Insert - smoke and burning rate issues

[qwain76]

Hello,

I bought an insert Fireplace Extraordinair (Elite 33 model) 4 months ago. I had it professionally installed, with a 6" stainless steel liner. The chimney is a masonry external one, 25 ft tall.

The insert worked amazing and we burned wood all winter long. It was very easy to start and it was making so much heat you could barely stay close to it, sometimes.

However, in the past week or so it seems to me it is not working so well anymore. First, it is very difficult to start, second, every time I open the door, A LOT of smoke start getting in the house, and third the burn rate seems very slow. With the air open, wood was burning like crazy, but now it burns very slowly (you don't see flames) even when the air is wide open.

The wood I have is from 2010 an it is very dry.

What can have happened? Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[HotCoals]

Still check the chimney cap if it has one.
Something is plugging the flue is my thought and till I confirmed that is not the case,I would not burn in it.

 

[jatoxico]

Everything you mention point towards you needing a chimney cleaning. Don't wait.

 

[qwain76]

Do you think 4 months are enough to create enough dirt in the brand new liner to clog it?

 

[BrotherBart]

The chimney cap is clogged. Easy to do with high winds and cold temps like you have had this year. Are you burning around the clock or starting it up once a day or twice a day?

 

[jatoxico]

Do you think 4 months are enough to create enough dirt in the brand new liner to clog it?

Yup. You said your wood is dry but you would not be the first guy to over estimate the quality of their wood. Wood does not not begin to dry until it is split and then still needs reasonably good conditions to dry well.

Soft woods tend to dry quicker than hard woods. Some hard woods can take quite a bit of time after splitting to get to the recommended 20% or below moisture content.

 

[qwain76]

Thanks for your replies. When I can I burn around the clock, but sometimes I stop and start once a day.....

What can clog the chimney cap? Creosote?

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah cold starts in cold weather with winds make it collect on the cap really fast. Get somebody up there to take a look. May just be the cap. If not you/they will know when they look down that liner.

 

[qwain76]

Thanks guys, you pointed me in the right direction.

Today I had my chimney swept and see in the attache image how the cap looked like.

I wonder how could the cap get so clogged up in 3 months...........

 

[begreen]

Don't feel bad. I have seen that happen in a few weeks with green wood burning.

 

[jatoxico]

Thanks guys, you pointed me in the right direction.

Today I had my chimney swept and see in the attache image how the cap looked like.

I wonder how could the cap get so clogged up in 3 months...........

Once the draft begins to slow due to creosote formation accumulation accelerates and things go down hill quick. Good job getting it straightened out.