Dirty Glass

[KindredSpiritzz]

Still trying to learn my new Austral. I have noticed the door on the glass gets dirty very quickly. It's like a thin caked on glaze of creosote very hard to get off. Seems it gets that way after an overnight burn. I'll get the fire going good, push the air lever all the way in right before bed and in the morning i'll have a nice layer on the glass. Im thinking it's happening towards the end of the burn as the fires dying out. Should i be leaving that front air lever out a 1/4 or 1/2 inch versus shutting it completely? Is it just cause its shoulder season and were having small fires? Is that just the nature of glass door stoves where you're constantly cleaning them?
I peaked down the chimney pipe and was disappointed by how much creosote i had build up after a months off and on burning.
Woods dry so thats not the issue.

 

[DAKSY]

How dry is your "DRY" wood? Did you check the moisture content?

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

15-19% on the pieces i tested.

 

[Chuck the Canuck]

I'm just learning how to run my austral as well, but I know one thing: I've never been able to push the rod in completely so as to totally close off the air without choking the fire right to death.... I always leave it out just a tinch or so, so that I still have a bit of flame burning real lazy on the wood and the secondaries kicking off nice and regular. It takes me quite a while to get to that point, because I find I have to shut it down in increments of 1/32" or 1/16" (or some such obscure minuscule tiny bit of movement) especially when the air is close to being shut down completely. Having said all that, I've only had to clean my glass once since I bought the stove last spring........

Cheers,

 

[prezes13]

You are starving your stove out of air. It's not going to happen at the end of the cycle, that's when all the gasses are burned off already. Believe me I was in your shoes. The problems were; wet wood, not running the stove hot enough, cutting air too much.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

it says in the instruction manual to get optimum efficiency they suggest operating with the air control completely closed.
page 30 of the manual.

 

[Huntindog1]

I have the Myriad and I dont think you should shut the air control all the way. It causes me problems if I do , If I come back later the fire is smoldering.

The Myriad and Austral are the same firebox as you know. They just have legs on the Austral and Pedestal on the Myriad.

I never have any build up unless I use not so good wood.

So keep it open about 1/2" and your problem I think will be solved.

You might be able to ease it down to 1/4" but you will be pushing it as it will want to go out on you.

I took a permanent marker and put marks on the rod you push in and out for the input primary air and use the outer edge of the ash lip as a guide to how far the rod is out or in.

This is shoulder season and the temps outside are not real cold so your draw of your flue will be less. During really cold weather and a stove with a good load of hot coals will have a stronger draw of the flue so you might be able to get away with shutting the stove down all the way but I think you still might have problems.

These stoves are designed to be a North/South burner but can be used East/West. This stove designed to burn N/S doesnt have a dog house air. Which in the N/S load the dog house air would make the stove burn faster and hotter. So they most likely left out the dog house air to give more control when loading the stove N/S way. If you load East/West this would make it more of a chance for wood not getting air if you shut the primary air all the way closed. I think its best to leave the input primary air open a little.

 

[begreen]

In shoulder season a stove often needs more air to burn well. Just turn it down until the flames get lazy. As the weather gets colder and draft increases the air control can be closed further.

 

[Huntindog1]

BeGreen, I had just went back and edited my post , I didn't know you were typing at the same time , I was trying to say the same thing, you beat me to it.

 

[firefighterjake]

it says in the instruction manual to get optimum efficiency they suggest operating with the air control completely closed.
page 30 of the manual.

True . . . but as mentioned during this time of year it can be tough to do so . . . in addition your wood may not be as well seasoned as you hope or you may not have as good a draft . . . the instruction manual is telling the truth . . . if everything is at the optimum -- best wood, great draft, temps, etc.

Depending on the set up, time of year and sometimes even the individual load of wood you may not be able to burn cleanly and most efficiently with the air fully shut . . . but at another time you may do so with no issues.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

my chimney is the minimum required 12 ft so i suppose that could be a factor as well. I'll experiment with not shutting down the air so much and see if that helps.

 

[Huntindog1]

I was sitting here tonight watching my Drolet Myriad burn and it hit me that if you shut your primary air all the way off and in these stoves that is pretty much off , you are also shutting off your air wash as the primary input air is your air wash. So with no air flowing over the glass your gonna get more build up especially if the fire is not burning well.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

I think leaving the air open a smidgen was the ticket. Glass is clean as a whistle so far. Just weird they tell you in the manual to close it all the way.