Install complete! ! Now I have user questions.

[WatersEdge]

Ok so first I will tell you my full set up then I have a few questions. I installed my top vent baby bear with coaly's baffle recommendations. From the top of the stove to the ceiling It is about 4.5 feet OD single wall stove pipe and then 6 feet of triple wall duravent chimney system. I have been burning it in the evenings and at night for about a week now.

This has been my process...I will start the fire with some kindling and paper, move up a step in wood size and then put in a few peices of oak. (ALL WOOD HAS BEEN SPLIT AND IN WOOD SHED FOR OVER A YEAR). After the stove top thermometer reads about 450° I have been turning the front damper to a quarter of a turn from being closed and then shutting the stove pipe damper and regulating the heat out put with the front stove damper. This is basically what I have been doing all the time. Now to my questions. ..
1. I have already noticed on the chimney cap that some moisture has built up on it and then dripped down onto the chimney flashing. Is this normal?

2. Also. When I first get the stove up to temp I tend to hear a sizzling sound like cracking and popping coming from the stove pipe. Is this normal.

3. Are my procedures correct as told in the beginning?

I am a rookie when it comes to wood stoves and trying to use this as my only source of heat. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. All of my wood was split in Nov. 2014 and consist of oak and pecan.

 

[coaly]

You're closing the stove pipe damper too much.
The crackling is a coating forming on pipe walls. Usually from longer duration overnight burning in a closed down situation.
I assume the chimney flue is 6 inch all the way up?
Smoke space in your case; or the area exhaust travels above baffle plate should be the same square inch area as your chimney flue and stove outlet.

Put the thermometer on pipe just below chimney section. If it reads about 300 surface temperature, this is between 390 and 450 internal flue gas temperature. You shouldn't cool too much to get below 250* at the top with that temp. This is mid burn and will vary considerably through the fire cycle.
Check creosote formation near top often until you know how much you create at any given pipe temp. You shouldn't need to close the pipe damper much at all.

Stove top temps will vary. If you're interested in them, you should get an IR thermometer.
The upper top will run hotter than lower top without baffle. I find about 50* temp difference with baffle added, that puts the most heat on the lower top just before bend. As an example, 460 at center of upper top, 515 at lower top at bend. This gives me 300 at pipe where it enters chimney. Damper operation depends on chimney flue. (material, diameter, height) in most cases it should be open. You may be able to close 1/4 or more (3/4 OPEN) depending on weather conditions and wood...... That should get you close.

 

[jatoxico]

The pipe damper is to slow excessive draft. Given your relatively short run and early season mild temps its not too likely your draft is excessive. Use the stoves air controls to control the stoves output and use the damper only if needed.

I don't have a damper but if I was using one I think a good test would be smoke rollout. If the stove in humming along and at a stable temp you should be able to open the door (slowly) and not get any smoke in the house. If it does the damper is closed too much.

 

[WatersEdge]

You're closing the stove pipe damper too much.
The crackling is a coating forming on pipe walls. Usually from longer duration overnight burning in a closed down situation.
I assume the chimney flue is 6 inch all the way up?
Smoke space in your case; or the area exhaust travels above baffle plate should be the same square inch area as your chimney flue and stove outlet.

Put the thermometer on pipe just below chimney section. If it reads about 300 surface temperature, this is between 390 and 450 internal flue gas temperature. You shouldn't cool too much to get below 250* at the top with that temp. This is mid burn and will vary considerably through the fire cycle.
Check creosote formation near top often until you know how much you create at any given pipe temp. You shouldn't need to close the pipe damper much at all.

Stove top temps will vary. If you're interested in them, you should get an IR thermometer.
The upper top will run hotter than lower top without baffle. I find about 50* temp difference with baffle added, that puts the most heat on the lower top just before bend. As an example, 460 at center of upper top, 515 at lower top at bend. This gives me 300 at pipe where it enters chimney. Damper operation depends on chimney flue. (material, diameter, height) in most cases it should be open. You may be able to close 1/4 or more (3/4 OPEN) depending on weather conditions and wood...... That should get you close.

Ok cool so basically what I need to do is stop shutting down my stove pipe damper and try to only regulate the temps using my damper on the fron of the stove. The only time I should be closing my damper in my stove pipe is at night when I am trying to get the absolute most out of my wood for the over night burn.

I imagine this will also help me out with burning my wood more completely? Seems like I end up with a lot of just large chunks of un burnt wood a lot of times. Thanks so muck Coaly for your help

 

[coaly]

Yes. With the stove as made without baffle plate, you would need to slow your excessive draft with pipe damper. The baffle plate reduces heat allowed up stack, thereby reducing draft. So you will run with pipe damper more open with baffle than without one. The key is measuring temperature at flue entrance. You need to keep it clean, so temperature all the way to the top must stay above 250*, yet be aware more than that is waste and cuts down efficiency.