First Fire of the year is...like learning all over again!

[Lighting Up]

Why is that...? Prep the stove, clean the chimney, check all screens, wood is dryer then paper and yet my first fire this year to take the chill out of the house always ends with smoke so I have to open the windows. I know why...felt the cold air coming down the chimney even used a torch this year...that neg pressure gets me every year...cough....cough. Anyway Hello everyone, looking forward to a burning season...
md

 

[HatboroPaul]

Why is that...? Prep the stove, clean the chiminy, check all screens, wood is dryer then paper and yet my first fire this year to take the chill out of the house always ends with smoke so I have to open the windows. I know why...felt the cold air coming down the chimminy even used a torch this year...that neg pressure gets me every year...caught....caught. Anyway Hello everyone, looking forward to a burning season...
md

HAHAHA Man I feel less alone. You think youve mastered everything about making a good fire, and sometimes it just say bleep you I think im gonna smolder. Then you remaster it, lather rinse repeat.

 

[cygnus]

I don't have a smoking problem but there are so many aspects to laying out the splits, lighting, air control, blower control, getting heat through the house, loading the log rack, blah, blah, blah. Every year I'll say, "Damn! I hate when that happens. (pause) Oh, wait. I usually do it this way..." I usually remember everything I forgot by March.

 

[Lighting Up]

Ok good, I'm not alone... Cyunus that happen today..."Remembering" .
Starting the fire I remembered that opening a window would help with the neg pressure, problem was smoke was already coming out of the stove...I won't say how long I've been doing this....

 

[firefighterjake]

Yeah, you're not alone. I even opened the window a crack the other day and realized that I had a reversed stack condition with some cool air coming out of the woodstove and I foolishly did not leave the stove door open long enough and/or work on getting the flow reversed with a torch/lighter/small paper fire.

Instead I just kind of went "Doo-doo-doo", paying no attention to the air flow and lit the paper/wood I had put in the firebox . . . promptly filling the living room full of smoke. Fortunately, Mrs. Firefighterjake was at work at the time.