Need some objective advice about old woodstove and chimney fires......

[Bassmantweed]

My dad has a older Glendale woodstove very much like the one pictured if you follow this link:

http://www.antiquesnavigator.com/d-392721/glenwood-parlor-stove-220.html

This is well before any catalytic or return technology.

He has bolted the air intake vents shut because he felt people were burning fires that were too hot. Now the woodstove is hard to start and usually fills the room with smoke. Eventually it gets going and burns fine but I am concerned that he is filling the chimney with creosote and might eventually lead to a chimney fire. It's in a camp so the chimney is rarely cleaned.

I've heated my home for number of years with a wood stove and I always felt a good hot fire was a good thing every now and again.

Thoughts?

 

[pen]

My dad has a older Glendale woodstove very much like the one pictured if you follow this link:

http://www.antiquesnavigator.com/d-392721/glenwood-parlor-stove-220.html

This is well before any catalytic or return technology.

He has bolted the air intake vents shut because he felt people were burning fires that were too hot. Now the woodstove is hard to start and usually fills the room with smoke. Eventually it gets going and burns fine but I am concerned that he is filling the chimney with creosote and might eventually lead to a chimney fire. It's in a camp so the chimney is rarely cleaned.

I've heated my home for number of years with a wood stove and I always felt a good hot fire was a good thing every now and again.

Thoughts?

Welcome to the site.

I know the feeling, as I too have a cabin that is shared by 2 dozen other people, and the use of the wood burning appliances in the place is always a part of the conversation as not everyone is as versed as they should be on using the equipment well.

That said, you are right to have concerns. Of those, if the chimney system is not swept regularly, it should not be run by any person, whether they feel they know how to operate the system or not.

Long story short, the stove you pictured looks a lot like old coal burners I've seen in my area. That said, if one is being used for wood exclusively now, I understand why your dad may have solidified the air intakes, especially if they were the ones on the bottom, as they should only be opened up for coal since it needs air from below, where wood does not.

In all, can you share some pics of what you are burning with exactly? That may help you get better advice.

As far as the line where you mentioned

a good hot fire was a good thing every now and again.

That is off line as well, as for a good system to be maintained, it should be a good hot fire every-time, and not just once and a while. If the home doesn't need much heat, then you build a smaller fire with less wood that still gets good and hot. Smouldering any fire is not a good practice.

In all, I'm thinking you need to provide a lot more specifics with what you are working with to get the best advice.

Good luck,

pen

 

[Bassmantweed]

Wow. Thank you for the detailed response. I will try to get more info next time I am at the camp.

I am not sure if it is a coal, wood or dual fuel stove. It says wood parlor on the door but not sure if that means anything. When you say I need to provide a lot more specifics I'm not sure what else I can provide.

Let me know.

 

[bholler]

Well the exact type of stove would help the type of chimney the height of it. Also the moisture content of the wood and how often the chimney is cleaned and inspected. From what you have described so far it sounds like it could be a problem waiting to happen but we dont really have enough info yet. But I have to second everything that pen said all spot on

 

[pen]

Wow. Thank you for the detailed response. I will try to get more info next time I am at the camp.

I am not sure if it is a coal, wood or dual fuel stove. It says wood parlor on the door but not sure if that means anything. When you say I need to provide a lot more specifics I'm not sure what else I can provide.

Let me know.

Mainly, pics of the setup from top to bottom, inside and out.

 

[Bassmantweed]

Got it. Will post asap. What I can tell you now is it has an 8" vent pipe that comes out the back takes a 90 about 4' up goes about anothe 4' into the chimney.

I am not sure if after that point it is chimney or liner all the way to the top. I would guess it is just chimney as I'm not sure the lined chimneys when it ws built in 1971. It is a 2 story house.

 

[Dune]

That stove (at least the Glenwood in the photo) could be 130 years old. Your father isn't that far off track with thinking it is getting too much air.
These old cast iron stoves are bolted together with furnace cement as gasket material. Chances are it is far from as airtight as it should be (could be).
Bolting the air shut isn't the answer though. Fixing the problem is. And part of the problem is the air supply itself. Close up photos will help diagnose what is going on.

