I went to load up my stove this morning, placed a bunch of the smaller pieces in, made a nice stack in there, like I've done every morning for the past months, usually the wood just lights right off and indeed it started to flame up as I was finishing placing spilts on it, I closed up the doors and went to get my coffee, since it's fairly warm out this morning, I went out onto the deck to enjoy the sunrise through the trees, the quietness (still morning) many inches of snow on the ground, birds, squirrels...etc.
WHile I'm out there, I see the stack just billowing smoke, I just thought, oh, well I just put that wood in, probably still getting up to temp, 10-15 minutes pass, and it's still smoking alot, I go inside., and there's nary a flame, just a small flicker here and there, and I'm thinking to myself, WTF, that should light right off. The inside of the stove is just filled with smoke, yo ucan hardly see the wood a few inches from the glass, I open the doors and flames instantly fill the whole firebox, I let it go for 30 seconds or so, and close up the doors, flames go out, smoke....I'm like WTF...
Then I start to think, what could cause this, hmm...did I somehow get some wet wood or something, I didn't think so, it's the same wood I've been using all winter, split fall of '08 and was mostly standing deadwood to begin with, I pull out the moisture meter and start checking some pieces on the pile I just filled the stove from...nope...nothing over 22%, I start getting frustrated, the things been smoking now for over 20 minutes, I'm thinking, then it hits me, duh....the air, I never opened up the air, I open it up and everything lights up and she's off.
Just goes to show, complacency is not a good virtue for a wood burner. How many times have I loaded that stove and not opened up the air, never until now, so why now and why didn't it dawn on me immediately what the issue was. Just makes you feel stuppiiiddd..
WHile I'm out there, I see the stack just billowing smoke, I just thought, oh, well I just put that wood in, probably still getting up to temp, 10-15 minutes pass, and it's still smoking alot, I go inside., and there's nary a flame, just a small flicker here and there, and I'm thinking to myself, WTF, that should light right off. The inside of the stove is just filled with smoke, yo ucan hardly see the wood a few inches from the glass, I open the doors and flames instantly fill the whole firebox, I let it go for 30 seconds or so, and close up the doors, flames go out, smoke....I'm like WTF...
Then I start to think, what could cause this, hmm...did I somehow get some wet wood or something, I didn't think so, it's the same wood I've been using all winter, split fall of '08 and was mostly standing deadwood to begin with, I pull out the moisture meter and start checking some pieces on the pile I just filled the stove from...nope...nothing over 22%, I start getting frustrated, the things been smoking now for over 20 minutes, I'm thinking, then it hits me, duh....the air, I never opened up the air, I open it up and everything lights up and she's off.
Just goes to show, complacency is not a good virtue for a wood burner. How many times have I loaded that stove and not opened up the air, never until now, so why now and why didn't it dawn on me immediately what the issue was. Just makes you feel stuppiiiddd..
