Kuuma inspection, how’s it doing?

[Micdrew]

this past spring when I did my yearly cleaning of my VF I noticed that I had a large amount of soot in the chimney about a paint can worth if not a little more, I figured I just had some crappy wood even though it had been seasoned for a few years. My chimney is about 35’ class A 6”, I’ve been burning for about 5-6 weeks now and doing 2 cold starts a day due to the warmer climate that im in, so I did an inspection of the firebox, HX and chimney, to me it looks like it’s burning like it should be but i was curious what the other guys here thought. Pictures are attached below.

 

[brenndatomu]

Doesn't look too bad, considering 2 cold starts per day...those will getcha.
Mine often looks exactly the same, for the same reason.
Nice thing is that light fluffy soot/flyash blows away if you so much as sneeze on it!
I've actually considered trying to do a mid season HX cleaning using one of those nozzles/hoses that they use to clean ducts with...with just the HX cleanout open, and a warmish chimney, that stuff just gets sucked right up the chimney.

 

[Micdrew]

meant to say 1 cold start a day, really wish it was colder here in Maryland, starting a fire every night gets old quick, too bad the VF200 isn’t available, it probably wouldn’t keep up on super cold windy days but I would be able to work it harder.

 

[brenndatomu]

meant to say 1 cold start a day, really wish it was colder here in Maryland, starting a fire every night gets old quick, too bad the VF200 isn’t available, it probably wouldn’t keep up on super cold windy days but I would be able to work it harder.

My first Kuuma was a 200...the biggest reason I sent it packing was that I had 20+ cords sitting here cut to 22" long (for the old Yukon) and the 200 takes 16" (18" at the most) and after cutting all my wood to fit all winter long, I was done with it.
But looking back, it was an older unit, and I think with a couple updates to it, a jig to cut firewood down to size in mass, and a change in my expectations (and I changed my whole HVAC setup around since then too) the 200 would probably be the right unit for us 99% of the time...winter is getting pretty wussed out, even here in NE OH.
I installed my 100 to be permanent/long term...but I do still have a 200 out in the garage...hmm...nope, nope, not gonna do it! (those here that know me used to say that I need a zipper on my ductwork for how often I used to change out wood furnaces )

 

[JRHAWK9]

yep, looks typical to me. Off white/grey flyash in the HX that turns a bit darker color when you move to the rear of it. Chimney looks great, all light colored flyash. My chimney now has darker flyash, but that's due to my OAK on my BD......as that's when it went from white/gray to the darker color is after I installed the OAK a handful of years ago.

Doing cold starts daily here too. Just be glad it's super easy to do. The most time consuming part is getting kindling and such together.

 

[Micdrew]

yep, looks typical to me. Off white/grey flyash in the HX that turns a bit darker color when you move to the rear of it. Chimney looks great, all light colored flyash. My chimney now has darker flyash, but that's due to my OAK on my BD......as that's when it went from white/gray to the darker color is after I installed the OAK a handful of years ago.

Doing cold starts daily here too. Just be glad it's super easy to do. The most time consuming part is getting kindling and such together.

I find that while I’m waiting for the computer to open the damper I can split about 2 days worth of kindling with my kindling cracker then I cut the lengths of kindling in half with a sawzall and stack them in crib formation and do a top down burn, seems to heat the stack up quick and I don’t get any smoke. Still sucks though.

 

[brenndatomu]

Doing cold starts daily here too. Just be glad it's super easy to do. The most time consuming part is getting kindling and such together.

Yup, super easy for sure...easiest I've ever run...I really don't even mind it anymore honestly. (have a system figured out now)

 

[brenndatomu]

I find that while I’m waiting for the computer to open the damper I can split about 2 days worth of kindling with my kindling cracker then I cut the lengths of kindling in half with a sawzall and stack them in crib formation and do a top down burn, seems to heat the stack up quick and I don’t get any smoke. Still sucks though.

You do that then load on the coals (2 steps) or do that on top of the firewood already loaded? (1 step)

 

[Micdrew]

You do that then load on the coals (2 steps) or do that on top of the firewood already loaded? (1 step)

2 steps, lite the kindling then load on the coals

 

[JRHAWK9]

I use splitter trash from the previous spring as kindling, until that runs out. I still have three garbage cans worth though.

I really need to try the top down method.

I've also cheated with just doing a single step doing the normal light method (kindling and then load on top).

I clean the cats litter box waiting for the damper to open.

 

[brenndatomu]

I've also cheated with just doing a single step doing the normal light method (kindling and then load on top).

That's my norm...but I do know its not optimal.

I clean the cats litter box waiting for the damper to open.