Production Woodstock IS

Not here.. I tend to wait too long to empty mine so the corners get packed tight, but no clumpy moisture issues here yet.

Do you have an OAK installed? Maybe moisture drawing in and condensing as the stove cools?

 

No OAK, I’ll have ash pan out in the morning. I’ll try to take a pic.

 

Cleaning mine out shortly.
I'll grab a pic also

 

Sounds like clinkers?

 

This is what my pan looks like after dumping ashes. I’m not stressed about this, I just haven’t figured out why it does it.

 

I would guess your wood is too wet and causing creosote?

 

My wood is super dry. Most of its 15% moisture. Some 12. I’ve burnt some sugar maple thats been css 2 years that’s testing 18% but only a few loads. My stove pipe is pretty clean. Not sure how my pan would build creosote and not my pipe.

 

Wow, thats a weird one.
Maybe it time to give Woodstock a call.
They have a great crew there and will try to help.

Do you burn cat only fires? Or lots of secondary flames? I can't remember if you mentioned it.

 

I usually try to keep some secondary’s going.

 

I was going to reply to your original question about the solidified ash... then I saw this post.
I DO get some ash in the fire box that on occasion will clump up like cat litter. But it is easily broken apart. Generally I get this if I haven't cleaned out the ash pan in a while.
But, I have never had the ash in my pan look like that. Sorry...

 

I do get that stuff in my ash pan - Ideal Steel.

 

The black stuff is creosote. It is formed in the cooler parts of a load of firewood and sticks inside the stove as well as the ash pan.

What you have there is not even all that bad; a lot of us have had thick, wet creosote actually stick the ash pan door shut on an Ideal Steel. Looks like blobs of black chewing gun stretching into strings when you finally force the door open. These same conditions tend to make the glass run black and often leave the inside of the firebox black and coated with creosote as well, though usually not quite as bad as the ash pan box.

The drier the wood, and the hotter the stove is when it is used the less of that will be produced. Beyond that, it is not really a problem as long as the combustor is 'lit' and stays hot enough to burn off the creosote (smoke) before the gasses actually go up the chimney. That is exactly what a catalytic combustor is supposed to do; burn the particulates coming from a 'too cool' fire before they are thrown into the chimney and outside.

Brian

 

I’m not stressed about it. Thanks for info. This winter has been so mild, I’m running my stove as low as I can and keep the glass clean. Lower left corn smokes up but I’ll deal with that.

 

How about cleaning the stovepipe through an ideal steel??? Just purchased a soot eater and am looking forward to cleaning the stove pipe. My stovepipe extends about 8 foot above my roof. So cleaning from top down would be very difficult. I have a 4 ft section of adjustable pipe above the stove. Just would hate to take that apart and risk scratching up the pipe. So my question is am I able to fish up the soot eater through the inside of the stove? Do I need to remove the fireback assembly in order to get up to the pipe? I would much rather go through the stove somehow. Thanks for any feedback! FYI- I've got 6" doublewall stovepipe with a 45 elbow about 5 foot above the stove. Then straight up from there.

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seth9180 Is it a top and rear exit? I doubt you can go through the fire box, there’s just too many 90° angles in the smoke path, but if you lift the lid remove the cat and the radiator would you have enough room to go the pipe it’s pretty tight in there

 

Top exit. Sorry that would be good info to included haha. I will check under the lid once the stove cools back down. The kit I got is supposed to have pretty flexible poles but not sure enough to go through the lid. I guess we'll see. Thanks!

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I don’t think going through the IS is practical. Since I got the IS, I remove a section of stove pipe, inspect and then put the soot eater back in the barn. If you keep the cat lit it burns so clean, there hasn’t been any buildup.

 

Oh, BTW, removing the section of stove pipe on my top vent setup also allows easy opening of the stove lid for inspection and a quick vacuum. That’s one of the things I really like about this design vs my prior stove.

 

Gents I’m not sure where to post this one? Looking at putting my order in today or next week for my Ideal Steel. Loooking at going charcoal color all the way around. I am putting soapstone liner and andirons medium height. Going solid legs because wife doesn’t like the designs on sides. Which I do but oh well. Is it worth it to get the soapstone on the sides for retaining any heat? Thanks for the replies.