First cleaning of the year

Well finally decided to clean the flue and remove the cap for the winter. I ended up a small coffee can with about an inch of flour like powder in it then just tossed it back in the stove to burn when I start a fire. I don't think thats bad at all considering it hasn't been cleaned since last november with it burning 24/7 in the winter. Didn't get to get the flue cleaned until around 5:00 this evening then split some of 2014-2015 white oak and didn't get a fire going until 6:30 and it was only 66 in here. Got her cranking again at 700 and house is warming up fast almost 80 in here now. Everyone please remember to clean/check your flue on a regular basis. It only take a couple of seconds to check the flue. I rather lose a few seconds of my time than my house due to a flue fire

It sounds like you are burning well! Lopi makes some great products! Do you leave the cap off all winter?

Yep I leave the cap off all winter because it will get black shiny creosote on it and will eventually start dripping down the SS pipe and I will not stand for that. I'm mister neat and tidy I don't even want a leaf in my yard

If the pipe was that clean? Why is the cap that cruddy? What do you do about rain? It just comes down the Class A and washes the ash to the bottom?

My cap gets a little dark, but most do because of reload/cold start smoke and wind direction. Also why the.vent has a stain on one side more than other sides (wind).

Only thing I have seen around here that runs without a cap, is OWB. They have GOBS of Sote on the top of the flue. But there fuel supply is very large chunks of Very questionable wood.

My buddy has a Liberty and they are a mean stove. He runs his cap? He also has the same Quad pellet stove that I do (mean stove )

That is what I want to know. As far as the rain, when the stove is running 24/7 in the winter very little if any makes its way down the pipe