I know it is warmer outside and the draft is reduced BUT the upstairs stove was burning a little slower than I expected. I decided to do the spring clean up a little early. Swept the flue, nothing major. About half a quart of black powder. This is from a season and a half and 6 cords of mainly oaks & maples. Some douglas fir during the shoulder seasons. What surprised me this time was the amount of fly ash on top of the baffle. There was a mound about 3/8" deep and about 8" diameter under the 6" exhaust port. This probably blocked about 1/3 of the airflow. This could explain why the stove burnt very well on the colder days but was sluggish on warmer ones. I'll re-light tonight and see how she burns. Everybody enjoy shoulder season and burn safely. KaptJaq
Did an overnight load of soft maple and the stove is burning great. Outside temps are around 30F. KaptJaq
