Just got my chimney cleaned up, ready for the season

[agonyzhou]

Last year was my first season of serious burning, with 1.x cord of not very good wood and 1 ton of eco bricks up the chimney. The sweeper got less than one gallon of soot down, all powder. He told me everything looks fine and I am ready to burn.

The job even look simple to me: There is no need to climb the chimney. In fact he spent the most time putting back the baffle boards due to the tight angle. Maybe I should get myself a sooteater and do it myself next year.

 

[begreen]

How was it burning in the Montpelier II? Did you find the startup air control worked well? Any runaway fires?

 

[agonyzhou]

How was it burning in the Montpelier II? Did you find the startup air control worked well? Any runaway fires?

I guess I wasn't stuffing the stove full enough to make it happen.
The startup control is a button but could be pulled out as some kind of air control lever but after a couple of months of pushing and pulling the soldering gave up. Now it can only be pushed
If I use my best hardwood, large splits and stuff it full late at night, I could end up with some live coal the morning after. But then I am too lazy to do that plus I don't have enough woods anyway. So I just burn whenever I am home, like during the day and in the evening. I even think cold start is easier than hot refill: If there is too much coal it will get very hot and scares me; if there is barely enough coal it smokes a lot.