What cement do I use to seal the inside two ventilation panels on either side? When I took them out most of it cracked and disintegrated.
Also how do I get the fiberglass rope back in place in order to reinstall the top "afterburner" plate? (have no idea what it's called). There is about 1.5' and a smaller 6" segment on either side. How is it kept in place while installing that plate ? (it's that stepped stamped metal top plate with holes in it).
Is it cemented on in some way and left to cure before installing the plate? Or does it simply require extraordinary patience and decaffeinated coffee to tuck it in as you go. Reason why the stove is semi dismantled follows. So you can just skip it if you'd rather.
Did one of the dumbest things imaginable two nights ago. Lit a fire first time this season and it backed up on me. Hmm. Good dry wood. Open the ash door to get it going and some heat in the flue, smoke starts coming out of the ash door. Closed both doors for half a minute and opened them.... smoke comes gushing out. Had to pour water on it. What a reek. Opened all the doors and windows and turned the huge window fan up in the bedroom. Did you catch that last part? I didn't cause I'm an idiot. I didn't turn the, very powerful, window fan on.... I turned it UP. It was on medium. Smoke cleared half an hour later. So... I ask myself.... what the hell was the problem?
Animal must have nested in the stainless topper on the chimney. Had a bird get in between the grille once before so it's possible. Get up on the roof, getting dark out, flashlight in hand and remove the flue topper. Clean as a whistle all the way down (double walled SS so almost no creosote build up in 12 years of regular use).
So the stove must be gunked up somehow, somewhere. Maybe even a nest inside. Get out the tools and start dismantling. Out with the upper afterburner plate thing, out with the back panel and three cinder bricks, off with the inside side ventilation panels. Everything clean as a whistle, except my living room floor and my clothes.
That's about when it hit me like a beer bottle. The damn fan. It's very strong. Run at medium and crack any window, even in the basement, and air comes streaming in. I had shut all the windows and doors in anticipation of a nice evening's fire and neglected the fan . It was literally sucking smoke out of the stove and flue (don't think any even made it as far as the flue, just fresh air going the wrong way)
Do I win a Darwin prize here or something?
Also how do I get the fiberglass rope back in place in order to reinstall the top "afterburner" plate? (have no idea what it's called). There is about 1.5' and a smaller 6" segment on either side. How is it kept in place while installing that plate ? (it's that stepped stamped metal top plate with holes in it).
Is it cemented on in some way and left to cure before installing the plate? Or does it simply require extraordinary patience and decaffeinated coffee to tuck it in as you go. Reason why the stove is semi dismantled follows. So you can just skip it if you'd rather.
Did one of the dumbest things imaginable two nights ago. Lit a fire first time this season and it backed up on me. Hmm. Good dry wood. Open the ash door to get it going and some heat in the flue, smoke starts coming out of the ash door. Closed both doors for half a minute and opened them.... smoke comes gushing out. Had to pour water on it. What a reek. Opened all the doors and windows and turned the huge window fan up in the bedroom. Did you catch that last part? I didn't cause I'm an idiot. I didn't turn the, very powerful, window fan on.... I turned it UP. It was on medium. Smoke cleared half an hour later. So... I ask myself.... what the hell was the problem?
Animal must have nested in the stainless topper on the chimney. Had a bird get in between the grille once before so it's possible. Get up on the roof, getting dark out, flashlight in hand and remove the flue topper. Clean as a whistle all the way down (double walled SS so almost no creosote build up in 12 years of regular use).
So the stove must be gunked up somehow, somewhere. Maybe even a nest inside. Get out the tools and start dismantling. Out with the upper afterburner plate thing, out with the back panel and three cinder bricks, off with the inside side ventilation panels. Everything clean as a whistle, except my living room floor and my clothes.
That's about when it hit me like a beer bottle. The damn fan. It's very strong. Run at medium and crack any window, even in the basement, and air comes streaming in. I had shut all the windows and doors in anticipation of a nice evening's fire and neglected the fan . It was literally sucking smoke out of the stove and flue (don't think any even made it as far as the flue, just fresh air going the wrong way)
Do I win a Darwin prize here or something?
