I need help !!!

[Durantefarm]

we bought a Vermont casting insert Montpelier and sofar I hate it ! Had it for 3 days and I can’t figure it out ! It has a air control lever and blower switch . I can’t keep a good rolling fire for the life of me ! The glass has already turned black cuz it’s not burning hot . I have no idea what is going on .

 

[BenTN]

I have zero experience with your model but the first thing that needs checked is fuel source. Epa stoves require seasoned, 20% moosture wood. This can be near impossible to find on a warm year and i imagine everything sold in the last month would be fresh split green wood. What is your wood source like? Do you have a moisture meter? Was this insert professionally installed? How do you start your fires? Hopefully someone with direct experience with the montpelier can chime in about air controls.

 

[blacktail]

Issues with new stoves are often the result of wood with a high moisture content. Dirty glass and difficulty maintaining a fire are typical wet wood problems.

 

[Durantefarm]

T

Issues with new stoves are often the result of wood with a high moisture content. Dirty glass and difficulty maintaining a fire are typical wet wood problems.

That is what I’m also thinking it is ! I live in Ohio . We had is professionally installed 3 days ago and my wood is ash , oak and maple . I was told it’s been sitting for a year but to me it’s the ONLY thing I can think of that’s messing me up . It’s so hard to know if I’m actually getting dried wood . Now for next seasons I will be cutting down my own trees and will know it’s actually seasoned . Just frustrating .

 

[webby3650]

T

That is what I’m also thinking it is ! I live in Ohio . We had is professionally installed 3 days ago and my wood is ash , oak and maple . I was told it’s been sitting for a year but to me it’s the ONLY thing I can think of that’s messing me up . It’s so hard to know if I’m actually getting dried wood . Now for next seasons I will be cutting down my own trees and will know it’s actually seasoned . Just frustrating .

You better get them cut and split as soon as possible. Many species of hard wood need 2 years to season.

Didn’t the installer go over the controls, expectations, fuel, etc...?

 

[Tar12]

Get a moisture meter as it is your friend...

 

[Durantefarm]

You better get them cut and split as soon as possible. Many species of hard wood need 2 years to season.

Didn’t the installer go over the controls, expectations, fuel, etc...?

Said u have two levers . 1 is air flow and other is your blower switch . That’s truly way I think it’s the wood . What else can it be ? Bring air in to feed fire or close damper to slow burn down . I have a good draft (I think ) cuz no smoke in house . I’m OCD is going crazy lol .

 

[BenTN]

If you start to cut your own supply this year, i mean now. Focus on dead standing and dead or dieing ash. Ash can season in a year if top covered single row. Most of us wood hoarders are cutting wood now for the winter of 20-21. You may try splitting your current wood smaller and mixing in a few bio bricks for the longer burns.

 

[Prof]

T

That is what I’m also thinking it is ! I live in Ohio . We had is professionally installed 3 days ago and my wood is ash , oak and maple . I was told it’s been sitting for a year but to me it’s the ONLY thing I can think of that’s messing me up . It’s so hard to know if I’m actually getting dried wood . Now for next seasons I will be cutting down my own trees and will know it’s actually seasoned . Just frustrating .

Without knowing the history of the wood that you have, the ash has the best chance of having a low moisture content, since it is relatively low in moisture from the start compared to most trees, especially the oak which can take 2-3 yrs to season right. You can't go wrong by getting a moisture meter and taking a couple readings with the grain of a fresh split. Oh, and the wood shouldn't be frozen--that can throw the readings off.

 

[redktmrider]

Go to a local farm store and buy some compressed saw dust bricks. Don't load the stove fully, just follow the directions on the package.
A dry fuel source makes all the difference. This will let you know if it is your wood or something else is going on.

 

[toddnic]

Dirty glass and fire not burning hot is a significant indicator of wood with a high moisture content. Get one of your splits, split it again, and test the inside of the split with a moisture meter. It should be under 20%. If not, you need to find some dry wood.

 

[begreen]

T

That is what I’m also thinking it is ! I live in Ohio . We had is professionally installed 3 days ago and my wood is ash , oak and maple . I was told it’s been sitting for a year but to me it’s the ONLY thing I can think of that’s messing me up . It’s so hard to know if I’m actually getting dried wood . Now for next seasons I will be cutting down my own trees and will know it’s actually seasoned . Just frustrating .

If possible, pull out just the ash wood and try a fire with that. The other species need longer to season.

 

[jetsam]

. Now for next seasons I will be cutting down my own trees and will know it’s actually seasoned . Just frustrating .

Focus on softwoods. Get as much ash/pine/fir as you can; it'll be ready for next year if you get it going soon. Also lay in some hardwoods, but only after you have enough softwood to see you through next year. (The hardwood is for 2-3 years out.) Once you're a few years ahead on your firewood, you will have the luxury of processing whatever you want to (and by then you'll know what kinds of wood you want).

I am a couple years ahead with plenty of oak to harvest, and I still process myself some softwood (pine) every year, because it is useful to have low-coaling wood when I need a hot fire. (This year's cold snap has convinced me that I need to keep a lot more pine ready to go in case that happens again!)

 

[blacktail]

It’s so hard to know if I’m actually getting dried wood .

A $15 moisture meter makes it very easy when you're starting out.

