I revamped a free 1980's nightwatch insert by adding a bigger baffle, three secondary combustion tubes ducted to one air inlet and a air wash duct over the loading doors attached to the other air inlet. I aimed a video camera wired to my TV at my chimney. It takes at least 10 to 15 minutes for the smoking to subside unless I open one loading door slighty. After that I close the door and see no smoke. Much better than the continuous grey plume I used to create. If anyone with a non cat epa stove has observed their chimney during several warm up cycles I would like to know what they are seeing. Do they need to heat up before they run clean ? I live in a densely populated area and I like my neighbors. Thanks for any comments.
epa non cat stove/insert chimney emissions question
- Thread starter thrifty
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With modern stoves the firebox needs to get up to temperature before the secondary combustion kicks in or the cat gets up to temperature. How long this takes will depend on a lot of factors, dry wood being the most important. In our stove we are usually smoke free in about 10-15 minutes. Starting with a top-down fire helps reduce emissions and shortens the visible smoke time too.
Last edited:
HisTreeNut
Minister of Fire
From a cold start I can have no smoke with a top down fire and a good amount of nice dry kindling. The air input has to be full open and I have to slowly cut the air back to where it needs to be once the firebox starts coming up to temp. I can't open the door though because when/if I do the smoke just seems to build and go around in circles .
Opening the door will get the fire going faster but it will make a lot of smoke doing so. Plus if the chimney is slow (cold, mostly in warmer weather) smoke will come out the secondary tube supply.
Reloading on coals also requires kindling to keep the smoke time down but we usually just toss splits in and there will be a little smoke for 5 or 10 minutes unless I get impatient and set the air where it will eventually need to be and walk away. In cold weather this works fairly well, in milder weather sometimes the fire just doesn't take off and it will just sit there smoking, (unless I put a layer of small dry pine kindling in) sometimes for a half hour or before I look out a window and notice the smoke and then go give it some more air like I should have, then set my watch timer for about 20 minutes to go knock the air back down again.
So I can have no smoke either way but it takes a little tending to / nursing along. Which we don't always do.
Opening the door will get the fire going faster but it will make a lot of smoke doing so. Plus if the chimney is slow (cold, mostly in warmer weather) smoke will come out the secondary tube supply.
Reloading on coals also requires kindling to keep the smoke time down but we usually just toss splits in and there will be a little smoke for 5 or 10 minutes unless I get impatient and set the air where it will eventually need to be and walk away. In cold weather this works fairly well, in milder weather sometimes the fire just doesn't take off and it will just sit there smoking, (unless I put a layer of small dry pine kindling in) sometimes for a half hour or before I look out a window and notice the smoke and then go give it some more air like I should have, then set my watch timer for about 20 minutes to go knock the air back down again.
So I can have no smoke either way but it takes a little tending to / nursing along. Which we don't always do.
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