Hi all - hoping you can help me troubleshoot an issue that has me stumped. Have been running my Ashford 25 for 4 years now and have a good handle on how it behaves. Lately it has been acting weird. Currently I'm burning mostly ash and maple that I split and stacked two years ago. Moisture meter is showing between 11 and 12%. Everything has been fine until about two weeks ago. The stove was crusing low and there was a "wumph" sort of flashover in the firebox and a little smoke puffed out of the vents, then the flames died down and a few minutes later it happened again and maybe 3 or four times after that. I opened the thermostat a bit and the flames came up and it stopped so I didn't think anything of it. Have been running the thing pretty much non-stop since Thanksgiving. Ran a few more loads normally with no issue.
Then last week I was starting from cold and I just couldn't get it to light. Checked the wood moisture (at room temp, freshly spilt and checking the cut surface) and it's 11 to 12%. After the kindling died down, the logs just smoldered even though I had the thermostat wide open and the bypass open. Stayed like that for hours, smoldered all night as though I had the stove cranked low. There was nothing left but fine white ash in the morning. Sounds like the wood, right? So I grabbed some "kiln-dried" bundles from the hardware store and I even cracked the door for a bit to see if more air might help it take off. Just an orange glow smolder, with no visible flame. After several hours I raked what was left out into coals and threw a few 2x4 offcuts on to see what would happen. These DID light, but very lazily whereas I would expect them to rip.
Thought maybe a flue obstruction so I had the sweep come have a look. He says everything is clear with "moderate" creosote build-up. Tried again after he left with some ash and 3 year-old cedar and still no dice. What do you gentlemen think?
Then last week I was starting from cold and I just couldn't get it to light. Checked the wood moisture (at room temp, freshly spilt and checking the cut surface) and it's 11 to 12%. After the kindling died down, the logs just smoldered even though I had the thermostat wide open and the bypass open. Stayed like that for hours, smoldered all night as though I had the stove cranked low. There was nothing left but fine white ash in the morning. Sounds like the wood, right? So I grabbed some "kiln-dried" bundles from the hardware store and I even cracked the door for a bit to see if more air might help it take off. Just an orange glow smolder, with no visible flame. After several hours I raked what was left out into coals and threw a few 2x4 offcuts on to see what would happen. These DID light, but very lazily whereas I would expect them to rip.
Thought maybe a flue obstruction so I had the sweep come have a look. He says everything is clear with "moderate" creosote build-up. Tried again after he left with some ash and 3 year-old cedar and still no dice. What do you gentlemen think?
