Getting smoke out of cap (It seems like white mist) with stove top temp 600F

[Jfk4th]

Well since it is really cold I have both stoves going, Quad 5100 Insert and Avalon Olympic freestanding . The freestanding is running at around 400F with no smoke coming out chimney, smaller pieces mind you for N/S burns. My insert has 2 big splits in N/S, and is still smoking out of the cap. Both stoves are using the same wood 15-20% moisture, maybe a little higher. Both pipes have been recently cleaned, three weeks ago. Looks like I am getting good secondaries on the Quad insert at 600F. But when I look outside smoke is coming out... :red: Usually my Quad insert does not smoke after a little bit so I am thinking it is my wood. Bigger pieces not seasoned fully

The only thing I can think of is that my moisture meter is a little off, it is the one with the 4 prong at Harbor Freight for 29.99. I can't see any smoke in the firebox of the Quad insert although there must be some coming out if I am seeing smoke in the chimney cap. My Quad 5100 has a SS liner inside going all the way up to the cap, plenty of length, 21 feet up.

I guess I'll leave it as unseasoned wood in the insert and the smaller splits in the Avalon are burning better (cleaner) than the big splits in the insert. It just stumps me that at 600F + there could be smoke coming out of the cap..... :roll:

 

[burntime]

Is it smoke or more of a white mist? Mine has just moist air coming out when I damper it down all the way. I went up to check it out, its just warm air and the little bit of moisture coming out.

 

[Pagey]

The same thing happens to me when I shut down my primary all the way. The stove will continue to cruise at 550 to 600F, but a few minutes after closing the air, the secondaries disappear and smoke starts coming out. My wood tests in the same range as yours, some a little higher. I've just come to accept that this is how my stove will perform.

 

[Jfk4th]

Is it smoke or more of a white mist? Mine has just moist air coming out when I damper it down all the way. I went up to check it out, its just warm air and the little bit of moisture coming out.

Now that you said it is is a white mist..definitely not like the darker smoke that comes out at startup. Is this a bad thing, it seems to happen sometimes? Maybe because the wood is not fully seasoned but very close.

I have it open about 1/5th, I can't damper all the way down it would probably go out too (miss my Summit with EBT.....) I just hate to open her up anymore, which I just did, and get the stove temp with blower on just about high to 600 plus, it seems like a waste...although with cold temps like today it might not be a bad idea. I am going to check it again with air open up to around 40% and see if I see any smoke out the cap.

Probably still not the best wood, I have a mix of silver maple that I split and stack in Feb (uncovered) but probably not in the best spot for fully seasoned and hard maple/oak that is probably not fully seasoned. Right now I have 1 big split of silver and 1 split of oak, probably not fully seasoned. Split in late spring by brother in law.....

 

[Jfk4th]

Well it looks like I answered my own question, I bumped the air up to around 40%, maybe a little less and there is no smoke coming from the chimney. I guess tomorrow I'll try somewhere around 30% and see if this still stays white mist free. Again I am sure with better wood I could turn this insert down lower (air) but maybe with the extra moisture in the wood I need to turn up and keep it up.

I have a nicer spot (kid safe too) for seasoning all of my wood for next fall/winter. This will get a lot more sun and much more wind. it will be a little more time consuming, going around a fence, but again for the safety of my kids and more seasoned wood it is worth the extra time in stacking

I don't know why but when I see anything less than clear from my chimney caps I get grumpy Anybody else have this same problem....

 

[jadm]

I don't know why but when I see anything less than clear from my chimney caps I get grump Anybody else have this same problem....

Yes, I hate seeing anything coming out of the chimney. Scared of smoking the neighbors out or someone turning me in for burning on 'no burn' days here in Colorado thinking that I have a regular fireplace burning.

The only time I relax about smoke is at night when it is dark out. Figure if I change my lifestyle to staying up all night so I can burn all night then I can sleep all day and not worry about the smoke anymore. :lol:

Family isn't sold on the idea. The cat wonders why they have a problem with it. ;-)

 

[northwinds]

Well it looks like I answered my own question, I bumped the air up to around 40%, maybe a little less and there is no smoke coming from the chimney. I guess tomorrow I'll try somewhere around 30% and see if this still stays white mist free. Again I am sure with better wood I could turn this insert down lower (air) but maybe with the extra moisture in the wood I need to turn up and keep it up.

I have a nicer spot (kid safe too) for seasoning all of my wood for next fall/winter. This will get a lot more sun and much more wind. it will be a little more time consuming, going around a fence, but again for the safety of my kids and more seasoned wood it is worth the extra time in stacking

I don't know why but when I see anything less than clear from my chimney caps I get grumpy Anybody else have this same problem....

Not normally, but I have a load right now that's blowing white smoke around. I do have a big gnarly half round of elm in there
that I couldn't get split further (takes up almost 1/2 the firebox). It's probably not seasoned all the way. The smoke is pure white. In contrast, my neighbor across the street has a lifetime of seasoned wood that he burns in his fireplace/older insert. He's got dirty brown smoke coming out now, so I felt better by comparison. I'm just going to run through the load at 650 and move on to more normal wood after this load turns to ash.

I must look like an wacko walking up and down the street in my slippers looking at people's chimneys while it's -16 out.

 

[gpcollen1]

My Olympic has been giving me some white 'smoke these days too on big loads. I think that the moisture in the wood just shows up more as it gets colder. It is not as if there is no moisture in there at all. As long as I am burning hot and getting good secondary burn, I do not sweat a bit of smoke. Though I do get your concerns and pride in not smoking up the neighborhood.

 

[Jfk4th]

Well it looks like I answered my own question, I bumped the air up to around 40%, maybe a little less and there is no smoke coming from the chimney. I guess tomorrow I'll try somewhere around 30% and see if this still stays white mist free. Again I am sure with better wood I could turn this insert down lower (air) but maybe with the extra moisture in the wood I need to turn up and keep it up.

I have a nicer spot (kid safe too) for seasoning all of my wood for next fall/winter. This will get a lot more sun and much more wind. it will be a little more time consuming, going around a fence, but again for the safety of my kids and more seasoned wood it is worth the extra time in stacking

I don't know why but when I see anything less than clear from my chimney caps I get grumpy Anybody else have this same problem....

Not normally, but I have a load right now that's blowing white smoke around. I do have a big gnarly half round of elm in there
that I couldn't get split further (takes up almost 1/2 the firebox). It's probably not seasoned all the way. The smoke is pure white. In contrast, my neighbor across the street has a lifetime of seasoned wood that he burns in his fireplace/older insert. He's got dirty brown smoke coming out now, so I felt better by comparison. I'm just going to run through the load at 650 and move on to more normal wood after this load turns to ash.

I must look like an wacko walking up and down the street in my slippers looking at people's chimneys while it's -16 out.

That's makes two "wackos" walking up and down the street....well not in my slippers (boots) and looking at people's chimneys while it's -14 out :cheese: