Nc30 questions

I'd say it's a combo of wet wood and marginal draft. That chimney needs an insulated liner, or a liner at the very least.

Well I said that originally but after your pics and description I'm almost positive.

 

I would think the stove glass should stay cleaner than a week, even though it is a light glaze.

 

Here is some loaded

 

There is a liner in it.

 

Often times, we fall into the trap of only looking for one solution to a problem when it fact there may be more than one contributing to a given problem.

The easiest would be to try some dry wood, no?

 

I just bought a nc-30 so the next question I ask is out of ignorance.....but is the discoloration around the bottom of the stove opening indicative of needing a new door gasket? Or maybe a gasket that is beginning to weaken?

 

Okay 32 blocks 8" a block equals just over 21' of chimney just measured it.

 

I don't have a 30 so I'm not sure what else it could be. Only other thing I can think of is not giving it enough air.

 

Like a (ovalized) stainless liner? 21' of that should work fine.
If there was a draft issue, swapping that 90* elbow out for two 45s would help. You would put the first 45 about where you have the mag thermometer in that pic, then about 2-3' of pipe, to the second 45 around halfway back on the horizontal pipe...just for example

 

What kind of wood is that 2 year old stuff you have? how big are the splits?

I suggest you spend a few bucks and get yourself a meter
Shop General Tools & Instruments Digital Multimeter at Lowes.com

General Tools Pin-Type Digital Moisture Meter with LCD Display-MMD4E - The Home Depot

http://www.amazon.com/Moisture-Meters/b?ie=UTF8&node=553270

 

Sorry I got called away for some pressing issues with my elderly mother. It sounds like you guys worked through this or gave some good suggestions. My guess is the wood is not seasoned enough. If it wasn't split until Aug. there is no way especially if it is something like oak.

 

I forgot my manners....Welcome aboard Ruffrider .
With the 2 90s, you've lost at least a few feet of flue length, although I don't think that's your issue.
If you need to keep the air open that much, your draft may be weak, and/or the wood isn't dry. Wood doesn't start drying well until it's been split. Sittin' around in log frm or rounds, they'll take a LOOOng time to dry well. Unless of course, you live in a desert.
I'm seeing signs of overfire in the front of the stove just inside the door.......This is what it should look like, and yours looks warped......I can see fire through the gap.

Here's where I usually set the air on an overnight burn. The rod is about in the middle of the spring.

 

Wow, I didn't notice that, it sure is warped.

 

Well the weld broke on the left side and the right side warped. Honestly no offense to anyone I love this stove and I hate this stove. It is so hard to figure out. I never ran an EPA stove. First one was a hearthstone h1 and the second one was an Ashley wood circulator.

 

Warpage

 

Pretty sure that piece is there for decoration, I think I'll be angle grinding the remaining two welds off and pulling that off and out. People say overfire but I read on this site 750 is the norm and that number scares me. And that stove runs there. I see pics on here of the stove loaded to the tubes on top and I just don't get it. How am I overfiring if I am closing down the air too much making unburnt wood in the back of the stove?

 

If that metal is warped like that, it's been overfired, no matter what the thermometer says.
There's nothing on this stove for decoration, unless yours came with the little gold-ish colored strips along the front lips.
I usually run mine about 500-550, although it sometimes gets up to 700, if I forget there's a fire in the stove.
This stove is very easy to run with dry wood.
After thinking on this, I don't think you are closing the air too much (based on the pic you posted), rather the wood isn't dry enough.
When do you start closing the air?