over the last few years since my untimely chimney fire (feb. 2012), we've had great success burning our Harman sf160 smoke dragon. Three weeks ago, I had the chimney swept and oddly the sweep got nearly nothing out of the pipe (usually yields a large coffee can of gray ash and dry black soot). About four days after his visit, I noticed the unit would puff in when I opened it and the flame was very dark orange and "lazy". Checked the draft----only at .04. I called him back: he returned to find my topper and the top few inches of the pipe plugged nearly solid with dry black soot (usually sweeps from the basement clean out up and then pulls everything down) He cleaned everything again and got the usual findings (figured it hung up for some reason from the last visit so he swept down from the roof this time). Draft was .08-.10 with wind gusts taking slightly higher occasionally. That was a week ago yesterday. Today---stove was lazy starting with the draft door open and the cap looks black as ever up there. Draft was at .05-.06.
I'm burning the same way with the same amount of air intake as I have for the last three seasons. The unit NEVER IDLES---air intake is always propped open about 3/8" on the bottom. It burns out at night and I relight in the morning. Have about 30% of the shaker grate covered with steel plates to preserve coals for the mornings and maintains a nice glowing orange bed of coals during regular burning. Never burn more than five splits at a time---usually 2 to 3. Lots of fine light gray ash on the loading door and inside the fire box---I've never had the 1/4" buildup of creosote harman says is normal on the inside of the fire box. Stack temp (measured 18" off the collar) usually hovers around 250-300, 350 after putting in a couple fresh splits and calms down to around 200-250 as the wood burns down prior to loading. Usually do a 500 degree hot burn once per week.
Approx. 25' of 7" stainless insulated double wall flue pipe, topper is 18" off the top of the chase, and the topper is expanded metal stainless mesh approx 8" tall---no wind shielding.
I'm burning two-year old seasoned wood (always top-covered) 80% oak and other species like locust, small amount of maple, a dash of holly. The only difference this year compared to previous years, I'm burning some sweet gum I got from a roadside scrounge--- I'd say lately each heaping wheelbarrow has about three or four gum splits in it on average, but that's not consistent.
Any thoughts on why I'm getting plugged up with black soot in a weeks time?
I'm burning the same way with the same amount of air intake as I have for the last three seasons. The unit NEVER IDLES---air intake is always propped open about 3/8" on the bottom. It burns out at night and I relight in the morning. Have about 30% of the shaker grate covered with steel plates to preserve coals for the mornings and maintains a nice glowing orange bed of coals during regular burning. Never burn more than five splits at a time---usually 2 to 3. Lots of fine light gray ash on the loading door and inside the fire box---I've never had the 1/4" buildup of creosote harman says is normal on the inside of the fire box. Stack temp (measured 18" off the collar) usually hovers around 250-300, 350 after putting in a couple fresh splits and calms down to around 200-250 as the wood burns down prior to loading. Usually do a 500 degree hot burn once per week.
Approx. 25' of 7" stainless insulated double wall flue pipe, topper is 18" off the top of the chase, and the topper is expanded metal stainless mesh approx 8" tall---no wind shielding.
I'm burning two-year old seasoned wood (always top-covered) 80% oak and other species like locust, small amount of maple, a dash of holly. The only difference this year compared to previous years, I'm burning some sweet gum I got from a roadside scrounge--- I'd say lately each heaping wheelbarrow has about three or four gum splits in it on average, but that's not consistent.
Any thoughts on why I'm getting plugged up with black soot in a weeks time?
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. Keeps the moisture out and the birds from making and kind of lodging/filling of the flue. 
