Ash on Snow outside

[ArsenalDon]

Hey all,

So there has been ash going outside the flue on to the ground...can see it in the snow. Is this anything to worry about? is this normal? or is the a sign of excessive creosote?

 

[voodoochylde]

Sounds like a possible chimney fire...

 

[BobUrban]

Depends on the ash? I think it is pretty common to have a little ash fly out the chimney on start ups. At least I find it at times. No matter how clean I burn there is still some stuff that will collect inside the chimney - especially at the very top and cap. When stating up the stove there is more(faster) air flowing up the pipe and this stuff is light and loose and will either go up or down when if breaks free. At times I can hear some pieces falling down the pipe and there is always a little dust pile on top of my baffle boards when I clean out my stove and I know I have never had anything close to a flu fire.

On the other hand, if it is bubbly black and looks sort of like popcorn you should take a look at your flu and perform a clean out. I am sure there is a little out there all the time but it becomes more obvious against the snow.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

If you do a lot of starts with cold stove then I would not be concerned. Regular burning is a different story unless you burn coal.

 

[ArsenalDon]

Ac

If you do a lot of starts with cold stove then I would not be concerned. Regular burning is a different story unless you burn coal.

Actually been keeping it going almost 24/7 for 2 months now

 

[Hogwildz]

Never had an issue with ash. Are you burning paper or anything other than firewood in there? Cap screen would usually handle any ashes flying out. I assume you don't have a cap screen.

 

[ArsenalDon]

Never had an issue with ash. Are you burning paper or anything other than firewood in there? Cap screen would usually handle any ashes flying out. I assume you don't have a cap screen.

Have a cap screen and never burn trash

 

[KaptJaq]

Hey all,

So there has been ash going outside the flue on to the ground...can see it in the snow. Is this anything to worry about? is this normal? or is the a sign of excessive creosote?

How much is on the ground (a flake or two per square foot near the chimney?), what does the ash look like, and what are you burning? With oak I get very little ash and it is heavy and fine. With birch there are pretty large flakes of very light ash. When I first open the door after a long burn I see some of the large flakes caught in the sudden draft that make it up the flue . When they hit the snow just downwind of the chimney they look like dirty gray smudges.

KaptJaq

 

[Hogwildz]

Hmm, welp not sure why your getting so much ash out the stack then.
Is this a new stack? When the stack is new, it is not unusual for the coating of ash & creo inside the liner to flake off the first couple weeks.
I could hear them falling down into the insert here when I installed the new insert & liner.
Never really had the issue with ashes found on the snow on ground or roof here. So not sure what may be causing that.

 

[jatoxico]

Have a cap screen and never burn trash

When was your last sweep? About half way through the season right?

 

[ArsenalDon]

Well we got it march...only did a half dozen burns....then started burning November...no clean out yet...I will get pics next time the ash comes out. Just looked and it snowed last night, no ash came out today.

 

[ArsenalDon]

Hmm, welp not sure why your getting so much ash out the stack then.
Is this a new stack? When the stack is new, it is not unusual for the coating of ash & creo inside the liner to flake off the first couple weeks.
I could hear them falling down into the insert here when I installed the new insert & liner.
Never really had the issue with ashes found on the snow on ground or roof here. So not sure what may be causing that.

It is all a new setup...put in last march. burning almost 100% pine

 

[Hogwildz]

That may explain it. Sounds like the situation is not something to lose sleep over.

 

[billb3]

A tiny bit with wood that pops and farts a lot.
Maybe a little when stirring clunkers a bit aggressively.

Wasn't terribly obvious though and really had to go looking in the snow.

I've tried watching while someone else stirred up the coals and made a lot of sparks and they weren't coming out of the chimney red or even visibly, but if a climbed up on the roof and watched the cap from real close a couple flakes would float out rather lazily. Really had to work at it though ( making sparks). Only tried to make sparks come out while watching cuz I was worried about dry weather and surrounded by white pines and needles.
Pretty sure by the time any hit the ground they were stone cold.

 

[KaptJaq]

It is all a new setup...put in last march. burning almost 100% pine

Soft woods including pine do make a large amount of flaky ash. As long as the pine is properly seasoned, the ash is white or light gray, and there are no other indications of a flue fire, I do not think it is anything to worry about. This is my opinion, others hate pine and will have their own opinion...

KaptJaq

 

[PapaDave]

Maybe it's the fact that mine's an older stove, but I get some black flakes on the ground. Not a lot, but they're there.
No chimney fire.