Decided to check condition of liner for first time since install 2 months ago

[Greenback]

Hopped up on the roof to check my liner for piece of mind, was definitely more build up than I was hoping to see. About a 1/2" of flakey dry build up. I suppose I'm not running the stove hot enough, and some wood that wasn't dry enough. For reference the liner is 6" oval rigid insulated duraliner, about 16.5 feet.

I just ordered a SootEater, hopefully it will be here midweek. Im guessing I should not use my insert until this is cleaned out?

 

[begreen]

Yes, due for a cleaning. How much wood has gone through the stove? Is this with the BK stove? They run cooler and the flue often needs more frequent cleaning.

 

[Greenback]

Princess insert yes.

That’s only 1-1.5 cords I would guess. Half of it was pine which measured very dry about 11-15%. The other half was fir, which wasn’t quite ready to burn. I brought it in the basement to let it dry out for a week or so before burning and would split it after a week inside and take measurements to try to only burn the wood that averaged around 18-20%. Maybe my cheap moisture meter lead me astray.

 

[Greenback]

Would this be considered unsafe to use for the next couple days until the sweeping tools show up?

 

[brenndatomu]

Even though it is dry crusty stuff, I personally wouldn't run it that way.
How are you testing the MC of your wood? Are you testing the middle of a freshly exposed face right after re-splitting the wood?

 

[Greenback]

Yeah splitting right before taking measurements on 2-3 spots of the freshly split sides. I did notice that even doing I this way, the moisture content increases the further I stick in the leads.

 

[logfarmer]

I personally most likely would not build another fire until it was clean but....you got to do what ya got to do!

 

[xman23]

How long ago was the wood split. How and where was it drying. Looks like mostlly a wood issue. But hopefully your not smoldering splits.

 

[Greenback]

I'm fairly new to burning, especially cat stoves but I thought the whole advantage of the Blaze King was to smolder? Assuming this is done with the cat well in the active zone throughout the burn. I generally do not have flames showing, burn times would not be long enough if I did

The pine was split and stacked last march (2020). The fir was just recent standing dead felled a couple months ago that I separated into wood that measured ready to burn (the stuff that averaged less 20%MC), and the rest that will be reserved for next year. All the wood is stacked under cover on dimensional lumber or pallets. Some of the fir that averaged around 20%MC I would bring into the basement for a week or so in hopes that it would dry out more before cycling it through the princess. I'm thinking this douglas fir wasn't quite as dry as I thought, or my meter indicates.

I did recently harvest about 1/2 a cord of fir that measures around 13%MC and is considerably lighter than the rest of my stockpile for a given size of split. So once I get my liner swept out that should be good for the rest of the shoulder season, and the rest will be for next year (approx 2.5 cords).

 

[stoveliker]

-are you measuring with the wood at room temp? With the pins parallel to the grain of the wood?
-it's normal to see the MC going up to the center IF the wood has not reached equilibrium moisture content yet. For perfectly dry (15% or so) wood, I don't see a significant difference across the (fresh) split.
-are you sure your bypass is properly closed? (check when the insert is cold)
-check your cat: if it is coated with creo, it won't be very effective (and get coated more, leading to a blockage and smoke in your home).
-

 

[xman23]

I'm not a cat burner. But that's not clean enough burning. I would just do more cleanings until you make it work better. Thats basically what we all do. i can get away with once a year.

 

[Greenback]

Measuring the wood at room temp, running the leads parallel yes but perpendicular seems to read the same.
Cat looks okay, shows one broken mini tile so far but clean otherwise.
Ill have to check the bypass gasket when I get a chance.