Hey there gang. On my first season with my vapor fire. I am enjoying it a lot compared to my old hot blast. On 2 occasions now, I have had a black smelley creosotw type gunk drip onto the floor from behind the ash pan door flange. Not from the ash pan or ash pan cubby. From behind the flange. I reached out to Kuuma and they told me to keep an eye on it. So when it happened again I reached out and they told me its probably from my ash pan and that the area behind the flange should be air tight. Well... that is not the case it seems and I responded to them and received no reply. I am slightly concerned that something is open in my furnace that shouldn't be and is just filling up with creosote. I'll include pictures. Its even coming out from behind a bolt head... curious on y'alls thoughts. Really enjoying it otherwise and burning wood around 20% moisture. Thanks
![[Hearth.com] Kuuma VF100 Oozing Creosote?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/1000011861-webp.335898/ "[Hearth.com] Kuuma VF100 Oozing Creosote?")
![[Hearth.com] Kuuma VF100 Oozing Creosote?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/1000011860-webp.335899/ "[Hearth.com] Kuuma VF100 Oozing Creosote?")
Kuuma VF100 Oozing Creosote?
- Thread starter Jwilly
- Start date
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hobbyheater
Minister of Fire
Gave my firewood a fresh split and measured and its around 20%. Kuuma reccomends 18-28%
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
That's my first reaction too...but if the wood is 20%, it should be ok...and I would think being in the UP it would not have been idling much lately (these don't have an idle like the newer lambda boilers do) that said, how often do you run it off of "low?
With the cold snap we just came through I actually had to turn up to medium, and load the firebox fuller than normal...when I do this the ashpan door turns white/grey inside...does yours?
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
I Run on low 80% of the time. Blower always set to low. Duting the comd snap i ran medium and high a few days. I have white fly ash on my firebox door, but not my ashpan door. Ash pan door seems tight enough, sometimes firebox door seems like it could be tighter. But wouldnt either door not being tight just make the fire burn hotter?
Attachments
![[Hearth.com] Kuuma VF100 Oozing Creosote?](/talk/data/attachments/335/335965-2cf8a52cef1c7d0e7d5d0c7652e588f3.jpg?hash=pDnIK3fuiY)
![[Hearth.com] Kuuma VF100 Oozing Creosote?](/talk/data/attachments/335/335966-bf36e33781f9ef09cb5bc7b1860e1e0f.jpg?hash=npt45gq7Xw)
Sooo... it gets weirder. I decided i should scrape off any buildup so i could see how quickly it comes back. Anddd the bolt i was scraping around seemed loose. So i pulled on it with almost zero force. And it came out. So i tried all the rest of the bolts on the flange. It appears that 4 out of 5 bolts on the bottom flange are actually doing nothing and all came out and appear very gunked up... awesome
![[Hearth.com] Kuuma VF100 Oozing Creosote?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/1000012143-webp.335943/ "[Hearth.com] Kuuma VF100 Oozing Creosote?")
well, that explains it: cold air coming in while gases swirl around, leading to creosote deposits. One sees the same with leaking seams in flue pipes.
Fix that and no creosote would be made there (if burning properly etc etc)
Fix that and no creosote would be made there (if burning properly etc etc)
I'll have to try and contact kuuma. Because the 4 bolts that came out appear to not be catching on anything in there
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
You would think so...but I think it may depend on how hard you are running.
Here's mine right now...it usually runs black (dry/sooty, not wet creosote looking like yours) but is currently pretty light colored from running harder the last few weeks.
Interestingly, I checked my ash pan door frame bolts and about half of them were loose...I put about a quarter turn on most, a couple took closer to half...I did not put the "super torque" on them, they are after all only 1/4" bolts...plus the furnace is still a bit warm from this mornings smallish load, so if it was tightened too much now, they could be even tighter cold.
Attachments
![[Hearth.com] Kuuma VF100 Oozing Creosote?](/talk/data/attachments/335/335980-6af2f478eb747042a478ecbd8747bde0.jpg?hash=pVHgNRC5Bx)
![[Hearth.com] Kuuma VF100 Oozing Creosote?](/talk/data/attachments/335/335981-a8f8e06644a168215913b75a3229d452.jpg?hash=lTilcEYywY)
hobbyheater
Minister of Fire
If your firebox holds 100 lbs of wood at 20% moisture content that's 2 gallons of water that's a lot of steam to go up the chimney ,that puddle of creosote on the floors is the result .
My previous boiler a Jetstream would burn wood with 40% moisture content ( no visible smoke) but the btu output was so low it made no sense!
Sent Kuuma an email. Dale reached out and called. He said there is no danger in using it the rest of the heating season and theyll get it taken care of this summer when it's not below zero out haha. Just wish my furnace wasnt in a basement. Because boyyyyyy howdy is that thing heavy.
Looks like they might replace it! Sounds like maybe faulty welding somewhere. But mistakes happen and they were apologetic about the problems i have been having. So all in all happy with the outcome.
Oh man! I tell ya what the customer service from those folks is the absolute best!
Ya theyve been great. I did my own install too and Dale gave me his cell phone to call and text if i had any questions during the process. 10/10 company
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