Flue temp, smoke and creosote

[Welderman85]

Hello all i have a little avalon insert. It only has one secondary tube so for the most part of a burn I get smoke from the flue. I was wondering if as long as my fluebtemps are good am I making creosote?

 

[prezes13]

Yes I say you are you don’t really know what is the coldest temp in your flue. Visible smoke from your flue is not a good thing. Is your wood wet? Do you starve your stove for air? What is the reason of the smoke problem?

 

[Welderman85]

Wood is dry and flue temp is good. And it burns good but sometimes it just smokes. It i try to give it more air the flue starts to get to hot so I have to back it off

 

[prezes13]

Is your wood split too small?
if it’s all good as far as wood being dry and the stove being at it’s working temp it should be burning all the smoke. Are you sure it’s smoke not steam? It could be that you get a piece of wood that is not as dry as you think.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Any time you have smoke you can be making creosote. Your flue temp may be ok at the stove but 16/20 up will be a different story. Its always safe to assume that the gasses are condensating inside the top portion of the pipe. If what is coming out is white your ok.. blue or gray is unbernt fuel.

 

[kborndale]

What is your process for determining that the wood is dry?

 

[Welderman85]

I use a moisture meter on a split. But indo admit its not always on a fresh split. But what inhave been burning is ash that has stacked for 3 years and some pop thats been stacked for a year and a half

 

[Highbeam]

Even an old smoke dragon with zero secondary tubes can be burned with no smoke. You just need proper fuel and operation. Smoke is an indicator to change something.

 

[kborndale]

I use a moisture meter on a split. But indo admit its not always on a fresh split. But what inhave been burning is ash that has stacked for 3 years and some pop thats been stacked for a year and a half

Checking moisture of a not fresh split piece not at room temperature is pretty much useless. On the other hand, 3 year split and stacked wood (especially ash) should be plenty dry.

 

[Welderman85]

Most of the time it burns fine with no smoke but sometimes it like inhave to choke the fire down so it doesn't get hot but it kinda seems like the fire is smoldering. If I open the air up to clean the fire up it gets to hot.

 

[Welderman85]

I only burn on the weekends and some nights and its im about a half year into the learning process lol I started late last year. But some times it burns great and sometimes it just seems to smolder and smoke. But the temps stay good and I'm afraid if I open it up more I will get it to hot. Its not a lot of smoke but its smoking i also can't tell if its gray or white

 

[prezes13]

Like I and the,others guys said it could be a piece that has more moisture. Or you might be choking it too much. Does your glass stay clean? What are the stove temp at that point? I burn in an insert and to be honest with you I never know what my flue temp is. I just check he stove temp with an IR thermometer and I just pay attention to what is going on in the fire box. Never smolder. I always try to get a bit of flame of the wood and nice secondaries burning all the gases.

 

[Welderman85]

Mine is a little insert . It was given to me so I used it but I wish I would have gone with a newer unit. It only has one secondary tube but the door. I don't think it does much. I can play with and get it to run on secondary with a little flame from the wood but the fire goes out about 5 minutes later.

 

[prezes13]

It should not be happening. It means either the wood is wet, or you cut the air too much.

 

[MMH]

As others pointed out, the immediate thoughts would be your choking it down to much, your getting into some wet pieces, or your splits are too small. What size are your splits? Is your glass continually blackening up? And take a few splits being to room temp, split again and test on fresh side for accurate MC

 

[Welderman85]

I just checked a few fresh room temp splits . Nothing is over 17% . I have been playing with the air but if I open anymore things get hot

 

[Welderman85]

Some of my splits are smaller. But this is how it looks settled down with just a little smoke every one in a while

 

[Kamiobi]

You mentioned a couple of times it gets too hot Do you have a thermometer? Sometimes people feel it is running too hot, but in reality it Is still in the safe zone.

 

[Welderman85]

I use a ir gun and check at the base of the liner. I try to keep it under 400 at this point usually around 330-360.

 

[moresnow]

Some of my splits are smaller. But this is how it looks settled down with just a little smoke every one in a while

Looks nice to me.

 

[Highbeam]

I use a ir gun and check at the base of the liner. I try to keep it under 400 at this point usually around 330-360.

If that temperature was being read 18-24” up the flue pipe then it’s nice and warm. That same temperature on the stove is too cold and you are smoldering it.

 

[Welderman85]

I check it on a exposed part of the liner probably 6" or so off the back of the stove. But in a week or so I'm going to get a Auber meter so I can check it at the correct 18" up

 

[jatoxico]

I just checked a few fresh room temp splits . Nothing is over 17% . I have been playing with the air but if I open anymore things get hot

Just checking; things get too hot how, in the room or the stove itself? The stove temps you mentioned are low. If the room is too hot and you're worried about creosote, make a smaller fire and burn hot for less time.

 

[Welderman85]

The flue temps get hotter. This little insert is kinda a pain lol. When we finally decided to install one I was going to get a bigger avalon insert but my wife wanted to use this one as we already had it. But I regret that decision

 

[jatoxico]

How are you measuring the flue temp on an insert? The best I can do is get the stove top and the flue collar.