Newbie Questions / Concerns

[Godchaser]

I finally got my Madison installed. My chimney is just a bit over the factory required 15'. I've noticed what appears to be creosote on the outside (photo below) of my chimney. I've got just under 5' of 24ga stove pipe to the ceiling support box. From there the rest of the way it is double-wall insulated class a Metal Fab chimney pipe (rated to 2100). The stove is in a room that was a concrete slab that the previous owner enclosed, so it's just the ceiling then roof to pass through.

Questions...
Is it normal to have that creosote running down the outside after a couple weeks use?

If not, does that mean there's a bunch already on the inside?

The wood I've been burning is from a pile of logs where they timbered to put a powerline in. My neighbor says they were cut last winter so I thought they should be ready to burn. I bought a mm today and most of the wood measured as soon as I split a piece is borderline 15-21%. Should I buy firewood this winter and finish cutting and splitting these log piles until next year?

Any help appreciated.

 

[jatoxico]

Bring a couple splits in overnight to allow them to come to room temp then split and test with the meter. They read low when wood is cold. Feed more air for now. I would recommend you don't chase burn times right now. Get a stove top thermo and run hot with a brisk airy fire for starters.

 

[begreen]

If the moisture content is being measure on a split that has been split in half, then measured on the freshly exposed face of wood then it should be ok. If measured on the end grain then it could be too damp. The other possibility is that the stove is running too cool. What temp are you burning at?

 

[Godchaser]

Yes I read that somewhere. So I went out to the pile of logs, split a few, placed mm on fresh split face, and most were 15-20%. I don't yet have a thermometer but will be getting one and posting results here.

 

[Pat32rf]

Is there even the slightest chance that the chimney is upside down? I always thought that the creosote should run IN at the joints....That is why the small end of the section goes down into the next and funnelling the creosote on down...

 

[Godchaser]

I don't know how it could be. The parts of the chimney pipe lock together at the bottom of each piece. So from the ceiling box where it starts they only go on one way.

 

[mitchell721]

How are you running the stove. Are you letting it burn hot enough to char the wood before turning it down 15/20 min

 

[Godchaser]

Funny thing, I've been trying to run it as hot as I can to see if it will supplement my main furnace. Once a good fire is going, I keep it loaded. At night I make sure it's loaded and flaming good and I pull the damper so it will last through the night.

 

[mitchell721]

hmm if moisture is actually good. then the only thing I can think of is air is being choked off to it too much and smoldering the fire. from the picture its looks the its dripping from the rain cap not actually coming out of the pipes so I don't think that's the issue. the only thing I can think of is load it like you do at night during the time your up and pull the damper stay by to watch it and make sure its not choking the fire off too much and smoldering. I have the summers heat version of that stove and seems like about 3/4 of the way pulled out is where I get best secondary and such. but that's just my two cents and I'm just diving into the whole wood stove thing myself so take what I say with a grain of salt. I'm sure one of the fellas on here will be able to give you some better insight

 

[Godchaser]

Mine is the Summers Heat version too. I was told by Englander that it was the Madison. It definitely cuts flame down to a smolder when I pull the damper. Maybe try leaving it more open as you suggested.

 

[mitchell721]

yea try to pull it back in stages around half then around 3/4 ten minutes or so later so it don't choke the air off too fast. fire should still be rolling and be getting secondary fire that's what seems to work for me. however like I said I'm still learning the quirks of this thing myself