Smoke signals

[Heaterhunter]

Had a funny thing happen to me the other night while burning wood in a Vermont Castings Resolute II… My topload door was lifting periodically and blowing smoke inside my house. Also saw the stovepipe joint on the 90 into the chimney emitting puffs of smoke. It was too warm (50 deg) to have a fire(can’t help myself, love the wood heat) and also was very windy. Please tell me it was the odd conditions that caused this and that I don’t have a chimney project on my hands…..

I posted this statement/question in with a gas fireplace question in forum "It's a gas" and was told to put in this forum but did get this comment from jtp10181:

"I will give you this though, have you checked your cap for blockage? The cap could be clogged up, that the most common reason for smoke back, esp out of the pipe joints."

I'm embarrassed to say that their is no cap on my chimney. Probably ought to have one though eh??? New to the wood burning and chimneys. Please help.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

I would say your stove was chuffing. I've had that happen on a lot of older stoves. What happens is the stove burns up all the air and the fire dies down but it is still hot a fresh charge of air is pulled in and rather than burning it has a mini explosion. With a barrel stove it would chuff every 1-2 seconds sometimes pushing a flame out the air control 3-4 inches. Depending on conditions it could chuff faster or slower.

Billy

 

[Heaterhunter]

What about no cap on my chimney? No problem???

 

[Cowboy Billy]

I'll let someone else answer that as I have never had a chimney with a cap other than the bunk house at the farm. But I have been burning 10 years at my place without one.

Billy

 

[cptoneleg]

What about no cap on my chimney? No problem???

No expert here but my understanding is caps keep rain out, keep birds out when not in use, and more than that their real reason is to keep sparks from flying out in the woods and burning up the world. But I quess that depends on the type of chimmney you have.

 

[Heaterhunter]

It's a single flu chimney with the oil furnace in the basement, the wood stove on the first floor and the chimney is interior running through the second floor and exiting the house at the peek of the roof... I know it's not to code but haven't seen any problems so far with 2 devices on one chimney(It wasn't the boiler kicking on that night that was making the stove smoke...)

 

[maplewood]

I would say your stove was chuffing. I've had that happen on a lot of older stoves. What happens is the stove burns up all the air and the fire dies down but it is still hot a fresh charge of air is pulled in and rather than burning it has a mini explosion. With a barrel stove it would chuff every 1-2 seconds sometimes pushing a flame out the air control 3-4 inches. Depending on conditions it could chuff faster or slower.

Billy

+1. explosions. smaller hotter fires, with more draft.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I would say your stove was chuffing. I've had that happen on a lot of older stoves. What happens is the stove burns up all the air and the fire dies down but it is still hot a fresh charge of air is pulled in and rather than burning it has a mini explosion. With a barrel stove it would chuff every 1-2 seconds sometimes pushing a flame out the air control 3-4 inches. Depending on conditions it could chuff faster or slower.

Billy

+1. explosions. smaller hotter fires, with more draft.

Yup, it's also called back-puffing. It happens when you starve the fire for oxygen. Should have less problems with it if you build smaller, hotter fires, and keep the air opened up more.

 

[Heaterhunter]

The stove is the smallest of the Vermont Castings models. Maybe I just need to pull in the reigns and not try to ask too much of the stove. I've been loading it to the gills and shutting it right down attempting to maintain some heat for the entire night and be able to chuck some more wood on in the morning lighting itself on the remaining coals. Thanks everyone for all the great advice. This site is A+...

 

[peakbagger]

Perfect set of instruction on how to "whuff" a stove " I’ve been loading it to the gills and shutting it right down attempting to maintain some heat for the entire night and be able to chuck some more wood on in the morning lighting itself on the remaining coals."

Smaller loads and give up on an overnight burn. Either that or overheat the house before going to bed and coasting through the night.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

What about no cap on my chimney? No problem???

No cap on the chimney can indeed cause more backpuffing, especially when you are near trees, tall buildings or the like, especially in windy conditions and just before a storm. Best to get on on.

 

[Heaterhunter]

I live in a low area and think I might be susceptive to down drafts so now letting the horses run. Have to get up around 1 o'clock to refill but obviously getting much more heat. My stockpile is getting nervous.... Maybe a larger stove next year and a chimney cap. Thanks for the pointers.

 

[Heaterhunter]

Is susceptive a word?????

 

[NH_Wood]

Is susceptive a word?????

I'm receptive to the validity of susceptive. Cheers!