Osburn 2200 or 2400?

[Bozlee]

We did a lot of research as well and if I had to make a guess on what the problem is..it seems likely that we got oursleves a lemon. I do understand that there are lemons out there and can accept the fact that I was sold one. What I have a really hard time with is the total non customer service. The dealer I bought it from feels a reasonable solution is to sell me a different brand name stove.

Now I was not going to bring this up but...a year ago this past April, a family down the road from us were almost finished building a very beautifull 2000 sq. ft cottage. They had an Osburn Wood Stove installed..I think the 2400. One day the husband came out by himself, was working on some wood work finishing and had the wood stove burning. He walked overe to the neighbors for about five minutes and 45 minutes after that there was nothing but ashes left of his beautiful new cottage. Cause of the fire...the wood stove! They are just about finished re-building now.

 

[Bozlee]

Once when we lit the stove we had to much smoke come out of the door, hence the down draft proof chimney cap. Other than that there was only the occasional very slight poof of smoke when we opened the door, certainly not enough to cause the mess that was caused. And having researched this matter to the enth degree, I have come to learn that if the glass on the door continually turns black it is the sign of a problem. I can tell you that I did not have to clean the door glass very often.

 

[Bozlee]

The technical term escapes me but as you can see from the pic I posted the chimney is only used by the one stove, has no angles and is a double lined chimney and sits just over 4 feet above the roof line. I might add I we had a very expensive cap on it that is designed specifically to not allow down drafts.

Don't know if the stove that covered everything in my house is creosoot or what, all I know it was a brown greasy film that turned black when it was touched by something wet and would not wash off unless with a de-greaser product.

It is a mystery but my plants look kinda good on the thing wouldn't you say

I'm Canadian and chimney to us is anything masonary or otherwise that sends smoke from the fire source up and out. Sorry didn't mean to confuse the issue .

 

[MrGriz]

Well, the Osburn 2200i is in the back of the pick-up in the garage. Just waiting on the help that will be here tomorrow for the install!

 

[MrGriz]

tfenn1, back to your original question, from my last post you can see my opinion. I did look at the 2400 while I was at the shop today. It looks nice, but I really just love the bay design of the 2200i. The Quadrafire Bodega Bay is very similar in design and cost, you may want to take a look at that one also.

 

[Dave_1]

Bozlee,

Need your response to the following in order to help you out because I don’t believe the Osburn is your problem

Do you have a Jenn-Air cook range?

If not, do you have a vent-less exhaust over the cooking stove?

If not, does the vent exhaust out the attic or the roof?

Does the clothes dryer, hot water heater, toilet stacks, furnace, etc all exhaust out the roof, and not into the attic?

Do you ever have inside condensation on the glass inside your house?

If so, in what room(s)?

Does Canada's building code require 6 mil plastic vapor barrier?

Has anyone ever checked the attic to ensure that a vapor barrier was installed?

Has the house ever had an attic fan?

Am I correct in assuming that your “chimney” height is over 18’ ?

If that height is correct then a loose door is definitely not your grease problem.

My heater has never had gaskets. It does not need such because what little air gets by is insufficient to maintain combustion within the heater. My "chimney" is only 13', add another 5' & I would have to tie down my grandkids when I added wood as the draft would be that strong. :lol:

A strong draft eliminates the possibility of smoke coming out the heater during the run stage.

As for your neighbor’s experience consider this possibility.

He had just got the heater adjusted to burn his “seasoned” firewood when he decided to go visiting. But when he left the heater was, in reality, just finishing expelling the last of the moisture in his fire wood & then getting serious about combustion. Since your neighbor had been burning such “seasoned” firewood he had inadvertently built up creosote in his “chimney”. Since the heater had boiled off the water content in the fire wood it now had more than more enough air input to get the heater temp up to the creosote’s flash point &, as they say, his house became toast.

Heaters seldom burn down houses. Chimneys do it all the time. ;-)

Dave

 

[BrotherBart]

What I may have missed in all of these posts is what the primary heat source is for the house. Does it happen to be oil heat?

 

[GVA]

I followed ya on everything except the Jenn-aire cook range?



I was wondering about that box at the ceiling for the transition through the roof, and if it was posibly leaking into the room.

