Build up IN the stove (not chimney) -- questions

[ajpriebe]

We have been heating our home primarily with wood for the past five years. We have a Quadra-Fire 4300 Millennium and have had no problems. Whenever, the chimney has been cleaned, the guy says that it hasn't any/much build up at all. However, this year, we noticed build up within the stove box. It seems that instead of basic ash, we are finding stuff that is stuck on the firebrick. When we try to get it out, we end up damaging the firebrick. I can't find anything about this online. We burn a variety of wood. Usually the wood is from a tree that needed to be removed. We always let it season a year or two first. This year, we did take some standing dead. It was cut early in the year and tried to ignite while being split. It is a bit punky and not very good. We are curious if this is the problem. We didn't want it taking space in our wood shed and decided to burn it. We thought it would burn fast, but didn't expect any other problems.

We will be buying new firebrick for the bottom of our stove this week. This is the first time we need to replace it. If we are doing something to cause this problem, I would love to know so that we don't repeat it.

Thanks

 

[begreen]

Punk wood can hold more moisture and burn poorly. I usually don't burn it, but if you do, mix it with some good wood and don't let it cool down the fire too much.

 

[jtp10181]

I have seen this problem before in the 7100FP and other stoves / inserts (I only work on Quad stuff).

I never knew if it was from the way people burned or the wood. I suspect it is something in certian kinds of wood. It's almost like silica that has melted and clumped and it fuses to the bricks. Like a "clinker" that you would see in a pellet stove.

 

[BrotherBart]

A thread about this from three years ago.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/9273/

 

[ajpriebe]

I have seen this problem before in the 7100FP and other stoves / inserts (I only work on Quad stuff).

I never knew if it was from the way people burned or the wood. I suspect it is something in certian kinds of wood. It's almost like silica that has melted and clumped and it fuses to the bricks. Like a "clinker" that you would see in a pellet stove.

Exactly, it seems to literally be fused to the bricks!

 

[potter]

Wood ash is the original "glaze' used on pottery. At 2000 °F and above, it will turn to glass. Given the right mix of silica and natural fluxes, the melting point can move downward ti 12-1400 °F, or even lower.