Cold Chimney Syndrome

[jeffs]

Well, we had success this morning.

First, I Opened the door on the stove and left it open for about 20 minutes while I was doing something else. At first, i had quite the draft of cold air coming out, but by the time I got back to it i wasn't feeling as much cold air drafting out. I put the wood in, ready for newspaper knots like in the video.

I tried the heat gun again, with no extension,, I just aimed it up into the opening in front of the baffles (nozzle was right up in the opening), and closed the door as much as possible (without damaging the cord). I opened a nearby window for about 2-3 minutes. (There was no blast of air coming in the window.) After the heat gun had been running about 5 minutes, I checked the draft with a match, and it looked ok. Threw in my newspaper twists on top of the kindling and SHUT the door (did the top-down method as in the video). The newspaper caught/burned fine, then looked like it was going to die, but I just let it go and it slowly kept going, eventually the kindling caught, then the bigger stuff, and... NO SMOKE

I also made sure no fans were running, the furnace was not running, and had closed the basement door.

I'm not sure what the magic bullet was, or if I can repeat this, I'll let you all speculate on that.

I'm letting it burn in full cycles the next few days as well, something i wasn't doing so much before.
Thinking that will cut down on how much wood i go through in a day and how many trips up and down the basement steps I have to make.

 

[Ctd01]

I have a simalar setup with no trouble.

 

[granpajohn]

I'm happy to hear that your persistence is paying off.

The newspaper caught/burned fine, then looked like it was going to die, but I just let it go and it slowly kept going, eventually the kindling caught, then the bigger stuff, and... NO SMOKE

If you can switch from newspaper to a different fire starter, I think you'll have even better success. I don't think they make paper like they used to. Smokes more...less flammable..more ash too. Someone mentioned lamp oil, and that's what I use too. Just stir a couple tablespoons in with old sawdust. Then I roll a teaspoon into plastic wrap. Looks like something from a Cheech and Chong show, but it works so nice, and easy/cheap to make by the dozen.

I still don't know how you can close the door, but don't knock progress...stick with it.

 

[shawneyboy]

Well, we had success this morning.

First, I Opened the door on the stove and left it open for about 20 minutes while I was doing something else. At first, i had quite the draft of cold air coming out, but by the time I got back to it i wasn't feeling as much cold air drafting out. I put the wood in, ready for newspaper knots like in the video.

I tried the heat gun again, with no extension,, I just aimed it up into the opening in front of the baffles (nozzle was right up in the opening), and closed the door as much as possible (without damaging the cord). I opened a nearby window for about 2-3 minutes. (There was no blast of air coming in the window.) After the heat gun had been running about 5 minutes, I checked the draft with a match, and it looked ok. Threw in my newspaper twists on top of the kindling and SHUT the door (did the top-down method as in the video). The newspaper caught/burned fine, then looked like it was going to die, but I just let it go and it slowly kept going, eventually the kindling caught, then the bigger stuff, and... NO SMOKE

I also made sure no fans were running, the furnace was not running, and had closed the basement door.

I'm not sure what the magic bullet was, or if I can repeat this, I'll let you all speculate on that.

I'm letting it burn in full cycles the next few days as well, something i wasn't doing so much before.
Thinking that will cut down on how much wood i go through in a day and how many trips up and down the basement steps I have to make.

Do a top down with a starter, like a Super Cedar. It will light the kindling more readily and you will not have to futz with the heat gun.

Shawn

 

[jeffs]

Been a while since posting in this thread, but wanted to follow up with my solution for anyone else who might benefit.

What I found has worked consistently now has been the top down fire method with the stove door closed and draft all the way open. I also make sure the furnace (in the adjacent room) is NOT running, and basement door is closed. To start my fire I'm using Rutland Safe Light Fire Starters, these things burn hot, and light fast. I use three squares standing up on top of my kindling stack. (I had tried Lightning Nuggets, but they are harder to light, and burn too slow, not hot).

This combination hardly smokes at all, and warms up the air in the fire-box and is enough to overcome the cold air in the chimney.

I build a decent size log-cabin stack out of kindling (I keep a large galvanized tub of kindling sticks we collect from the woods for this). Bottom-most layer is 1x2 size splits.

Haven't had a smokey start-up for a few months now. Other issues, yes. But no smoke.

 

[granpajohn]

Thanks for updating; I think it's a good thread. I've been paying closer attention to my furnace running since you brought it up.

And, if there are any young people reading...notice that Jeffs did not let all that smoke in the room get him discouraged. He just kept trying things until he found what worked.