very dry wood that about starts with a match and takes off real fast the air tubes hardly work, just an occasional puff. Thats what makes me think the stove might need a better cleaning. Should i get a shop-vac and clean it better. The chimney is cleaned every spring and only has a light coating of dust. Just pushing the brush down and back out and its clean.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
The wood was cut down about two years ago but just recently split. I know there is some red oak in there and is still wet. its on skids to season. I split my wood about the size of a 4x4 average with some a little larger and some smaller. Even when i buy wood i end up with wood that isnt seasoned enough because it seems people cut in the spring and summer and want to get their money so they sell it the in fall and winter of the same year. I only buy from one guy now that splits the wood smaller. He only charges me $150 for a chord and $10 to deliver. His wood seems to burn well but i can still get some splits from the same load that arn`t seasoned enough.
How small? im sitting here answering several people and i appreciate the help. I just replied to another guy and told him i split 4x4 size splits average.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
If they're sizzling, smoking, and not getting hot fast enough then cut those in half and load such that there are lots of spaces. Make it an experiment, split an armload once more and try it.
4x4 is about as big as I would go with excellent quality wood.
OK thanks i will spit some smaller maybe 2x3 and bring it in the house to warm up and maybe dry a bit. i have a small wood rack in the nouse about 1x2 feet. that is all i need for a day unless its bitter cold and might burn a wheelbarrow load. but i think you guys are right because i seem to be using more wood because it takes a bigger load in the stove to get it hot.
Damp wood is a possible candidate, but has the stove also been thoroughly checked over? A couple areas to check would be to make sure the secondary tubes are still secure in the manifold and to make sure the baffle board is in place correctly and not cracked or with a hole in it. Then, check to make sure that there isn't a pile of soot sitting under the flue collar on the baffle. And be sure the chimney is clean, especially the chimney cap screen.
Oops you got me there. I did have a small piece of the the baffle board fall off. I found it in the ashes last spring. I was hesitant to use the stove again untill i got it fixed. it is a triangle shaped piece from the right rear corner measuring about 2 1/2 inches. but the flames and smoke still pull forward towards the door and exit out where they are supposed too. I will get a replacement baffle ordered real quick. the reason i didnt allready order it is ive been off work for six months and didnt have the money. So do you think with a hole in the baffle could cause that? The baffle is in place and the air tubes are attached to it with cotter pins.
The flue gases are going to take the path of least resistance. With a fully intact baffle they have no choice but to move to the front of the stove in order to wrap around the baffle. En route these gases get mixed and turbulated with secondary air before wrapping around the baffle. With a hole in the back a certain percentage of the flue gases are heading right up the chimney. It sounds like this may be the issue. As a test you could take a flat square of metal and carefully slide it under the baffle's missing piece to block off that area. If the stove performs much better then a permanent fix will bring the stove back to proper performance. Let us know how you make out.
Hey thanks. That sounds Like excellent advice. I will try covering the hole to test it. I will still order a new baffle. i just got back to work this week just in time for the holidays, my boss hates it when things work out that ha ha.
gyrfalcon
Minister of Fire
I bet it's that hole in the baffle. I had that happen a couple years ago with the smaller Hearthstone Tribute I used to have, and the result was just what you describe. These stoves just plain don't work without an intact baffle.
BobUrban
Minister of Fire
I have heard of some using a piece of dura rock in place of a broken baffle - may be an easy option to verify the issue if you have some?
gyrfalcon
Minister of Fire
Been there, done that, and it doesn't last more than a few days. You can limp by with a series of them while waiting for a real replacement baffle, but it's no good as more than a very short-term temporary solution.
thanks, thats good to know. im going to order a new baffle but i am also going to test it with a piece of sheet metal like begreen said. I did split some smaller pieces like highbeam said and criss crossed them in the stove and it started burning faster and got up to temperature a lot faster. I dd watch the stove and the secondarys are working some but the flames are real yellow and lots of smoke so it is kind of hard to see the secondary combustion but it is working some.
Earlier this fall and winter I was running a Buck 51. We were very impressed with it's performance! One day I was laying on the floor and noticed a brick missing in the back of the baffle! I forgot to replace it. After I replaced the brick it acted like a different stove. I had to learn the stove all over again! A missing chunk of baffle will make a huge difference!
Yes others have told me about the hole in the baffle. this stove is a soapstone stove with no firebricks. I am getting it warm in the house today then im gonna let th stove go cold and try and put a oiece of metal over the hole to test it. i am ordering a replacement baffle too. Thanks for the help.
When the flow of gases is disrupted in modern stoves the result is often imbalanced and less than ideal. I saw this in the F3CB with an air leak. It made me realize how nicely tuned and balanced these new stoves are.
hey thanks, the video makes it look easy to change the baffle. im gonna go to that site and check prices on baffles.
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