busy weekend stove wise

[elkimmeg]

Yesterday I just had to try out my new saw Husky 357 xp Its better than good exceeded any expectations I had and whipped my old Sthl farmboss 041
Today was stove maintenance day. First I cleaned out both flues and connector pipes. Removed and cleaned out the Cat combustor The Encoore barely had any fly ash,
did not need cleaning, but I took it out anyways blew and vac it. Shane sent me the forest green warming shelf and mitten drying holders, which I installed.
My wife really missed the shelf and mitten setup on the old stove. She thanks you Shane. I never was happy with the griddle gasket on the encore so I replaced it with 1/4" common gasket material seem to improved the snug fit.

On to the Intrepid II this little stove keeps amazing me It is a wonderful little stove, that really does quite a job heating my cathedral ceiling family room. I can't qualify how it stacks up against its competition but 6 hours of productive heat is real good in a fire box 1.25 cu ft. The cat combustor had little fly ash, The flue not bad probably did not need cleaning.
I really pays to burn good seasoned wood. Took it apart that is all removable parts and shop vac it out. Made sure the air passages are cleaned and cleansed all things good to go whenever winter arrives. I figure I have burned only 2 cords so far, which is one less than last year.

Oh and the Patriots won

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

I brought back from Kansas a piece of orange osage or hedge, It was only one rounf about 13 inches in diameter and 23 inches long. I would bet it weighed 40 pounds. I stuffed the entire log in the fireplace last night around midnight and the damn thing is still burning. Huge diference from the pine im used to burning, at least my local wood is hard as a rock and i can get decent burn times out of it. The new stove will give me 10-12 hour burn times and im totally satisfied with it.
Your saw is a bad a$$ model. I love the husky XP series.

 

[Marty]

...The new stove will give me 10-12 hour burn times and im totally satisfied with it.

You being a Hearthstone dealer, I'm glad to hear that your finally piloting the flagship. Have you placed your Equinox order with the factory yet... {wink wink... nudge nudge} It's only good advertising when the stove guy has his windows open during the blizards... and god knows you guys in CO have got plenty of PR opportuinitys this year.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

I think the delivery guys will shoot me if i change my mind again, the mansfield is almost to much stove for this house, but i love the burn times and the ease of loading. Would you belive i have not cleaned out the ash pan once since i have owned the stove?

 

[Marty]

...Would you belive i have not cleaned out the ash pan once since i have owned the stove?

I believe it.
I usually go 20-30 days and then just shovel it into the bucket... too much ash to get out through the pan efficiently.
Though in western PA this year there haven't been a shortage of warm spells to let the fire die out.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

Im going on three months now, with two fires a day. That thing burns so complete there is hardly anything left when its all said and done. Everytime the ash gets a littel high i take my shovel and pack it down. Its getting concrete like, and its so easy to start that thing up. I wish i knew why its so much easier to light a stove with ash in it. I understand that its a good insulator, but there has to be more to it then that,

Elk, sorry for hijcaking your thread.

 

[Marty]

Im going on three months now, with two fires a day. That thing burns so complete there is hardly anything left when its all said and done...

I wonder if the pine burns more completley than my oak and cherry, which burns pretty well but truth be told is only 8 months split.

...
Elk, sorry for hijcaking your thread.

Same here Elk. I'm betting you could have spent the weekend at a wedding and helping your kids cram for school like I did, and you'd still be on cloud 9 thanks to those Pats.

 

[elkimmeg]

I’m still learning after 30 years of stove operations. Many times I mentioned my center chimney location and 16” of masonry and field stone construction. I planned another convent feature the ash clean out door is located in a closet. It lines up directly with the stove connector on the opposite side. I can open the cleanout door and view and clean the connector pipe with out removal. There is still 11 inches of masonry on the backside to the 8/8 flue. When I cleaned it out on Sunday there, was a lot of hard shinny creosote in the distance from the flue and the cleanout door. With a flat bar and putty knife I scrapped it all out it was about ¼” thick on the back of the cleanout door. I had caulked that door shut and don’t think it was leaking . But it was quit obvious the smoke was getting trapped in there cooling down and creating creosote. Every load up of 2 years seasoned wood, one less than seasoned woods split does get mixed in but enough to see this much creosote? But the connector pipe looked good,,as did the vertical run look good.

Something is not right. The Cat Combustor was real clean, indicating of burning correctly and seasoned wood. I got an idea. What if I could install a metal plate in there, put it in to just the start of the vertical flue rise. I measured the interior area and cut a metal plate making it 1/2 “ larger all the way around. 45 degree cut the corners and bent the ½” to about 75 degrees. In the center I placed an eye loop, to make taking it out easier. The 75 degrees made it a tight fit creating just the right amount of friction to make a tight fit and stay in place.

Tonight the stove is running and I noticed the improved draft and control of the stove.
Before I closed the ash dump door I caulked it with fire stop 136 caulk and closed the door. I wonder how many flue setups have leaking ash clean out doors?
30 years latter am I’m still learning