Chimney fire or no? Could it have been just the junk on cap?

[Hogwildz]

I've tested it and there's good flow.There's actually 3 doorways in this 10'X13' stoveroom.There's 2 big fans on the floor in 2 of them. Running it at 400 today.Running primary at half instead of 3/4 but hate to burn wood to throw it up the chimney.I burn with a slow lazy flame and it keeps it at 300,i'll just try this and take it up a notch.

When you say 1/2 instead of 3/4... is that 3/4 open or 3/4 closed?
10' x 13' is small, like an oven on broil, even with the door open the oven will roast inside.
Have pics of the room set up, stove & doorways?
If you have a fan in 2 of the doorways, I would close the 3rd door, and have one fan blowing into the stove room, and another pushing out.

 

[Bub381]

The 1st pic is pointing east it's the bathroom doorway,there is a fan in this room aiming into the stove room on floor.The closed door is the cellar.In the bathroom is a door way fan up in the corner of the frame pointing south into the living room.The living room then hooks to the small hallway on the right are the stairs to upper level and the rooms upstairs actually sit up over the stove room and bathroom.At the top of these stairs we keep the doors closed,we want the bedrooms cool.Downstairs coming from the living room into this small hallway with the stairs on your right,straight ahead is into the bird room,both ends of this room (which points west) has a screen door.After walking through the bird room this last door leads back into the stove room.This door way and the hall doorways have no fans.The air moves fine here.

 

[Bub381]

This is the 3rd doorway leading from the stove room into the kitchen and an add on puter room which points north.Both rooms are about 15' by 20'.The kitchen has a box fan on the floor aiming along the floor into the stove room.Air flow is good with this fan also.The pic on the right is in the bathroom looking into the living room.The fan on the floor under the sink and the doorway fan.

 

[Hogwildz]

So If I understand this correctly, there are 3 open doors, and the closed basement doors?
With 2 doorways with fans in them blowing into the stove room?
You may want to try a few things.
Have one fan blowing into the stove room, and the other pulling out of the stove room. Also may want to try closing one of the 3 doors also. Yes you may have air flowing all over. But you want to create a loop, where the air will flow in a continuous loop. 2 fans blowing into same area would in my thinking create a lot of turbulence, but not really a loop as they are working against each other, rather than creating a continuous loop flow.
If you have not experimented with this already, give it a try.
This may or may not help, but I think a big part of this is you getting used to the stove and how to burn it, how much heat you do or don't want, during different times of the season. This comes with use, and that is the best educator, time & hand on experience with your stove.
During a real harsh winter, it is always simpler as you get a schedule going and load at set times, get her up to speed and forget about it till next load.
Milder weather is always trial & error.
The small room and low ceiling are going to heat up much quicker than the rest of the house. Closing off the bedrooms upstairs will also make your heating area smaller and heat building up more where it is.
You may never fully solve the issue, but I would think you could make it a bit better.

 

[Bub381]

The air is moving in a circular pattern.I checked this because you would think it would be going every which way.I have the air going just where i want it.I do have ceiling fans in the living room and stove room but have tried them and they are better for summer use.Even with running them pulling the air up.I believe it's just too much stove but i'm keeping my overnight burns so will just have to open a window i guess.I will play around with the air and try to move it faster and see where i can push it.The living room could be a little warmer at times but the rest of the house seems fine.

 

[Badbob]

I just this morning had the same thing happen I think. I had the ash door open to ignite things while trying to restart the fire this a.m. I noticed sparks out the window... Oh %&$! The wind was blowing and sparks were flying off the chimney cap. Luckily it was raining. I think this has happened a couple times before. I shut the fire down, and it went away after a while. I guess I am getting flu temps too hot when heating up the stove. I will buy an IR thermometer today.

Whenever I clean the chimney, it is pretty clean, maybe a little dust, but the cap will be caked up with flasky stuff pretty bad. If I didn't have that stuff all over the cap, I wouldn't be having this problem with sparks. Why is my cap getting so crusty? Is it simply because the chimney is cool at the top/condensation (only about 3-4' sticks out of the roof)? Are my fires too smokey? I usually only have a lot of smoke when relighting the fire. Once I close it down, I usually have little or no smoke.

This crusty gunk on the cap is a real problem. There seems to be little margin for error in my setup. The wood I am using is very dry, at least 2 yrs old. Seems like my only recourse is to clean the cap every month. Should I get a cap that allows more airflow through it? Would this make a difference?

There's a lot going on with my stove (yes it's a Dutchwest non-cat)... The top inside of the stove has become warped, and now the damper won't close tightly... I suppose this is because I overfired, but this was done to achieve a hot enough burn to get good secondary combustion. I stuck some gasket material in the top to seal it up a bit, and that has helped. I know I need to call manufacturer.

I have had the same problem with my Dutchwest non-cat, warping of the top plate. I put some gasket material in the top to seal it,that was two years ago. I have added some more every year because it keeps sagging, I like the stove and was thinking of buying new top plate online for $166.00 or junk it. I have already had to replace the SHOE REFRACTORY but that was under warranty. I also have to clean chimney cap twice a season but the flue pipe is once a year and never that bad. here is a breakdown of parts http://www.cozycabinstoveandfireplaceparts.com/cgi/display.cgi?item_num=2478

 

[corey21]

300 is too low to burn at and that is a big part of your problem if not the problem. Add less than desired wet wood and you your answer lies within those two.
Either burn smaller hotter fires for shorter durations, get a smaller stove, try and circulate the air better in the house, or open a window.
Your stove is either oversized for your space, or the floorplan of your home is on that does not have a good convection loop going on.
A cat stove may allow you to burn that low. But def start by trying to move the air around your home better for starters.
IMO no matter how dry your wood is, at that low a temp your going to get buildup, And that runny stuff is the bad stuff.

+1 your not burning hot enough

At my house i forbid the 1 split fire if it get to hot i just let the fire die..