What causes billowy white smoke?

[mfglickman]

My next door neighbor who lives downhill from us has a SS pipe up the side of his house and he pretty much always has billowy white smoke coming out of it.

When I start up or reload, you can see smoke, but once my stove is cruising it is clear (like heat waves).

Does this mean he's not burning clean or efficiently, or is it simply indicative of a different kind of stove?

I'm just curious and have no intention of causing him any trouble.

 

[BrotherBart]

The wood, the stove or the operator. Or a combination. But something isn't being done right and no he isn't burning efficiently. Look up at those heat waves from your chimney and smile.

 

[tjnamtiw]

A blown head gasket! Sorry, couldn't resist!

 

[Highbeam]

It's water. Wet and/or green wood mixed with low firebox temperatures either by choice or because that's all the hotter he can get that junk to burn.

 

[corey21]

Yep wet wood or the stove or both.

 

[jdp1152]

Clearly he is constantly selecting a new Pope

 

[NortheastAl]

Clearly he is constantly selecting a new Pope

You racked me up. Line of the week, for sure.

 

[CT Pellet]

He could possibly have one of these fancy new "downdraft" stoves with an afterburner. I learned the hard way, that if you do not establish a good bed of coals first, the afterburner will never "burn", thus causing a white puffy smoke all day long. as a longtime pellet burner, woodstoves were brand new to me....hey, we all have to learn!

 

[James02]

Clearly he is constantly selecting a new Pope

 

[Fod01]

Clearly he is constantly selecting a new Pope

WINNER!

Gabe

 

[dougand3]

Clearly he is constantly selecting a new Pope

LMAO. After he's exhausted all other priests, he'll come to Father Guido Sarducci...then the smoke will turn black.

 

[rideau]

The day it was 15 below F I had puffy white smoke that totally disapated with 10 feet of the chimney for the first 30 minutes or so of the burn...for a good 10 minutes after the cat engaged...then it went away. Called Woodstock during those ten minutes, because I had never seen any "smoke" before...told water vapor, don't worry...it stopped almost immediately. Just really cold and dry out.

 

[mfglickman]

Thanks all!

 

[HomeBruin]

Pope thing cracked me up. Good one.