Hey folks! We've been burning (and LOVING) our Osburn 2400 insert for about 5 weeks now. What a BEAST! After a rough start/learning curve (lots of smoke, some pitch black firebrick from poor wood, and house smelling like a bonfire), we've got it down pat. This is my first experience with an EPA insert, so there has been a learning curve. I have learned good wood is crucial, and burn it hotter than I think I need to. Aside from cold starts and reloads, we see little to no smoke from the chimney at all times, and the inside of the firebox stays clean (no black deposits, no smudge on the window, etc).
The only time I note discoloration inside now is during a cold start or a reload - sometimes the firebrick turns a very dark brown (not black, but very dark), as does the C-cast baffle and secondary tubes. This will all eventually burn off during the burn cycle, leaving all surfaces looking like new once it gets going. Is this normal? My wood is all around 18%, with some occasional pieces in the low 20s.
The main reason for the thread is I need a sanity check on what my chimney liner looks like. It's an external chimney, 18ft, lined with fully insulated SS liner. Like I said, we've been burning about 5 weeks now, including 1 week straight where we burned 24/7. Went up on the roof just to kind of check out how things looked. There was obviously some very, very fine creosote buildup (and of course the liner and cap were black), but it was so fine that it would almost fall off just by blowing on it. I've attached an image looking down into the top of the liner from the roof. What do you folks think? Keep on keepin on or do I need to make some adjustments? I know there will be SOME creosote buildup, but being my first experience, I am of course paranoid about any whatsoever that I see. Thanks!
![[Hearth.com] New Install - Sanity Check](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/171/171769-b1182c35d4523e827b8e16cc14272b3b.jpg?hash=Q9sn7_MLdr "[Hearth.com] New Install - Sanity Check")
The only time I note discoloration inside now is during a cold start or a reload - sometimes the firebrick turns a very dark brown (not black, but very dark), as does the C-cast baffle and secondary tubes. This will all eventually burn off during the burn cycle, leaving all surfaces looking like new once it gets going. Is this normal? My wood is all around 18%, with some occasional pieces in the low 20s.
The main reason for the thread is I need a sanity check on what my chimney liner looks like. It's an external chimney, 18ft, lined with fully insulated SS liner. Like I said, we've been burning about 5 weeks now, including 1 week straight where we burned 24/7. Went up on the roof just to kind of check out how things looked. There was obviously some very, very fine creosote buildup (and of course the liner and cap were black), but it was so fine that it would almost fall off just by blowing on it. I've attached an image looking down into the top of the liner from the roof. What do you folks think? Keep on keepin on or do I need to make some adjustments? I know there will be SOME creosote buildup, but being my first experience, I am of course paranoid about any whatsoever that I see. Thanks!
