SMOKE is driving wife nuts!!!

[Sean McGillicuddy]

How can you tell the chimney needs to be cleaned?
I have a Clydesdale, couple years old.
6" flue SS.
Can I use metal brush or do you need a plastic brush?
Is it easer to clean from the top down?
We are getting a lot of smoke when we open the door.
I did read this post https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/84270/
Does the metal do-hicky thing above the chamber need to be cleaned?
Man so many questions.......
Thanks
Sean

 

[pen]

It might be that the cap has gotten plugged up on the chimney.

I've heard some folks use metal brushes but I prefer a poly brush just for peace of mind.

If you can clean from bottom up that is easier in that you don't have to get on the roof. Since the majority if the accumulation is generally in the top few feet of the chimney, I prefer cleaning from the top so I can see how bad things are. Cleaning from the top also makes it easier to clean the cap well.

Welcome to the site!

pen

 

[rdust]

Tell us about your install, type of chimney set up, when the last time it was cleaned, the type of wood you're burning, your burning habits etc...

I usually try to sweep mine 2 times a season even if I know I could go the full season. I clean from the bottom with the soot eater.

Only way to tell is going to look up or down the chimney and see what kind of build up you have. A poly brush is probably advised if it's a lined chimney.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Boy you guys are fast.
I guess I'll look tomorrow when there is no fire!! Now one had to tell me that! Ha!
So here do you get a poly brush?


Oak, Must not be seasoned enough.
Cyldesdale,6"ss flue ,Cap.
Sean

 

[maverick06]

home depot/lowes/ace any one of may internet sites.

 

[webby3650]

Definitely get a poly brush and clean it from the top. You will have to clean the cap anyway. I can't remember how the baffle is put together in the Clydesdale, you will need to clean above it though. Keep the stove closed up, sweep the flue, then go inside and sweep up the mess. If there are soapstone bricks in the baffle you will need to pull them forward or drop a few out if possible. If not, you need to use a small shop vac and a flexible brush to remove the mess from the top of the baffle.

 

[KWillets]

+1 on the plugged cap hypothesis.

I found out the hard way last weekend at our vacation place -- the stove seemed OK, and I could see plenty of smoke coming out of the cap, but the smoke detector went off every time we opened the door. I finally noticed the chimney joints were leaking a bit of smoke, and I couldn't see through the slots in the cap. It turned out the mesh in the cap was full of burnt paper bits covered with creosote.

What I learned is that many aspects of the stove seemed the same as before -- it could burn fairly hot and pull a lot of air through the secondaries, but it was sluggish if I didn't have a solid fire going. I was getting up at 6 am to load the stove and ended up spending an hour or more building kindling fires that kept stalling out .

 

[hoot]

Smoke coming out the door is normal if you don't take precautions. It's especially tricky on warmer days when there is less draft.

Put your gloves on.

Before you open the door make sure the air control is fully open. Also it helps a little to shut the fan off.

Unlatch the door and SLOWLY open it about an inch or so. You will see the smoke getting sucked up the flue.

Now slowly open the door so as not to pull air out of the stove.

Depending on what you have going on in there, you only have so much time to get your wood in before the smoke starts to roll out the top edge. It's because the wood begins to cool immediately when you open the door. That creates more smoke.

On colder days and with a hotter fire, you will have less problems.

 

[webby3650]

Smoke coming out the door is normal if you don't take precautions. It's especially tricky on warmer days when there is less draft.

Put your gloves on.

Before you open the door make sure the air control is fully open. Also it helps a little to shut the fan off.

Unlatch the door and SLOWLY open it about an inch or so. You will see the smoke getting sucked up the flue.

Now slowly open the door so as not to pull air out of the stove.

Depending on what you have going on in there, you only have so much time to get your wood in before the smoke starts to roll out the top edge. It's because the wood begins to cool immediately when you open the door. That creates more smoke.

On colder days and with a hotter fire, you will have less problems.

I wouldn't call it normal, it's sound advice if you have a short flue. If the flue is nice and tall, the door can be left open with a fire going and never see smoke.

 

[LLigetfa]

Mostly smoke comes in when the wife works the stove. She lets the fire cool down too far before opening the stove and then she flings the door open too fast and doesn't turn off the blower first. Also, she often has a window open upstairs that raises the neutral pressure plane.

I turn off the blower, open a window nearby if I suspect she has one open upstairs, and very slowly open the stove door as if there was a dangerous animal lurking inside.

If nothing has changed and it didn't smoke before, as others said it's likely a patially plugged cap.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

You know in the movies they say no one looks up
They're right.
So up the roof we go today and look what I found!!

No wonder we were having problems
I guess then that answer's the question , " How to tell if the chimney needs to be cleaned " ... When smoke comes into the room from the door of the stove!

I did noticed that the chimney had a tumor >

Thanks for all your help!
Sean

P.S. Oh Ya I ordered a 6" poly brush to clean the flue.I did clean the cap ( sort of like candy appled coating!) it poped right off!

 

[SKIN052]

Wow, just Wow.

 

[rdust]

Well that's a mess!

 

[webby3650]

How long has it been burning? That is the kinda build up you would see from an old slam and jam! I think you might need to adjust your burning habits a bit.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

you do not understand....................
The boss/wife has no idea what seasoned wood is!I need wood...You have plenty just go split some and bring it in!
I burned a lot of green wood and just getting to the older stuff.
Split a lot this summer.
Will have to splitt some more.
Sean

 

[webby3650]

I do understand and it sucks. I thought I had enough wood to get through last winter, I was wrong! We moved into our new house and brought Jotul Oslo with us, it wasn't near enough power for this house. We switched to the king and had nearly no dry wood left, it was a rough season. This year has been a breeze so far.

 

[RNLA]

you do not understand....................
The boss/wife has no idea what seasoned wood is!I need wood...You have plenty just go split some and bring it in!
I burned a lot of green wood and just getting to the older stuff.
Split a lot this summer.
Will have to splitt some more.
Sean

I'll give you a little on the knowledge end, it takes a bit of explaining to give the knowledge. We now have our supply organized in chronological order and I have explained to my wife in what order it should be burned. In other words oldest and most seasoned is up front where you can get to. Get the wood up off the ground, get ahead on the wood you need, and cover it up, NOT with a tarp. You will get there and enjoy burning it just takes a year. So stock up now for next year. My feeling is you will be miles ahead just cleaning that cap and your pipe.

 

[Dix]

you do not understand....................
The boss/wife has no idea what seasoned wood is!I need wood...You have plenty just go split some and bring it in!
I burned a lot of green wood and just getting to the older stuff.
Split a lot this summer.
Will have to splitt some more.
Sean

Git her on here, pronto >:-(

That's a scarey few pics, there, buddy.

 

[Wood Duck]

Check out the creosote on the chimney cap of the flue next to the wood stove flue! That must be one smoky fire.

 

[pen]

Again, glad to hear you are taking action to make sure things are safe. If you have any chimney cleaning questions we can help you w/ that.

I think this thread is well answered.

Closing down.

pen