Cleaned my chimney for the first time in 2 yrs

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mark cline

Minister of Fire
Dec 20, 2012
795
Cattaraugus, NY
A few days ago , I cleaned my chimney for the first time in 2 yrs... I did check it after 1 yr and didn't want to go back down the ladder to get the brush , because there was just dust in the pipe. So onto year 2 , brush in hand , I got on the roof and took the cap off. It looked the same as it was a year earlier. I had the brush with me so I gave it a quick scrub and only collected about a cup and half of dust . A combination of dry wood and the phenomenal secondary air system on my Mansfield burned about 6 cord only to leave a minimal amount of creosote. Can't ask for more than that .
 
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Clean living.
 
Just want to say that I will be a first time Manny user come this winter!! Can you give some info on how to run the stove, loading and when to shut down air intake.
 
You are living right. That is very little creosote for 2 years. You must have some dry wood.
 
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Just want to say that I will be a first time Manny user come this winter!! Can you give some info on how to run the stove, loading and when to shut down air intake.
First and foremost , dry wood is essential . Maple , ash , cherry, beech , hop horn beam is what I burn . Moisture content between 16% and 20 %. You need a moisture meter , probe thermometer , surface thermometer or infra red thermometer (harbor freight model works fine)
This is my procedure for start up or reload to setting the draft for a long burn . Draft is set wide open until fire starts to get hot , at about the change of the probe thermometer into the third color (yellow to orange to red), I start to back the draft down about a third , after about 15 -20 min the temp is still up getting into the red , back it down another third , 15-20 min later , I'll move the draft all the way closed. Its not totally closed , but its as far closed as you can get it.
As far as to how much wood I'll put in , it all depends on the outside temps . I find that its better to load fewer splits and burn hotter ,rather than trying to damp down a fire for longer than an 8 hr burn . I like to refill when i get up , get home after work and before bed time. About every 8 hrs , after about 4 hrs you have just coal and a warm Mansfield , I find no need to add wood unless is very cold and windy.
 
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Hey thank-you for the info, got the the chimney going in at the end of july and four cords of wood stacked and read to go. Stove is coming in september!!!
 
We have seen about the same from our Mansfield. I am about to get on our roof and check this year, will be two and half seasons since the last cleaning..
 
How many Square Feet are you guys heating with the Mansfield? My home is 1,800 just wanna make sure it is not gonna be overkill....
 
How many Square Feet are you guys heating with the Mansfield? My home is 1,800 just wanna make sure it is not gonna be overkill....

We are 2100sqft, over 1000sqft of unfinished walkout basement, standard construction, standard insulation, lots of windows, in "Zone 6" plant hardiness.
 
My Mansfield accumulated maybe a paint can full, most of it resided on top of the insulation above the tubes after falling down the stove pipe. I did not always burn dry wood.
 
Mine is never that clean. But I have always gotten away with cleaning once a year.
 
I'm on a 2 year schedule myself. ALWAYS burn dry wood.
 
Just had our chimney cleaned at our house in northern WI after 3 years. Looked like about 1.5 cups of ash, dry wood is key.
 
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