Confirm my thoughts: this isn't normal, is it??

[Woody Stover]

When it is cold enough, most caps grow icicles as this is the coldest part of the system and in cold, wet weather, it is not uncommon for the exhaust gases up there to condensate and freeze.

The condensate is dark, but looks worse than it is. Sounds like he's also got a massive creo problem as well, though.

One of the things I did was to clean my chimney when he was at the house on purpose, then show him the small amount of flaky creosote from the entire winter and ask him what he thought.

Swede, maybe you can get him over there to "help you clean the chimney." Seeing is believing. He sounds like a lost cause, though.

He must be one of those people who think chimney fires are part of the wood burning experience.

I had several back in the day, but they usually went out pretty quickly when I cut the air. I got pretty good at burning the creo out with just enough heat not to start it on fire, or just start a small fire in the chimney. I only brushed when the draft started slowing down from the burnt creo flake falling into the elbow, and smoke rolled out of the stove. Sometimes the stovepipe that I used for chimney rusted through, so that could have been a problem with a chimney fire. Miraculously, the clay liner is still intact. It never occurred to me to stack all the Red Oak I was burning for three years. Three months was more like it. Unlike a lot of people though, when I'm shown a better way, I don't fight it. My wife always wanted to stack earlier, but I always found a way to avoid it. Now that I've seen the light, thanks to this place, I'm years ahead and never looking back, except to thank God.

 

[HotCoals]

I guess it is a good thing that wood stove distrbutors don't make the client write a wood burner's exam....then again, maybe they should. Even a 4 hour course or something.....

I was at my FIL's place today. He said wakes in the night, puts 2 pieces of birch, turns the stove down, and goes back to bed. I said "don;t you think you should maybe get it a little hotter before turning it down and going back to bed? You'd get some wicked heat from it!!" and he replies "Naw, it will burn too fast". He knows that his stove is old. It's an old Newmac. They make a Newmac EPA but he won't bother buying one. Even if it would burn about 1/4 to 1/3 less wood and have 10 times less buildup in the chimney. I was like "The new EPA stoves let you load once every 8-12 hours depending on size, you should try mine next time you come over. It's a great feeling to not have to getup in the night to keep the fire going" He replies "it's ok, I always go pee in the night and takes me 2 minutes to add more wood". lol

You know in a way I admire your FIL. He his happy with what he has. Has no desire to spend money on a new stove when his is perfectly fine.
Sure,he is stubborn and stuck in his ways but he certainly does not want a young whipper snapper telling him he's way behind the times cause frankly he doesn't care.

My friend make sure he keeps on cleaning that chimney and give him a hand when he gets to old. You sound like a great SIL.

 

[Swedishchef]

You know in a way I admire your FIL. He his happy with what he has. Has no desire to spend money on a new stove when his is perfectly fine.
Sure,he is stubborn and stuck in his ways but he certainly does not want a young whipper snapper telling him he's way behind the times cause frankly he doesn't care.

My friend make sure he keeps on cleaning that chimney and give him a hand when he gets to old. You sound like a great SIL.

See my bold highlight: I love the man to death but I hate cheap people. And he is CHEAP. It's one thing to live within your means and it's another to have a 26 year old 20 foot ladder built with 2x2s and 2X3s that "does the job". A $100 aluminum ladder makes me feel slightly safer lol. I have always felt that putting safety behind the allmighty $$$$ makes for poor decision making. If the man was broke, it's one thing...but he is far from it!

Thanks for the compliments, I am a damn good SIL. Even bought him a tablet for Christmas because I know he won't ever get one himself (eventhough he has been talking about it for 2 years..). He is a super kind man and he loves his grandkids.

 

[Woody Stover]

he is CHEAP. It's one thing to live within your means and it's another to have a 26 year old 20 foot ladder built with 2x2s and 2X3s that "does the job".

OK, play up the angle of saving money. "People pay big money for kiln-dried wood. You can get it FREE by stacking your wood for a couple of years."

 

[BrianN]

Even bought him a tablet for Christmas because I know he won't ever get one himself (eventhough he has been talking about it for 2 years..). He is a super kind man and he loves his grandkids.

Did you save hearth dot com in the bookmarks?

 

[Swedishchef]

Did you save hearth dot com in the bookmarks?

LOL. Once it is open I will put it on there for sure (packaging wasn't open yet...)