Steam in Realllly cold weather?

[burntime]

I know I've asked this before but with the weather here in Wisconsin below 0 is it ok to see steam (grey) coming from the chimney when you damper down the stove in really cold weather? Wood is definitely seasoned so its not the wood. I just do not get long burn times unless I damper it way back...still have secondary burn and heat for 6-8 hours in the extreme cold.

Second question, I get so much heat transfer from my interior masonary chimney (with a stainless liner) that the snow on the roof actually melts and it is ice damning at the gutters? Should I just insulate the top 8-10 feet of chimney around the liner with rock wool?

Any helpfull comments are always appreciated.

 

[Michael6268]

Steam is normal in cold weather. It should be white in color though. Maybe you are mistaking white for grey, or maybe you are getting some smoke due to the dampering down. On the chimney insulation, I would certainly think it would help if you are sure that is where the heat loss is coming from.

After re reading your post, you would want to use insulation intended for chimney liners, and I would think you would have to do the entire length to help, as heat from below (especially if the chimney is in a chase/boxed out) would travel up to the roof and still cause a melting issue

 

[Gunner]

I to get some steam now and then depending on the weather, it usually only lasts the first hour or so after reload, sometimes not at all. I think it's normal. As long as it's white your OK.

 

[Corey]

You will get the 'steam' any time you burn wood. Partly from water in the wood and partly from the burning of hydrocarbons in the wood itself (that old pesky 2 H2 + O2 -> 2 H2O equation again) True 'steam' is invisible, it's only when the air is relatively cool that it condenses into tiny water droplets that are visible...and what we laypeople typically call 'steam' - but really it's more fog.

As for your ice dam, the flue insulation couldn't hurt, but the brick may be conducting heat from inside the house as well - not just the top few feet of the flue.

Corey