Hello

[nova50]

Hello everyone,
I have been lurking here for quite a while and finally registered. I have a Country Flame Model B insert that I had to slightly modify to install in my fireplace and everything has been working great. The insert was a little too wide for my opening so I cut it down about 3/4 of an inch on each side and re-weld the whole thing. I am very impressed with the insert in all, it can heat my whole house and keep that $$$$ oil burner on standby. I do have a few issues like the annoying soot build up on the glass doors, but after searching here for a miracle fix I came up empty handed....guess Ill have to deal with that. The sad thing is I got this insert for the glass doors and after 3 days it may as well be solid metal. Im wondering if there is anyone else here that modified their insert to fit and if so how it turned out for them.

 

[branchburner]

Welcome to the forums! A very common cause of sooting is burning with air set too low and/or using sub-par wood - how long has yours been cut/split/stacked?

 

[nova50]

The wood I just got is a little seasoned does not hiss but not as good as the over priced bagged wood I was buying. Its starts out light gray but Im not a big fan of a daily cleaning since I burn constantly and they get hot so I kinda let the soot build. I was hoping for some type of coating that keep it from sticking and makes wiping easier, but no luck. Maybe I can invent something and become rich . I think it is from me closing the damper to make the wood last longer. I am impressed with all the info that is available here, I probably wouldn't have gotten everything I needed done without this site.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

I can understand the glass getting some soot on a startup because the fire is burning cool. But when the fire has burned for some time it should be at much higher temps, the temps should be hot enough to burn the soot off the glass. The airwash should also be working, another way for the soot to remove itself from the glass with higher stove temps. It sounds to me like your burning wet wood and are unable to get a hot fire.

 

[nova50]

I dont think this insert has airwash thats where there are 2 pieces of glass right?

 

[wkpoor]

Air wash is just boundary layer air that keeps the smoke off the glass. Stoves without it are common to see the glass soot up at low firing temps are when adding more wood. I find stove top temps above 500 will burn it off.

 

[OhioBurner©]

Air wash is just your incomming air being directed down the front glass, might be easier to explain via pic, so it is #2 on the diagram below from quadrafire:

 

[nova50]

Thanks for the info guys, I will look to see if there are any chambers that may be clogged and stopping air flow. I will also try the high temp burn off idea, I generally set the damper low for the loner burn and that is probably my biggest problem. Im a cheapskate...hence modifying the insert I got instead of buying a brand new one so I try to make my wood last and at full burn it will run me out the room. I really didnt think it could put out that much heat but the thermostat in the hall was reading 84 earlier.

 

[begreen]

If you have a cooler part of the house, put a table or box fan on the floor of that area blowing directly toward the stove room. That will help even out the heat somewhat.