I lurk around the site more than post, but wanted to share an experience I had last night to hopefully understand why it happened. Around 3PM, I started a fire and it was going just fine. The kids and I went outside around 5PM to go sledding. While in the back yard, I look toward the front yard and notice a dark brown smoke laying close to the ground. I walked down the driveway where I could see the front of our house and noticed that the dark brown smoke was coming from our chimney. I only saw smoke and no flames. I quickly go inside and open the stove door, and the same color smoke was spilling into the house. All the while, I heard no sounds that I have read here that would indicate a chimney fire (roaring sounds, crackling sounds).
The damper was only half closed and I have been using this stove since October. Once I removed a few splits of wood and threw into the snow, I used wood ashes and start shoveling into the stove to smother the flames. I closed off the damper most of the way and went back outside. The brown smoke cleared and it turned back to a white/grey color, but I saw black soot on the roof near the chimney since the roof was covered in snow. I have burned less than half a cord since October, and the wood is seasoned pine and poplar. Prior to this when I go outside to get a few pieces of wood, I walk around the house, and typically see no smoke just heat waves. I would only see white smoke when first starting up.
After the stove was cold, I removed all the pipes and I saw white ash but nothing was plugged up. Coming off the stove was a 90 elbow into 2' straight stove pipe, then into a SS Tee fitting. I was not able to get the 5.5" SS uninsulated liner down the chimney during the install, so I cut off 6' and placed to the first terra cotta flue tile (direct connect) going to 7"x11" OD flue. I have since removed the block off plate and installed the original damper until I can get on the roof to look down the chimney.
From your experience, is this wet wood from weather conditions or early stage chimney fire? I swept the flue last April and only the powder soot was on the terra cotta. Prior to this, we used the open fireplace as ambiance. I believe this was my last wood fire as my OCD would always have me messing with the damper, checking the exhaust, sorting wood by moisture reading. I already have NG plumbed into fireplace and may work with fireplace store this coming summer for NG install. Easier to flip switch... until the power goes out.
The damper was only half closed and I have been using this stove since October. Once I removed a few splits of wood and threw into the snow, I used wood ashes and start shoveling into the stove to smother the flames. I closed off the damper most of the way and went back outside. The brown smoke cleared and it turned back to a white/grey color, but I saw black soot on the roof near the chimney since the roof was covered in snow. I have burned less than half a cord since October, and the wood is seasoned pine and poplar. Prior to this when I go outside to get a few pieces of wood, I walk around the house, and typically see no smoke just heat waves. I would only see white smoke when first starting up.
After the stove was cold, I removed all the pipes and I saw white ash but nothing was plugged up. Coming off the stove was a 90 elbow into 2' straight stove pipe, then into a SS Tee fitting. I was not able to get the 5.5" SS uninsulated liner down the chimney during the install, so I cut off 6' and placed to the first terra cotta flue tile (direct connect) going to 7"x11" OD flue. I have since removed the block off plate and installed the original damper until I can get on the roof to look down the chimney.
From your experience, is this wet wood from weather conditions or early stage chimney fire? I swept the flue last April and only the powder soot was on the terra cotta. Prior to this, we used the open fireplace as ambiance. I believe this was my last wood fire as my OCD would always have me messing with the damper, checking the exhaust, sorting wood by moisture reading. I already have NG plumbed into fireplace and may work with fireplace store this coming summer for NG install. Easier to flip switch... until the power goes out.
