Should I Be Concerned?

[Windy]

I've been burning 24/7 for about 2 1/2 months now. Today I noticed some black flakes on my sidewalk and when I looked up at the chimney, I noticed the revolving cap was black & dripping. Is the dripping matter creosote or could it possibly be condensation collecting on the cap? Is this common for revolving caps or should I call a chimney sweep?

 

[Pagey]

Black and dripping, combined with the visible flakes, definitely merits an inspection, if nothing else. Better safe than sorry. How dry is your wood?

 

[Windy]

Pagey, Yes, safety is my main concern! Since I live in a dry state, my wood is well seasoned. I burn cottonwood during the day and almond (imported from CA) during the night. My stove top temps rarely get above 350 and I get up twice during the night to reload. I'm beginning to think that I'm dampening down too soon and also my splits may be too large. (Unfortunately, I'm not physically able to split wood.) My glass is only dirty on the lower corners and I very seldom see smoke outside. Up until now, I thought I was doing everything right. lol

 

[stejus]

My stove and full liner is about 3 weeks old at this point. I noticed the same small black flakes on the sidewalk Saturday. I follow the stove manual where it tells you to burn a small hot fire with damper wide open for an hour every morning. My wood for the first two weeks was 18 months aged. The last week I have been burning wood that is only 7 months aged. I suspect the black flakes are due to the wood being somewhat wet.

It could also be related to the real cold weather. My stove pipe is not insulated yet and those overnight burns with low burn temps may have created creosote. I think the stove cap could be collecting some in the spark arrestor and blowing out when I run wide open.

My sweep has to come back to install surround so I will ask him to look at it.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Pagey, Yes, safety is my main concern! Since I live in a dry state, my wood is well seasoned. I burn cottonwood during the day and almond (imported from CA) during the night. My stove top temps rarely get above 350 and I get up twice during the night to reload. I'm beginning to think that I'm dampening down too soon and also my splits may be too large. (Unfortunately, I'm not physically able to split wood.) My glass is only dirty on the lower corners and I very seldom see smoke outside. Up until now, I thought I was doing everything right. lol

350 degree stove top temperature is not much. We find many on this forum who load up their stoves when the temperature is that or even higher!

I'd suggest trying to get that stove temperature a little higher if possible. The dirty glass tells you that your stove isn't getting enough air or the wood is not completely seasoned....or both. But that cottonwood should burn hot so you should have no problem getting the stove up to temperature, although I have no way of knowing where your stove thermometer is sitting. We place ours dead center on top.

You seem to think your splits might be too large. About what size are they? Larger splits will give a longer burn but sometimes it also needs a little more draft, depending on several factors.

I also find it interesting that you have to get up twice during the night to reload your stove. That is a bit much. Not too many of us put any wood in the stove after sacking out for the night.

 

[savageactor7]

Savage is right ...350* is a cool and imo a creosote making machine if run at that temp all the time. Now I can see a good burn cooling off to 350 being OK but to load new splits new and burn at 350...surely you must have noticed smoke coming from the chimney, yes?

You could have lucked out with only a partially plugged chimney cap so check that out...and I suppose it wouldn't hurt to drop a balled up chain down the chimney either. Try and burn a little hotter 500-650 and you shouldn't run into that problem again.

Windy anytime you can see creosote flakes around the house...something isn't right and you are correct in conducting a follow up investigation...good heads up.

 

[Troutchaser]

I found this thread and thought it warranted a revival.
I awoke this A.M. to find creosote flakes on the roof in the snow under the flue. Had a particularly hot and lasting burn last night before bed: Condar probe at 1100-1200 for half an hour before dropping off.

My wife smoldered a fire the other day while I was at work. I'm talking most of the day. Glass was black. I never get darkened glass anymore, so I'm wondering if I burned/pushed that crap out last night??

Does anyone else ever notice this in the snow? I probably wouldn't have noticed otherwise. We're so close to the finish line for this burning season that I hate to call out a sweep right now.

 

[fbelec]

never heard of flakes coming out of a chimney with a regular burn going, even wide open. i'll bet you had a small chimney fire. a chimney fire has enough push to throw out chunks and flakes of creosote. that's how a lot of fires start when a chimney fire is going. a lit flake of creosote comes out of the chimney and onto the roof and poof.

 

[begreen]

A hot fire first thing in the morning is usually a good way to clean out creosote build-up. However, the Heritage is not supposed to get as hot on the stove top as cast iron or steel stoves. Take it up to about 500 °F for the first burn of the day, then try to run it a bit hotter than currently burning. Try for 400-450 °F and see how that works out.

From the manual:
MONITORING STOVE TEMPERATURES
Monitor the stove temperatures with a stove thermometer
(available from your dealer) placed on the top center stone
of the stove. The thermometer could read as high as
500°F(260°C) on High Burn and 200-300°F(93-149°C) on
low burn. Maintaining temperatures in excess of
600°F(316°C) will cause the stones to crack and other
damage to the stove.

 

[par0thead151]

what is beneficial about a lower temp burn vs a higher one?
i shoot for as hot as possible without over firing.
this eliminates the problem of creasolt and nets more heat...

 

[Troutchaser]

never heard of flakes coming out of a chimney with a regular burn going, even wide open. i'll bet you had a small chimney fire. a chimney fire has enough push to throw out chunks and flakes of creosote. that's how a lot of fires start when a chimney fire is going. a lit flake of creosote comes out of the chimney and onto the roof and poof.

Fbelec, Windy started this thread some time ago with this same concern. Got me wondering if it's uncommon after I saw the same thing.
I do burn hot. If the stove drops below 400, I kick it up again. Hit 1000+ flue temps and 600+ stove temps daily with the Leyden.
People talk about their cap screens plugging with crap so I'm wondering if this isn't something to be expected from time to time.

 

[fbelec]

sorry. my response is to windy and anyone that has had this problem. windy has a creosote problem if there is dripping creosote from the chimney i would say that either the movement of the cap ( if you were lucky ) or chimney fire. i would have it checked if you can make it up on the roof look around and see if you can see burn marks. i have burn marks from the same thing hot creosote chunks coming out of the chimney to the roof. and reguardless of stovetop temps if you are running wood that is not dry enough you will get creosote buildup. so the answer to your question of being concerned, yes. get it checked out.