 

[begreen]

What I may have missed in all of these posts is what the primary heat source is for the house. Does it happen to be oil heat?

Good question. I was assuming that since the stove became a flowerstand the problem has stopped. But maybe it's just that the heating season ended.

 

[Todd]

Could it be a bad paint job on the stove or pipe? Maybe the paint or primer was applied when conditions were too humid, and it never cured right? Is the paint gooie or solid? Can you smell anything during the burn?

 

[Dave_1]

I followed ya on everything except the Jenn-aire cook range?

GVA,

the ones that I’ve seen suck the exhaust down, via a duct system under the appliance, & then expel such out the house. So if the duct is loose, broken, etc before the exhaust exits the house, & the house is even modestly air tight, then any fan activity, I.e. air conditioning, central heat, attic fan, etc is going to spread the air born grease.

It amazes me is they didn’t notice the grease sooner. Seems that the chairs, sofa, etc would have gotten their attention.

I was wondering about that box at the ceiling for the transition through the roof, and if it was posibly leaking into the room.

Good point. I’m guessing that it is not the culprit since the evidence would be obvious.

Women that visit us, & who also heat with wood, always remark that our ceiling looks so clean. It is then that their hubbies put their foot in it by stating; “You must not use the heater very often!”, which always cracks my wife up.

I use to try to explain but two sentences into the subject their eyes glaze over & I know they are not interested for they are day tripping. :lol:

BB, bardoll did it again! ;-)

 

[wingnut]

Is it possible you have a bad heat exchanger in your primary heat source? Is it a oil burner? or could it be the results of a chemical/heat reaction like from the paint on the walls? I have never herd of something like this from an Osburn or any other stove. I would think if your stove was leaking that bad you would have smelled it or would have had to see smoke in the room on a regular basis's.

 

[elkimmeg]

The only circumstance simmilar I witnessed was caused by the oil burner. The problem resulted in insuffieient draft.
When the oil burner connector pipe was installed,it was pushed in too far into the clay flue liner, thus limited the area it could draft into.
As mentioned before the puzzle is the greese, which is not found in wood burning combustion. As mentioned before I would suspect the oil burned
then look at it being a cooking issue. Finally I have seen one incident, where the lady burnt many candles, so much so she sooted up her ceilings

 

[Bozlee]

Bozlee,

Need your response to the following in order to help you out because I don’t believe the Osburn is your problem

Do you have a Jenn-Air cook range?
NO

If not, do you have a vent-less exhaust over the cooking stove?
YES

If not, does the vent exhaust out the attic or the roof?


Does the clothes dryer, hot water heater, toilet stacks, furnace, etc all exhaust out the roof, and not into the attic?
ALL THESE ITEMS VENT TO THE OUTSIDE

Do you ever have inside condensation on the glass inside your house?
YES! WE HAVE AN HRV UNIT AND WHEN I HAVE MOISTURE BUILD UP I RUN THE HRV TO CLEAR THE WINDOWS. IF I LEAVE THE HRV RUNNING ALL THE TIME THERE IS NEVER ANY CONDENSATION ON THE GLASS. I DO NOT RUN THE HRV WHEN THE STOVE IS BURNING.

If so, in what room(s)?
WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPS DROP BELOW -10 CELCIUS ALL MY WINDOWS HAVE A WATER/ICE BUILD UP ALONG THE BOTTOM AT THE WINDOW LEDGE....you are the first person to ever ask this question

Does Canada's building code require 6 mil plastic vapor barrier?
YES BUT I THINK IT'S A THICKER MIL

Has anyone ever checked the attic to ensure that a vapor barrier was installed?
WE HAVE VAULTED CEILLINGS AND THEREFOR NO ATTIC...I WAS HERE WHEN THE CIELING WAS INSULATED AND YES THERE IS A VAPOR BARRIER

Has the house ever had an attic fan?
NO

Am I correct in assuming that your “chimney” height is over 18’ ?
FLOOR TO CEILING IS 13 FEET...CHIMNEY IS 4 FEET ABOVE THE ROOF LINE WE ALSO HAVE A FOUR INCH COLD AIR RETURN FROM OUTSIDE INTO THE STOVE

