I was wondering if there are any issues I ought to be looking for over time with my Liberty stove. Have been using it for a couple months and love it. Do the tubes at the top of the burn chamber get clogged with soot over time or does the heat take care of it? Has there ever been a case you know of where the stove couldn't get closed down? By that I mean, let's say I get a really hot fire going with a full load of dry wood… it's windy outside… is it possible that the stove will keep drawing enough air (because of the heat), with the intake air closed, and just run away getting hotter and hotter? I've seen so far that the stove behaves well and I've had no issue at all having complete control. The very small amount of intake control movement is what makes me wonder.
I've taken the burn tubes out in the summer to clean them, they can be a bitch to put back in, I've never had the tubes clog from soot, if that happens you're not burning hot enough. If you load up on some really hot coals it might, just make sure your gasket is good and tight.(Dollar Bill test) It can take off on you if you have a real strong draft or strong winds can affect the draft. Do you use magnetic thermometers on the stove top & pipe, http://www.condar.com/stove_top_meters.html Seasoned wood is your friend, a moisture content of 20% or below is what you want. What types of wood are you burning, how long has it been seasoned? Dennis (backwoods savage)has really had an effect on most of the members (good & bad) concerning seasoned firewood and getting ahead on your wood inventory. Even with the cold winter this year we're set for wood because I listened to what he had to say. I'm sure I left some stuff out so if anyone wants to chime in go ahead.
My thermometers read around 350 up on the stack just below the elbow back to the chimney, and around 550-600 sitting on the hotter lower flat area… when the stove is burning well with the damper pushed in about 1/4". As the years go along, I'll be building up my wood supply. If you can, it's a very good idea. Good to know about the burn tubes. My gasket seems to be good around the door. Will keep an eye on it. I wouldn't consider my draft to be all that strong. Chimney is about 18' and has an 8"x12" flue. Watching the flames for any really bad effect when the wind has been blowing showed it to be not too bad. There was some though. I guess I've just got to get to know this stove more. I do like the fact that it always has some air no matter if the intake is shut, to allow the entire fire to calm down slowly and get rid of excess gases slowly without a backdraft whoof.
Welcome Stinny. Assuming your wood isnt truly dry 20% MC or less, and the masonry chimney, I would keep a very close eye on creosote build up. One chimney fire can destroy the tiles in your chimney and cause lot$ of damage. If you pull the tubes out of your stove, make sure they all go back exactly as oriented from the factory (dont mix em up or turn em around). The holes in them are set at different angles to increase efficiency. Work on that wood pile. Its worth it
I burned an Endeavor for two seasons which is a smaller version of the Liberty. The only issue I ever had was the roll pins that hold the burn tubes in would fall out. I went up to the local hardware store and bought a pack of pins to keep on hand. I replaced the originals with longer pins and that seemed to do the trick.
The 8 x 12 flue can cause some problems as it has for many others. The problem is that if the stove requires a 6" chimney, just compute that out and see just how much bigger that 8 x 12 is over the 6" or even compare a 6" round to an 8" round. It might surprise you. Most people have some creosote problems with this type of setup and that is why they go to a liner with insulation. As for the gunk in the burn tubes, that is caused by wood that is not dry enough rather than not burning hot enough. You could burn it hotter but if you get enough heat at that temperature, no need to change.
