Montpellier wood burning insert wildow never clear

[Tim Walsh]

Hi
I've had a V. C. Montpellier wood burning insert for 5 or more years. It doesn't seem to matter what type of wood I burn, the glass always becomes black, unless I leave the draft open which results in a inefficient burn. I've tried everything - extending the chimney to increase draft, ensuring air ports are kept clean and free, cured my fire wood longer to ensure well seasoned wood use only, nothing seems to work. I tried opening vent in the middle of the burn but the glass does not come clean, except for a circle in the middle of the glass. Very disappointing because I bought this particular model because of the large viewing window but all I have left to look at is a black mess which needs to be cleaned off each day before the next burn. Any thoughts?
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[jatoxico]

Approach the problem by eliminating issues one at a time. Seasoning wood takes as long as takes to get it down to the correct moisture content of around 20%. Get a moisture meter and correctly measure the moisture content. After splitting it can take two years or more to fully season many hardwoods.

Assuming the wood is OK describe the chimney, length and diameter. Can also check that the baffle system is properly seated.

I have a friend who has that insert and the glass stays very clear. Maybe you're expecting too much as far as how closed the primary air can be. What kind of temperatures are you getting?