Creosote concerns with England Madison

[Swedishchef]

What do you mean by burning cool, as is not getting up to a hot enough temperature during burning? I have a thermometer on order and just ordered a moisture meter as well.

Ideally your flu temperatures, when there is active flame, don't drop below 400. Mine stay between 400-500. Stove top temps when cruising are around 650-700.

What you should see is a fine dust. As mentioned by others, you have some flakes which are usually related to low temperatures.

Andrew

 

[BigCountryNY]

I can go from coals and a house at 67 to 68 to a roaring fire with the house at 71 or 72 within an hour at the most. The wood catches quickly and a fire gets built up.

I agree with BB here, I reloaded this morning from coals and was up to 565F within 10 minutes and the wood that I'm burning now is ~ 22% MC. I understand your wood is what you have now, as I'm in the same boat having just closed and moved in our house in Feb. of this year.

The wood seems to be the most likely cause. I get similar noises with my Summers Heat (Englander) insert coming from my liner, but it's only when the temps are rising. I checked my double-walled liner at the top yesterday while putting up Christmas lights and I have a brownish coating on the inside of the liner. The noises in my case are most likely the expansion of the liner as the temps rise after a reload.

 

[Silenced38]

Im having the same issue ad the OP. It takes about an hour to get the stove up to 450*. Where i can cut it back. Amd to tonite when i lite it i could hear the same falling sand sound. I checked the pipe about a month ago and it was fine.

Ive been running a cast iron boxwood smoke dragon and only had to clean the pipe once a year. Then i got less than a quart of ash and cresote.

So???

 

[Silenced38]

I just reread this post and it seems that every Madison owner is having the same issue. My mm say most of my wood is around 18%. I run it above 450 stove top. I dont have a flue thermo. It slow to get to temp. Smoke spills out any time i open the door, except the coal stage. ????

 

[BeardedJon]

I never really have an issue with smoke coming from the firebox when opening the door. I have a moisture meter and stove top thermometer on their way to me now. I am also going to get a stove pipe thermometer so that I can monitor those temperatures as well.

So what can I do to burn the stove hotter? My wife has a bad habit of letting wood smolder and closing the air down too soon. Will getting her to keep more wood loaded and keep the air open longer solve my issue of the creosote buildup as long as my wood measures ok?

 

[Swedishchef]

Creosote forms when flu temps are too cool. Warm gases want to condense on cooler metal sheets (inside of the chimney in my case). Every piece of wood has some moisture in it. 18% or 25%: that water will want to condense below 250 F. So even with "dry" wood you still have to be careful to not let the wood smoulder.

Here is what I do for hot temps: I just reloaded. I kept my bypass open for 5 minutes or so, it helps heat the chimney. Right now my door is still open a crack, it's been 7 minutes. The probe thermo is reading 600F. Now I just closed the door, keeping the damper open for 3-4 minutes. Then I turn it down, leaving the damper open 1/6th or so. Cruising with secondaries. To be noted: my stove was loaded with coals...I simply added 3 pieces of hardwood for the evening/night. So the stove top temperature was still 350. I normally don't load so soon but I want to go to bed

Andrew

 

[BeardedJon]

Well my moisture meter and thermometer arrived today and my stove and pipe got a good cleaning. While there was flaky creosote falling into the stove, the buildup was not as bad as I thought it was.

All of the wood I am currently using is testing under 13% on fresh splits. I ran the stove tonight and let it hit 550 before kicking on the blower to help warm up the house. Stove is burning good and I'm going to blame the buildup on my wife's poor burning habits. Once I get her to leave the air open longer and load on coals better I think my buildup concerns will be gone.

 

[Swedishchef]

You ,any have found the source of the problem. Simply poor burning habits. Keep your eye on the buildup over the next few weeks.

Andrew