Getting the most out of my new to me Nashua

[Burning by the beach]

Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice on using my old Nashua insert. I'll post a pic of the set up. I purchased my first home recently it was built in '59 and the insert seems to be original to the house. I've had fireplaces my whole life but am finding the stove to be a whole different animal. Even with everything wide open ( which I know is not where I should be running things) my fires seem to be high maintenance,weak, and putting out far less heat than I had expected. I am almost positive this is user error as I have heard good things about this old but trustworthy Nashua company. Any advice for a wood stove newbie would be appreciated.

 

[bholler]

ok first it is not original to the house. Next we need to know how it is installed. Does it have a liner running from the stove out the top of the chimney if not that is where to start. With out that it is dangerous to run and will never preform very well. After we confirm that it has a liner we can move on to other potential problems.

 

[Burning by the beach]

ok first it is not original to the house. Next we need to know how it is installed. Does it have a liner running from the stove out the top of the chimney if not that is where to start. With out that it is dangerous to run and will never preform very well. After we confirm that it has a liner we can move on to other potential problems.

Thanks for the reply,

The chimney does have a clay liner that protrudes from the top of the chimney. Chimney was professionally swept as part of the closing negotiations on the house as well.

 

[bholler]

The chimney does have a clay liner that protrudes from the top of the chimney. Chimney was professionally swept as part of the closing negotiations on the house as well.

You need a liner attached to the insert. That really cannot be done with clay. You would at the very least need a section of stainless steel run up into the base of that clay but it would be much better and safer to run that stainless all the way out of the chimney

 

[Grisu]

Looking at your picture and the description you are giving, you are likely feeding that insert wet wood. Those old stoves are not as dependent on dry wood as modern stoves but burning wet wood is wasting a lot of heat up the chimney to boil off the water; heat that could be used to warm your home. How long has the wood been split and stacked in a sunny and windy location?

 

[bholler]

Chimney was professionally swept as part of the closing negotiations on the house as well.

Did you get a copy of the evaluation that the sweep did? They should have commented on a few problems. And done a written report if they were really a pro sweep.

 

[Burning by the beach]

Looking at your picture and the description you are giving, you are likely feeding that insert wet wood. Those old stoves are not as dependent on dry wood as modern stoves but burning wet wood is wasting a lot of heat up the chimney to boil off the water; heat that could be used to warm your home. How long has the wood been split and stacked in a sunny and windy location?

The wood is definitely not as seasoned as I would like. The logs have been sitting for quite some time, but only split recently. I bought an x27 that I see you mentioned in your signature. It made short work of them but before getting split the logs definitely have seen some winter weather. My last burn I tried setting a piece of wood off to the side to "kiln dry" it a little.

 

[Burning by the beach]

Did you get a copy of the evaluation that the sweep did? They should have commented on a few problems. And done a written report if they were really a pro sweep.

Didn't get a report, the sweep was taken care of by the sellers, unfortunately. Next fall I'll have it swept again and see if I can get some more information on the set up.

 

[bholler]

Well first off i have a feeling that the insert is just slid into the opening with no connection at all. This is typically referred to as a slammer and at the time it was done it was pretty common but it no longer meets code and can be pretty unsafe. The stove will also not preform very well installed like this. I also can see that you don't have enough protection in front of the stove either you need at least 16" of hearth in front of the stove. These things can be pretty dangerous and i would address them as soon as possible

 

[begreen]

The most common issue with poor burning is poorly seasoned wood. Some hardwood like oak and hickory take at least 2 years to season after it was split and stacked. How long ago was the wood being burned split and stacked or purchased? Do you know what species wood is it?

Poor draft from a slammer connection as was described above can exacerbate this condition. And poor wood burns dirty which can further compound the issue and quickly coat the chimney with creosote. This can be a bad combo.

 

[Grisu]

Didn't get a report, the sweep was taken care of by the sellers, unfortunately. Next fall I'll have it swept again and see if I can get some more information on the set up.

Are you planning on burning in that insert for the rest of the winter? If yes, I would at an absolute minimum take a very close look at the inside of the chimney. Wet wood and a brick chimney with clay liner can really exacerbate the problem; you may have already accumulated a serious amount of creosote that just waits for a spark to give you a chimney fire. Getting a sweep in right now to clean and inspect the chimney is certainly the prudent choice.

I also recommend a full stainless steel liner to the top of the chimney. The performance will be much better, it's easier to clean, and much safer. In addition, dry wood will be key for an efficient and safe burn.

Before installing a liner for that insert think hard about how long you want to keep it. Those old stoves usually need an 8" liner but if you ever want to upgrade to a modern, more efficient insert you will need a 6" liner. Money is probably tight with the recent home purchase but buying an 8" liner only to switch it to 6" a few years later is also a waste. And burning wood can be seen as a prudent investment which will lower your heating bills for years to come.

 

[Burning by the beach]

Are you planning on burning in that insert for the rest of the winter? If yes, I would at an absolute minimum take a very close look at the inside of the chimney. Wet wood and a brick chimney with clay liner can really exacerbate the problem; you may have already accumulated a serious amount of creosote that just waits for a spark to give you a chimney fire. Getting a sweep in right now to clean and inspect the chimney is certainly the prudent choice.

I also recommend a full stainless steel liner to the top of the chimney. The performance will be much better, it's easier to clean, and much safer. In addition, dry wood will be key for an efficient and safe burn.

Before installing a liner for that insert think hard about how long you want to keep it. Those old stoves usually need an 8" liner but if you ever want to upgrade to a modern, more efficient insert you will need a 6" liner. Money is probably tight with the recent home purchase but buying an 8" liner only to switch it to 6" a few years later is also a waste. And burning wood can be seen as a prudent investment which will lower your heating bills for years to come.

Thank you for the feedback guys, it is greatly appreciated! The wood is oak that has only been split recently. I purchased the home about a month ago and the wood was left by the previous owner. I know it had been sitting cut but not split for a very long time. I was hoping this would have led to a dryer wood even before splitting... wrong.

More than likely I will stick with the old stove that is there but will look to do the 8" liner in the near future. I am lucky enough that the previous owners had a ultra high efficiency boiler installed. That will be my primary source of heat with the wood insert being a great option for cold weekends and nights. I haven't burned much at all only two fires with that oak. Will seek out a source of dry wood for a small run this weekend and see how it goes.