Lopi Endeavor no secondary burn

[tvsteve1]

Lopi Endeavor and pipes installed along with OAK in 2009. Burn 24/7 thru the winter. Oak cut by me from logs, split and stacked, seasoned for 2-3 years. MC between 14 and 16%. Stove top 650 and pipe measured with Auber probe about the same. No secondary burn. Burning N-S, could never get the stove to burn E-W. Always left the back wood to smolder. Cleaned the stove and pipe end of last year. There was a thick coating of soot in the pipes. Used the soot eater to get to the top but I couldn't got my fiber brush past the offsets. First time that happened. Also I have noticed a light smoke condition tword the end of the burn. Average burn time 8 hours. Difficult to find someone willing to do a bore scope inspection of the stack.

 

[begreen]

The sooteater should easily pass through the offsets. It sounds like there might be an obstruction. This could be a bee or other critter's nest. Hopefully, it's not a plug of creosote, but that is possible. Single-wall stove pipe, with two 90º turns and a cold exterior chimney can cool down flue gases quickly toward the top of the chimney pipe, especially if some of the oak is of higher moisture content.

 

[tvsteve1]

Thanks for the reply. The sooteater had no problem reaching the top. The fiber brush with its heaver rods was the problem. In the past it had worked with some effort. My main concern is the total lack of secondary flames from the tubes .

 

[Slimdusty]

How is your draft? The top of your pipe and cap look suspiciously black like there has been alot of unburnt fuel passing through. Without good draft your secondary burn will suffer.

 

[Burnin Since 1989]

Lopi Endeavor and pipes installed along with OAK in 2009. Burn 24/7 thru the winter. Oak cut by me from logs, split and stacked, seasoned for 2-3 years. MC between 14 and 16%. Stove top 650 and pipe measured with Auber probe about the same. No secondary burn. Burning N-S, could never get the stove to burn E-W. Always left the back wood to smolder. Cleaned the stove and pipe end of last year. There was a thick coating of soot in the pipes. Used the soot eater to get to the top but I couldn't got my fiber brush past the offsets. First time that happened. Also I have noticed a light smoke condition tword the end of the burn. Average burn time 8 hours. Difficult to find someone willing to do a bore scope inspection of the stack.

Is this a recent development? I can't tell from your pic, but there is a cleanout tee at the lower chimney? Have you tried using the hard rods and going up the chimney? Also if you open the tee and gently tap on the chimney pipe (I would be slightly less gentle, but you don't want to damage your chimney pipe) See if you're getting any loose black chunks. Could be an obstruction. Check the OAK and make sure it isn't obstructed as well.

And I agree, the top of the chimney and cap are awfully black

 

[tvsteve1]

Is this a recent development? I can't tell from your pic, but there is a cleanout tee at the lower chimney? Have you tried using the hard rods and going up the chimney? Also if you open the tee and gently tap on the chimney pipe (I would be slightly less gentle, but you don't want to damage your chimney pipe) See if you're getting any loose black chunks. Could be an obstruction. Check the OAK and make sure it isn't obstructed as well.

And I agree, the top of the chimney and cap are awfully black

I clean thru the cleanout. The soot eater goes to the top. No chunks come out. OAK is clean along with the stove. Did notice some secondaries yesterday. I load with 2-3 years old oak. Years ago as a beginner I did many small burns causing smokey smoldering fires causing the black pipe. Tops been black for years.

 

[Burnin Since 1989]

I clean thru the cleanout. The soot eater goes to the top. No chunks come out. OAK is clean along with the stove. Did notice some secondaries yesterday. I load with 2-3 years old oak. Years ago as a beginner I did many small burns causing smokey smoldering fires causing the black pipe. Tops been black for years.

Ok on all that. Have you shined a light up from the cleanout tee? You won't be able to see all the way up but most of it anyway. You can't clean or check the chimney from the roof, correct? It looks pretty tall. Have you pulled off the stove pipe and had a look at the inside of it and also the inside top of your stove? I would check from the thimble to the tee. I would take a look at those, if you haven't already? Something in your install has changed and there is only so much that can cause that issue. Check the manual to see the air intake route through your stove. If air comes into the box from the bottom, it could be blocked as well.

I'm not familiar with your stove, but basically there isn't that much that can go wrong. I did read about a guy that was having a similar issue and his air flowed from the OAK along the bottom of the stove and up across the door/ window to keep the glass clean. The channel got clogged with ash and the stove wouldn't breath. It's also possible that the air intake "door" is stuck shut or the connector to it is broken or lose?