If that height is correct then a loose door is definitely not your grease problem.
YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE CONDENSATION ON THE GLASS HAS MY ATTENTION ! YOU CLEARLY SOUND LIKE YOU KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SUBJECT AND I DO APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU TOOK TO REPSOND TO ME. I WILL TAKE ANY ADVICE THAT I CAN GET ON THIS PROBLEM. I AM WAITING WITH BAITED BREATH TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU. FEEL FREE TO E MAIL ME DIRECTLY. IF YOU CAN SOLVE MY GREASE PROBLEM I WILL MAKE CERTAIN OUR NEXT BORN POLAR BEAR IS NAMED AFTER YOU

My heater has never had gaskets. It does not need such because what little air gets by is insufficient to maintain combustion within the heater. My "chimney" is only 13', add another 5' & I would have to tie down my grandkids when I added wood as the draft would be that strong. :lol:

A strong draft eliminates the possibility of smoke coming out the heater during the run stage.
EXCEPT THE OCCASIONAL PUFF WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR TO RE LOAD WOOD WE HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE STOVE.

As for your neighbor’s experience consider this possibility.

He had just got the heater adjusted to burn his “seasoned” firewood when he decided to go visiting. But when he left the heater was, in reality, just finishing expelling the last of the moisture in his fire wood & then getting serious about combustion. Since your neighbor had been burning such “seasoned” firewood he had inadvertently built up creosote in his “chimney”. Since the heater had boiled off the water content in the fire wood it now had more than more enough air input to get the heater temp up to the creosote’s flash point &, as they say, his house became toast.
WE ALWAYS BURN WELL SEASONED FIREWOOD..USUALLY TAMARAC. ARE YOU SAYING WELL SEASONED WOOD IS NOT GOOD TO BURN?

Heaters seldom burn down houses. Chimneys do it all the time. ;-)

Dave

 

[Bozlee]

What I may have missed in all of these posts is what the primary heat source is for the house. Does it happen to be oil heat?

EVERYTHING IN OUR HOUSE IS ELECTRIC...WATER HEATER AND FORCED AIR ELECTRIC FURNACE AND AN HRV

 

[Bozlee]

Could it be a bad paint job on the stove or pipe? Maybe the paint or primer was applied when conditions were too humid, and it never cured right? Is the paint gooie or solid? Can you smell anything during the burn?

THE STOVE PIPE LOOKS BRAND NEW..NOTHING ODD HAPPENING TO THE PAINT. WISH I WOULD HAVWE FOUND THIS FORUM TWO YEARS AGO...YOU GUYS ARE ARE GREAT WITH ALL THIS BRAIN STORMING..THANKS

 

[Bozlee]

I followed ya on everything except the Jenn-aire cook range?



I was wondering about that box at the ceiling for the transition through the roof, and if it was posibly leaking into the room.

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY SIGN OF SMOKE EMITTING FROM ANY PARTS OF THE STOVE OR STOVE PIPE. WE NEVER SMELLED ANYTHING EITHER EXCEPT THE NORMAL SMELL OF A WOOD FIRE.

 

[Bozlee]

What I may have missed in all of these posts is what the primary heat source is for the house. Does it happen to be oil heat?

Good question. I was assuming that since the stove became a flowerstand the problem has stopped. But maybe it's just that the heating season ended.

THE HEATING SEASON IS JUST STARTING HERE IN FREEZING COLD MANITOBA. MY STOVE HAS BEEN A PLANT STAND SINCE THE LASTE FALL OF 2004 WHEN THIS GREASE THING HAPPENED. I DARE NOT BURN IT AGAIN UNTIL THE MYSTERY OF WHY THE GREASE HAPPENED IS SOLVED.

