Oslo. Black stuff dripping out of bottom rear of stove.

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marajade

marajade

Member
Nov 6, 2014
81
Massachusetts
This is like the 4th real day burning. We set fires last weekend and then started up again last night and then today with the blizzard. We've been running the stove around 450-500/550... although we haven't been real successful at "cruising" yet. We are still a bit timid with loading the stove full but are being careful to keep the stove temps out of "creosote" zone. We are learning. Therefore we've had the damper open quite a bit, but today we did a better job of running the fire for a few hours with the damper at half.

Mostly burning very dry wood around 10% but yesterday i got a load of stuff that is 19-22% and we've been mixing that in a little bit. Its not ideal wood so I figured we'd mix it in gingerly with the dry stuff?

I just found a puddle of black stuff under the stove, the size of a small pancake. It was to the rear... sort of under where the pipe is. I tried to get my head under there best I could and nothing is currently dripping. I maybe see some drippy looking cement(?) near a bottom seam, but it looks most likely like it came from the 3" diameter (or so) hole that is at the bottom rear of the stove, behind the heat shield. It was easy to wipe up off the concrete. It was wet. I was scared it would stain so I wiped it up before I took a photo.

What is that? Should I worry?
 
If I remember correctly some folks in the past have had a bit of a mess on the first few burns with this gunk coming from the stove . . . cannot remember why or what it was exactly . . . and it doesn't happen every time for every new stove owner . . . assuming of course that this isn't creosote coming from the flue pipe.
 
That is normal and will go away soon with regular burning. I've heard it's moisture coming out of the interior cement. Our Castine did the same thing.
 
Last edited:
firefighterjake said:
If I remember correctly some folks in the past have had a bit of a mess on the first few burns with this gunk coming from the stove . . . cannot remember why or what it was exactly . . . and it doesn't happen every time for every new stove owner . . . assuming of course that this isn't creosote coming from the flue pipe.
Click to expand...

would i win some sort of award if i built up enough creosote to make it rain creosote within a week? :)

once the wood is done with the flames and we want to stop reloading we've just been opening up the damper to let the coals burn themselves down as quick as possible. we are trying to not let the stove linger under 400
 
marajade said:
would i win some sort of award if i built up enough creosote to make it rain creosote within a week? :)

once the wood is done with the flames and we want to stop reloading we've just been opening up the damper to let the coals burn themselves down as quick as possible. we are trying to not let the stove linger under 400
Click to expand...

If you don't want to reload the stove and just want the fire to die you can certainly open up the air control and let the coals burn down . . . or you can just leave things be with the result being that your coals stay hotter longer, the stove stays warmer longer and the fire goes out eventually.

Once you've reached the coaling stage creosote is not a major concern since all, or most of, the bad stuff is all burned up and there is no moisture left.
 
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^^ aha! exactly what i wanted to know! thanks jake.

if this is a cap, then yes i have a cap... also i checked... my chimney is still there :)
053713131981lg.jpg
 
Looking good! I'd say it's a cycle more than cruising. When I have outside temps that I need to keep the stove temps at a constant temp, (cruising) I reload a piece or two as it starts comeing down. But most of the time I get away with a few loads getting the stove top temp up to 300 to 400 and let is burn down to coals at 200 before reloading. If your getting cold starts going with out them smoldering and dying and stove temps north of 500F, your wood must be ok. Most first year burners don't have good to wood.
 
When starting a fire from cold start, there can be a lost of moisture inside the stove & piping.
I see it when I start my stove from cold in the shoulder season. Can see condensation inside the stove literally dripping/running down the inside of the insert.
Once burning 24/7, this no longer exists, until starting from a cold start again.
Between any cement, and the cold start, this may be what you're experiencing.
 
Yeah.... We are still getting a little dripping on cold starts.

Man oh man.... We've had like 4' of snow recently. It's a rough ride this winter.
 
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