So this morning I set about the routine to fill the stoves (Buck 91 and Hampton HI300). Noticed on the Hampton an unusually large be of coals (warm but cooler then normal). Been burning pine C/S/S spring last year. Raked everything forward, put on a couple oak splits and left the door a crack to get things rolling.
Well, as things started to smolder, the smoke all came out the door. Odd...I have had the Buck 91 with its 8" flue back up in the shoulder season when the temperature gradient between outside and the house was closer, but never with the Hampton. No worries...get some paper loosely burning and reverse the draft.
OK- more paper is in and lit...but then slowly chokes out. Double check the air control (we do not have a second dampener since it is an insert installation) and it is wide open.
OK - maybe just needs more paper to get it going. Repeat the steps...and it is not drafting and smoke is coming into the house when I crack the door. Go outside...and there is some smoke coming out.
Try a bit more paper (mind you billowing smoke is coming in with each opening of the door). Fire looks like it is catching, open door, ad a few smaller pine splits to make sure things are hot. They catch, but the fire is lazy and rolling - not what it typical with the air wide open. I now have secondaries burning...so the box is hot.
I can not see any immediate obstruction in the fireplace, and do not have a ladder long enough to get to the top. Using binos, I can see the screen on the cap has some flaky black build-up, but certainly not clogged.
I know there have been some smoldering fires in there especially when I was deployed. I had the chimney swept a year plus ago and after two years of burning and there was very very little build up. I am going to let the fire burn out and then see if I can look up the liner to see if there is something blocking things. I do not think I can look straight up since I believe there is a slight bend in there.
It was 30degree out, 74 in the house. We have had a fire in there 24/7 for a while now. The chimney is about 30 feet tall, I have a SS liner to the top and there is a cap with screening.
I am going to call a sweep to come out but figured I would see if there is anything else I can do before hiring them to come look. Again, no ladder tall enough (none of the neighbors either) to look down...so not sure I have much of a choice.
Cheers,
Matt
Well, as things started to smolder, the smoke all came out the door. Odd...I have had the Buck 91 with its 8" flue back up in the shoulder season when the temperature gradient between outside and the house was closer, but never with the Hampton. No worries...get some paper loosely burning and reverse the draft.
OK- more paper is in and lit...but then slowly chokes out. Double check the air control (we do not have a second dampener since it is an insert installation) and it is wide open.
OK - maybe just needs more paper to get it going. Repeat the steps...and it is not drafting and smoke is coming into the house when I crack the door. Go outside...and there is some smoke coming out.
Try a bit more paper (mind you billowing smoke is coming in with each opening of the door). Fire looks like it is catching, open door, ad a few smaller pine splits to make sure things are hot. They catch, but the fire is lazy and rolling - not what it typical with the air wide open. I now have secondaries burning...so the box is hot.
I can not see any immediate obstruction in the fireplace, and do not have a ladder long enough to get to the top. Using binos, I can see the screen on the cap has some flaky black build-up, but certainly not clogged.
I know there have been some smoldering fires in there especially when I was deployed. I had the chimney swept a year plus ago and after two years of burning and there was very very little build up. I am going to let the fire burn out and then see if I can look up the liner to see if there is something blocking things. I do not think I can look straight up since I believe there is a slight bend in there.
It was 30degree out, 74 in the house. We have had a fire in there 24/7 for a while now. The chimney is about 30 feet tall, I have a SS liner to the top and there is a cap with screening.
I am going to call a sweep to come out but figured I would see if there is anything else I can do before hiring them to come look. Again, no ladder tall enough (none of the neighbors either) to look down...so not sure I have much of a choice.
Cheers,
Matt