 

[Bozlee]

The only circumstance simmilar I witnessed was caused by the oil burner. The problem resulted in insuffieient draft.
When the oil burner connector pipe was installed,it was pushed in too far into the clay flue liner, thus limited the area it could draft into.
As mentioned before the puzzle is the greese, which is not found in wood burning combustion. As mentioned before I would suspect the oil burned
then look at it being a cooking issue. Finally I have seen one incident, where the lady burnt many candles, so much so she sooted up her ceilings

HAVING A FORCED AIR ELECTRIC FURNACE NON OF ABOVE WOULD COME INTO PLAY. NOT ONLY DOES THE GREASE THING PERPLEX ME BUT THE WAY IT DISTRIBUTED THROUGH MY HOUSE. NOTHING WAS SPARED AND IT WAS A FINE EVEN FILM UNIFORMLY COATING EVERYTHING. i GUESS THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT WOULD BE...100 PEOPLE IN MY HOUSE EVERY DAY SMOKING FIVE PACKS OF CIGS DAILY. (WE DON'T SMOKE) NOTHING FELT GREASY TO THE TOUCH WHEN IT WAS DRY. ONCE WATER TOUCHED IT IT WENT FROM THIS BROWN FILM TO BLACK AND PLAIN WATER OR TSP WOULD NOT REMOVE IT...HAD TO USE INDUSTRIAL STRENGHT DE-GREASE. THIS SLIME FOUND IT'S WAY INTO EVEN THE SMALLEST CREVIS AND WAS HEAVIER ON OUSIDE COLDER WALLS...YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE INSIDE OF MY FRIDGE !!

 

[begreen]

Totally wierd. No reason to use the caps locks. SHOUTING is not necessary. Since the stove use stopped has there been any sign of the substance? Have you had the substance analyzed at a lab?

 

[Roospike]

Little lighter , little sharper pic.
Was it mentioned a blower fan in the stove?
stove blower pulling ash out of the stove ash pan?
How about oils from a fan motor ?
ceiling fan ?
Other objects in the home used only in the winter?

 

[elkimmeg]

Was the home built during winter? a lot of contractors use keroseen heaters called torpedo heaters Not all burn clean Is it possible they coated the walls.
at first one might not notice the film untill it attracted dust which might have taken some time it is possible a little amount of smoke that escaped from the door
got attached to the existing film. Is the film showing up highlighting your structual framing members under the plaster? Does youe HVAC system control humidity?

 

[iceman]

this sounds scary... it almost sound like your house hase been taken over by mold..... but iside your frig and even more on colder walls?? without knowing the layout of your house it seems very odd that this substance could spread everywhere in the house ... you should have the your health dept come and take a look and find out what it is they will take a sample and bring back results.. if indeed it is soot... then it will be obvious that the draft in your house or in that area is at odds in my fireplace after it has been running i get smoke back into the room if i don't have the flood lights on over the fire place i would never see i thought it was from me putting wood in... i can't for the life of me figure out why it happens when the fireplace is burning hot

 

[wingnut]

Have you ever had your house fumigated for bugs of any kind? I am still grasping at straws to help find an answer

 

[Dave_1]

Bozlee,

As you know being on site is a definite advantage. In this case you are my eyes & fact checker so until I have a complete picture in my mind of your house will skip the moisture problem until later. Let us continue.

If not, do you have a vent-less exhaust over the cooking stove?

YES

Bingo! There is your grease source. (Saayyy, you wouldn't be a transplanted Quebecian (aka French) who loves to use kranolla oil?) :lol:

Now let us discover its movement.

I take it that your kitchen is open to the heater’s room?

And when your Osburn was in use the ceiling fan was running?

Which direction does the ceiling fan rotate, clockwise or counter-clockwise?

I suspect clockwise which would lift the room air up from the center & wash it down the rooms walls.

That being true then in your cleaning you should have discovered that the grease was predominately in the heater room, on its ceiling, its walls (not the bedroom ceiling & walls), & the furniture closest to those walls. Tables, chairs, etc toward the center of the room would suffer little grease contamination.

Is my assumption correct?

And, unless the door of your heater was opened quickly, the central furnace was running, some wood falls out, etc, you should never have smoke in a Canadian house with an indoor “chimney“ when the heater‘s door is opened. Better take a look at your "chimney" cap for restriction due to fly ash & or creosote.

Not familiar with the wood you use so will do some research. However, such has nothing to do with your grease problem.


The term "seasoned" is a loose term that is variable since it is left up to the each individual's bias. A moisture meter will prove if the wood is truely "seasoned". I consider @ 10% "seasoned", while @ 6% is "well seasoned".

( BroBart is on record as being scared to death to smoke around such wood. )

Meantime please take a breath & don’t name an artic blast after me. I have enough alligators to deal with, so I definitely don‘t need another one. :lol: ;-)

Dave