 

[Durantefarm]

Focus on softwoods. Get as much ash/pine/fir as you can; it'll be ready for next year if you get it going soon. Also lay in some hardwoods, but only after you have enough softwood to see you through next year. (The hardwood is for 2-3 years out.) Once you're a few years ahead on your firewood, you will have the luxury of processing whatever you want to (and by then you'll know what kinds of wood you want).

I am a couple years ahead with plenty of oak to harvest, and I still process myself some softwood (pine) every year, because it is useful to have low-coaling wood when I need a hot fire. (This year's cold snap has convinced me that I need to keep a lot more pine ready to go in case that happens again!)

Didn’t know u can burn pine in an insert ? Thought the sap is bad for your piping .

 

[begreen]

Didn’t know u can burn pine in an insert ? Thought the sap is bad for your piping .

Poorly seasoned wood is what's unsafe. Pine is the only thing that's burned in some western states. Fully seasoned wood is the difference be it pine or oak.

 

[jetsam]

Didn’t know u can burn pine in an insert ? Thought the sap is bad for your piping .

Old wives' tale. We were actually discussing how it might have started in another thread, some folks had some good ideas on that. The gist of it is that people that used to burn mostly very wet hardwood in their smoke dragons would get a lot of creosote buildup. Then they put in a load of pine, which burns hot even when green, and get a roof-mounted flamethrower going once the creosote catches.

Another idea was that old smoke dragons didn't tend to be able to be damped down anywhere near what modern stoves can do, and a big load of softwood was an invitation to overfire even if you didn't have a creosote problem.

You can read the interesting original posts in this thread.

 

[Durantefarm]

Old wives' tale. We were actually discussing how it might have started in another thread, some folks had some good ideas on that. The gist of it is that people that used to burn mostly very wet hardwood in their smoke dragons would get a lot of creosote buildup. Then they put in a load of pine, which burns hot even when green, and get a roof-mounted flamethrower going once the creosote catches.

Another idea was that old smoke dragons didn't tend to be able to be damped down anywhere near what modern stoves can do, and a big load of softwood was an invitation to overfire even if you didn't have a creosote problem.

You can read the interesting original posts in this thread.

That’s next question should I be worried about the creosote build up after burning chit wood ? Only hav insert for 3 days now .

 

[Durantefarm]

Go to a local farm store and buy some compressed saw dust bricks. Don't load the stove fully, just follow the directions on the package.
A dry fuel source makes all the difference. This will let you know if it is your wood or something else is going on.

So those starter logs correct ? Ones in the packages that u just light the package and it goes for like 5 hours ?

 

[Durantefarm]

we bought a Vermont casting insert Montpelier and sofar I hate it ! Had it for 3 days and I can’t figure it out ! It has a air control lever and blower switch . I can’t keep a good rolling fire for the life of me ! The glass has already turned black cuz it’s not burning hot . I have no idea what is going on .

THANK YOU ALLLLL SO MUCH! I feel I can rest easy now and start all over . I just bought a moisture meter soon as that I can through all my wood and see what pieces I can use now . And I’m going to go get the saw dust logs to make sure it’s just the wood . Thx again !

 

[bholler]

THANK YOU ALLLLL SO MUCH! I feel I can rest easy now and start all over . I just bought a moisture meter soon as that I can through all my wood and see what pieces I can use now . And I’m going to go get the saw dust logs to make sure it’s just the wood . Thx again !

Dont get the starter logs. Get just the compressed bricks. They are similar but i dont know what is added to the starter logs. The other ones are just compressed wood.

 

[Tar12]

Remember to bring your splits inside over night to warm to ambient temperature before you split and test as cold or frozen wood will test lower than it actually is. Besides the Enviro bricks can you scrounge up some untreated 2x4s? If you can run some of those as well. And we will expect pictures of your new insert running with clean glass and flames rolling!

 

[Tar12]

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[jetsam]

That’s next question should I be worried about the creosote build up after burning chit wood ? Only hav insert for 3 days now .

I burned all wet wood my first year, some of it very wet.

Yes, you should worry about it. Get a nylon brush or sooteater and begin by inspecting and sweeping your flue every week. This aggressive schedule will give you a feel for how often it actually needs to be done (if you get hardly anything out, cut it back to 2 weeks, and so forth). If you have a mesh flue cap, I would clean that twice a week to start, slowing down as you learn how fast it gets dirty (or better yet, just take it off, and put it back this summer to keep birds out).

l'd suggest going up top often even if you are sweeping bottom-up because the topmost section is most likely the dirtiest section, and it's good for you to inspect it visually and see how much crud is in there. (It's the dirtiest part because creosote condenses more on cooler surfaces, and that is usually the coolest part of the flue.)

Remember that as the weather warms up, you will burn your stove lower, and probably accidentally smolder it more. Creosote production goes way up, and so should your inspection/sweeping schedule.

Your sweeping schedule should settle down to once or twice a year when you get ahead on your nice dry wood.

 

[Durantefarm]

Remember to bring your splits inside over night to warm to ambient temperature before you split and test as cold or frozen wood will test lower than it actually is. Besides the Enviro bricks can you scrounge up some untreated 2x4s? If you can run some of those as well. And we will expect pictures of your new insert running with clean glass and flames rolling!

Yes it’s totally working now ! The bricks are kicking ass ! The heat is great ! I also purchased the moisture meter! Well at least I have a lot of wood that will be seasoned for next season . Just sucks cuz I wanted to rock this insert this year but two deliveries of wood and don’t know if wife will go for a third or even if I trust it .yhis Page is awesome !