smoke coming out my ash clean out door

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

nrcrash

Member
Apr 17, 2012
165
MA
periodically I have smoke coming out of the ash clean out door on the bottom of my chimney during a burn. I think it is occurring when there is some bridging since I am using wood which is wetter then I would like to burn.... :( It was a long winter..... Is the wet wood and bridging causing to much smoke for the chimney to handle and it is just pushing out the bottom of the chimney? Should I try sealing the door to prevent this?
 
I would take a look through your chimney if you can to see if it's blocked with soot and creosote.

If the chimney is straight you can usually take a small mirror in your hand and look up through that clean-out door during the day and hopefully see the surface of the chimney liner all the way to sunlight. It helps to have the light off in the basement for a bit to let your eyes adjust to the dimness.

A chimney won't have to be constricted much to have a big effect on the draft.
 
Poor wood and idling clogs our flue cap spark arrestor screen. In the past with lots of idling and less than ideal wood I needed to get up on my roof and clean the screen as much as 3 times/season. When clogged it obviously hurts performance and see more smoke rollout when loading. The soot falls off with a brush and by bumping. Just not so easy to get up there. When I can't see daylight thru the screen I know it's time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.