 

[dlj]

The Glenwood pictured is a wood burner only. It will have no coal grates in it. Dune is right, unless you tear that stove apart and fully rebuild it, it will be a leaky stove. Also, IIRC, the air intake control on that stove is not able to be closed too well. Even in it's closed position, air will be leaking past it. If you really want to use it for heat, you may think about how to make modifications to the original air control...

dj

 

[Fsappo]

Unless you guys were in love with the style, chip in a little each and get a decent used EPA stove maybe. Also, quite a few of the chimney fires I get involved in looking at are due to the "well, once a week or two I burn it hot to burn out the creosote" So what you are doing is spending two or so weeks making the creosote, then igniting it. If you are going to use that method to keep a chimney clean, I'd open it up once or twice a day and make sure it is connected to a safe chimney.

 

[Bassmantweed]

New stove ain't happening. Believe me, I'd love too.

All fires are slow starting. I don't think there is ever a really hot burn, which is part of my concern.

 

[Dune]

New stove ain't happening. Believe me, I'd love too.

All fires are slow starting. I don't think there is ever a really hot burn, which is part of my concern.

Those are great stoves, awesome space heaters. They are not tight even when fresh and put out lot's of heat.
Definitely need to free up the air control, smoldering is how you create creosote.
Couple things to really help it;
line as much of the inside as possible with plastic refractory (about $70 for a box, more than enough. This will help is reach gasifying temp.
Next, fabricate a new slide control so it is much more airtight. (this is assuming the joints are all good{seams in the stove, not the ones you roll yourself}).
Finally, if it there is still too much air, allow ash to build up over air inlet (shovel it up there if you have to) then poke holes to provide air through the ash blocked opening.
Of course make small hot fires from dry wood. Burn pine during the day so as to not build too big a bed of coals, then switch to oak/hickory/locust etc. as evening comes on
(now you want big bed of coals. Last load of the night should be large unsplit rounds to lengthen burn time with splits or small stuff in between to fill the spaces.

Store firewood inside camp building so it is truly dry next time you need it.

Best is a complete rebuild, not really that big of a job with that particular stove unless it is an indirect draft (base heater). Then there are lots more parts, some moving.
If the unit really is massive overkill the indirect draft could be eliminated with no problem whatsoever, though it is an awesome feature when it works correctly.

Again lots of close up pictures will help.

 

[Bassmantweed]

How do I upload pics?

 

[begreen]

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/putting-images-into-your-forums-posts.87212/

 

[Bassmantweed]

Let's see if this works....

 

[Bassmantweed]

I think the pipe is 6"

 

[Dune]

My guess is it is just too much stove for the size of the room.
Repair the air slide, install the refractory and post instructions on stove use (small hot fires) on the wall behind the stove.

 

[bholler]

Ok there are clearance issues everywhere there. Not enough hearth protection in front of the stove to close to the back wall i would guess it is an improper wall pass thru from the looks of it. It needs allot of work not just the air slide

 

[Bassmantweed]

Ok there are clearance issues everywhere there. Not enough hearth protection in front of the stove to close to the back wall i would guess it is an improper wall pass thru from the looks of it. It needs allot of work not just the air slide

Thanks. I guess I'm less concerned with these issues as it has been there for 43 years. I am more concerned with the new idea of locking down the air vents and having smoldering fires.

 

[bholler]

I guess I'm less concerned with these issues as it has been there for 43 years.

The longer it is there the more pyrolysis happens. It is dangerous and i would not sleep in that cabin with the wood stove burning the way it sits now.

I am more concerned with the new idea of locking down the air vents and having smoldering fires.

I agree that is a problem to because smouldering fires means more creosote which means more potential for a chimney fire which means a good possibility of burning the cabin down. Again another reason i would not sleep there.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

If you have a torch or know a welder, you could have it brazed up. That would make it more air tight and they could add any features you want. Secondary air is fairly easy to add.

 

[bholler]

you could have it brazed up

Bad idea the cast panels will crack if they expand even the slightest bit different that is why it is not none that way originally.

Secondary air is fairly easy to add.

No it is acctually pretty hard to do well enough that it would be of any benefit. And none of this changes the serious clearance issues

 

[Plow Boy]

very cool old stove. if you are going to keep burning like that, at a min. u should but a chimney brush at the cabin and tell everyone to clean weekly.