1557 Blast HELP!!

[John73]

OK well i just installed my blast furnace and everything was going good until last night my wife loaded the furnace and did like I said,get fire temp too 550-575...Close door damper on low and open ash door air damper 1 turn ....

Well I come home in the morning and looks like my stove is burning fine I open the door figuring I'll load it up well wow i go to open the loading door and notice she NEVER latched the load door...

I open it and smoke pours out of the door...The wood was smoldering..
Creosote all over the door and inside the stove...


I then close the door and open the ash door figuring it would catch fire ok so it catches fire... Then I close ash door open loading door ...FIRE shoots out of the door I am guessing due too the creosote on the door...
Mine you I have a damper in the stove pipe also...

Do you think I would have to worry about creosote build up in my pipe?
Or the flu...

I did get the stove burning right after that and it was burning ok....I did notice when I went out and looked at the chimney there was little too no smoke coming out..

I was also wondering if I should take the plug out of the back and just use that for my air supply...


Please help me due to the fact i work nights and my wife has to take care of this and get it right....

Thanks,
John

 

[Eric Johnson]

Creosote is something to keep an eye on with a conventional boiler or furnace. I doubt that leaving the door unlatched caused your wood to smolder, but who knows? Dry wood is always way better than green or damp wood.

Small, hot fires are usually more efficient and cleaner burning than big, slow-burning ones.

Most woodburning appliances take awhile to get used to, and at least a year to get good at operating. Don't get discouraged and don't let your wife get discouraged. My guess is that before long, she will operate it better than you can. That's always been the way it's worked at my house.

 

[lexybird]

if anything a open door should have introduced an abundance of air making the fire very hot and clean and quick ,youd think it would overfire and not leave creosote everywhere .are you sure your chimney or pipe wasnt plugged up from a previous installation ?

 

[John73]

No clogged chimney we actually just cleaned it out with a brush by wife and I...

Used a brush and a rope....Pulled one way and then the other...

I don't know what else would have caused it..

Burnt fine for me Sat night...

Should I burn it like 550 too 575 will that help if there is creosote in the flu...

Just had the flu liner installed in Dec it is a Supa Flu....

 

[laynes69]

Cresote has nothing to do with it. When you open the ashpan door and its smoldering, you introduce alot of oxygen to the fire. It will explode. I've had it happen a couple of times with coal and once or twice with wood. For now on, open the door slowly. Crack it for a second before opening. I do this before I open the bottom door. With those temps, I can't see much cresote forming. I don't have the plug in back, I have the forced draft. You can remove that plug, and keep the loading door damper closed. It will lower the burntimes a little, but allow for more secondary air for a cleaner burn.

 

[John73]

Ok I just took pictures of it and the flu pipe looks clean inside is not too bad either...

I see what you are saying now....

But why would it smolder....Damper door closed on low should I keep it on medium??

Ash air should I close that at night or leave it open?? I

 

[laynes69]

I burn ours pretty hot at night. Around 400 to 450 depending on the weather. It smolders because its a firebox with a baffle. A basic run of the mill design. Eventually I will fabricate some sort of burn tubes under the baffle. With that plug removed, once you hit a good hot burn and char the wood you can turn it down pretty low on the ashpan, and the temps will climb. It will take a while for you to adjust to the unit. Give it time, and things will get better.

 

[John73]

Ok so I should take the plug out or just leave as is...

Should I burn it on med with ash screw open 1 turn like before....

I hate feeling stupid and asking all these ?? but I just have my family to think about and don't wanna get a call in the night for a chimney fire or a fire period.

I do love the way this thing puts out the heat though.....

 

[laynes69]

If your getting plenty of heat and its burning fine w/o alot of cresote, then keep the plug in. Mine has the forced draft, so mine is always open. I keep my loading door damper closed, and just use the ash pan. The main reason is the door damper is a POS. You will find that eventually it won't work.