Hello folks,
This is my first time on this forum and I'm hoping you can help. Even though I've been using my woodstove for years I'm kind of a newb with few skills. I'll try to add as much info as possible.
I have a Quadra Fire woodstove insert in my fireplace. We got it installed about ten years ago. We got the insert installed a couple of years after moving into the house. Prior to installing the insert we were unable to use the fireplace because smoke would always come back into the house. A liner was installed along with the insert and we have NEVER had any problems in all the years with the insert.
This year when I fired up the wood stove for the first time I quickly noticed the kindling was not catching as quickly as it should and soon I saw smoke coming into the house from underneath and above the insert. Ugh! I couldn't remember the last time we had the chimney cleaned (it was either last year or the year before) and I made an appointment to get it cleaned.
Yesterday the chimney guys came and told me the chimney cap was clogged with creosote and was really too small anyway. They brought down the cap and indeed it seemed clog. They installed a new and larger cap and told when they looked down the chimney they could tell it didn't need a cleaning and that I must have been burning hot fires and I should keep up the good work.
I asked if the clogged chimney cap could have been causing the lack of draft (or whaterver you call it when smoke comes into the house) and they said yes.
So this morning I go to start another fire and the same thing happens. The kindling doesn't flame up like it should and smoke comes back into the house. Ugh! Help!
I quickly perused some threads on this board before posting this one and I see there is lots of talk about cold flues and methodology for starting fires. I'm not sure if that's an issue for me simply because I've never had any problems starting a fire in the insert in the ten winters in all kinds of weather conditions and all manner of kindling and starting techniques.
I'm attaching a picture of the insert.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
This is my first time on this forum and I'm hoping you can help. Even though I've been using my woodstove for years I'm kind of a newb with few skills. I'll try to add as much info as possible.
I have a Quadra Fire woodstove insert in my fireplace. We got it installed about ten years ago. We got the insert installed a couple of years after moving into the house. Prior to installing the insert we were unable to use the fireplace because smoke would always come back into the house. A liner was installed along with the insert and we have NEVER had any problems in all the years with the insert.
This year when I fired up the wood stove for the first time I quickly noticed the kindling was not catching as quickly as it should and soon I saw smoke coming into the house from underneath and above the insert. Ugh! I couldn't remember the last time we had the chimney cleaned (it was either last year or the year before) and I made an appointment to get it cleaned.
Yesterday the chimney guys came and told me the chimney cap was clogged with creosote and was really too small anyway. They brought down the cap and indeed it seemed clog. They installed a new and larger cap and told when they looked down the chimney they could tell it didn't need a cleaning and that I must have been burning hot fires and I should keep up the good work.
I asked if the clogged chimney cap could have been causing the lack of draft (or whaterver you call it when smoke comes into the house) and they said yes.
So this morning I go to start another fire and the same thing happens. The kindling doesn't flame up like it should and smoke comes back into the house. Ugh! Help!
I quickly perused some threads on this board before posting this one and I see there is lots of talk about cold flues and methodology for starting fires. I'm not sure if that's an issue for me simply because I've never had any problems starting a fire in the insert in the ten winters in all kinds of weather conditions and all manner of kindling and starting techniques.
I'm attaching a picture of the insert.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.