Angry bees??

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eclecticcottage

Minister of Fire
Dec 7, 2011
1,803
WNY
My Lopi sounds like a swarm of angry bees are up in the stack when it gets a good secondary burn. I know there are not any bees up there, lol, but seriously-is it the draft? Is that normal?? It's only been doing it recently, so maybe it's the draft combined with the wind we've been getting lately-but it's disconcerting to someone that doesn't really care for bees, especially after last summer's experiance with them at our old house (we had a nest of yellow jackets in the wall, which ended up in the spare room-1000's of them, at once).
 
Could it be that you have some creosote in the flue and as it gets hot it sort of crackles?
 
I agree with Dennis- once the secondaries kick and you shut down the stove the creosote in the pipe will cool and crackle as it cools.
 
If it is creosote crackling, best get that chimney cleaned out a.s.a.p. :)
 
I had the same thing happen last year (first year burning wood). I cleaned my chimney over Christmas vacation and found a lot of crusty build up, especially in the stove pipes. Cleaning it out and having dry wood this year solved the problem. Dry wood is much better. Whoever said "Water don't burn" can chime in and take credit for the great quote.
 
Hm...Creosote can make a humming/whistling noise?! Oh DH is gonna love to hear that, lol...cuz I can't do heights. Every time I get on a roof I freeze up. If it was creosote, it would do it all the time, right? Just got home, I'll have to listen to it once we get it started back up and see...

Ok...it sounds like wind blowing, or an air draw sucking through.... And as I think about it, it started when we cleaned out most of the ashes this last time. Took it almost down to the bricks. I wonder if we should tighten the door latch again. The flames were really flickering good, like there was a leak in the door....Crazy how it loosens every few weeks!
 
eclecticcottage said:
Hm...Creosote can make a humming/whistling noise?! Oh DH is gonna love to hear that, lol...cuz I can't do heights. Every time I get on a roof I freeze up. If it was creosote, it would do it all the time, right? Just got home, I'll have to listen to it once we get it started back up and see...

Ok...it sounds like wind blowing, or an air draw sucking through.... And as I think about it, it started when we cleaned out most of the ashes this last time. Took it almost down to the bricks. I wonder if we should tighten the door latch again. The flames were really flickering good, like there was a leak in the door....Crazy how it loosens every few weeks!

Ah, humming and whistling- it appears your stove is happy and content!
With the new descriptives, I would suspect an air leak somewhere also.
 
Tightened the door...and freaked DH out with the creosote possibility. He's planning on plumbing the vent free fireplace tomorrow now! Still humming/whistling even after tightening the door. It sounds like wind blowing in our less than well sealed sunroom (aluminum windows). It's been a long time, but it does remind me of wind blowing in the cold stack of the old cone stove his family had when it wasn't lit. Or a lot of really angry bees. Like a few hundred. Gawd that freaks me out!!

Really wish I wasn't height challenged so I could just check the darn thing tomorrow!

Edit: Weather says 15mph winds, but we're between a lake and cornfields, so it could be higher here. It's enough to make our sliders creak a little, which seems to be the norm at over 20mph.

Edit 2x: definately wind, it's picking up. Sounds like halloween in here now. Geezum. Same in the bathroom with the water heater vent too. and the sliders are creaking...great for sleep :rolleyes:
 
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