House smoke out, where am I screwing up?

I'm a first time burner with a Hearthstone Clydesdale. In the two months I've had it, I finally had it working fairly well after some initial issue:
http://firewoodhoardersclub.com/forums/threads/any-special-considerations-for-burning-oak.7114/

My technique involved using some "wax" fire starters on the floor of the fireplace then topped with small 1/2" split oak kindling on top of it. I would fire that up and after it was almost all coal, I would throw on bigger pieces of oak.

In the last week, my experience has turned to crud. I can't get the wood to burn at all. It smolders and smokes like hell. If I even crack the door on the insert, it makes the house look like a nice smoggy LA summer.

From the thread above, I have two cords that had moisture content from 10 to 25%:


I got a third cord from a different vendor and to put it bluntly, it sucks... odd sized and fairly wet. I have since stopped trying to use it and am considering a trip to the dump with it.

Here is a picture from the rear of the house to the front showing the chimney and flue(the second piece of terra cotta is NOT on top. What is shown currently just has a cap):


Here is a picture from the front of the house toward the rear(this is old flue... this is to illustrate that I'm in a ravine):


Further details about the area:
I'm at the bottom of a ravine... maybe 100 feet under the peaks.
I'm RIGHT next to a creek. From the chimney in picture above, I am maybe 15 feet away from center of creek. It runs maybe a foot deep normally until rain.
I have two neighbors further up the road that are not running into this issue(one is a single story but the other is a three story)

Back to the problem. In the last week or so, I can't get a fire started running to save my life. All it does is smolders and will smoke out the house floor to ceiling if I open the fireplace door.

The only difference the last week compared to previous time is I've dipped in the low to mid 30s. Yeah, I know, whoop-de-do... there are folks getting to -100s and just throw a match to get a raging inferno in 2 minutes Yes, I'm a bit frustrated

At first I thought it was the wet wood in the third cord causing me issues. I have since swapped to my first two cords of wood and have gotten NO better results.

I've been told to crack a window or door during startup to help it go. This didn't make a difference.

In previous thread and at a shop, it has been mentioned my flue was too short. While I could buy a 4 foot piece of tubing and extend the flue, I'm not sure about the safety of six feet of unsupported tube sticking up. Plus, I'm not sure how much help an extra 4 foot of flue is going to help while 100 feet down in a ravine.

Is there anything I should consider to fix this problem?

Should I consider something like an electric draft inducer such as reviewed here:
http://firewoodhoardersclub.com/forums/threads/electrical-draft-inducer.8857/
Is something like this rated for outdoor mounting?

 

Pallet wood would be the easiest way to rule out wet wood. If that still does it I would look at the draft.

How is the stove to chimney connection? Any 90°'s?

 

I would think it is related to the flue as well. Don't give up just yet. I would check the chimney first thing in the morning to be sure its not plugged up with creosote or anything else. Like tuneighty said pallet wood is dry as a popcorn fart. You could also try lighting some newspaper to get the flue hot. Is any of it exposed in the house?

 

I actually tried split 2x4 pine and 1x12 pine shelving material that was sitting in my garage for about six months. It didn't help.

On the flue, it goes from fireplace insert to a flex tube that is probably at a 45 degree angle to 12 feet of straight flue pipe that is capped.

 

Most of what your sharing is pointing to weak draft and possibly less than ideal moisture content of your splits. I read a few posts from your previous thread and by looking at your pictures the suggestion of adding a 4 ft section of class A may be a help. A draft inducer may also give you some additional help. Is there a way to get some quick, hot burning firewood (like pine) to help set up your questionable firewood while you work on that draft?

 

Since you seem to have ruled out the easiest variables, I too would have to think the 4' extension is needed next...

 

Here is picture of insert... no flue exposed


I haven't tried a boat load of newspaper to heat the flue. But I've tried a propane torch across the top of the insert in the inside before starting a fire. I also tried an electric heat gun pointing at the top inside for about fifteen minutes today and it didn't help.

 

I agree from looking back that at previous post an extension would help. But I would still make sure to check the chimney out. You could probably anchor the new piece into the mortar on the chimney as long as its solid or drill into the stone.

 

Add a 4' extension of some cheap vent pipe and make a small fire. If the draft improves spend the $ to do something permanent. BTW what are the outside temps? Been warm here and my draft ain't been so hot.

 

It has been low 30s in the evening... weather web site is claiming 40 right now in downtown Placerville(95667)... I'm a few feet higher at 2300 feet.

Since it is sounding like I'm fighting a short flue, I'm planning a trip to the fireplace shop to see if I can get something worked out. I'm also going to try a bundle of Homedepot misc junk.

 

How much wood have you burned so far? Definitely check the cap & chimney for buildup.

 

http://inspectapedia.com/chimneys/Chimney_Draft.htm

 

I agree with the flue extension it can only help. Only one question, well kind of two. Does your insert have a ceramic wool blanket on top of the baffle and is it getting in the way of the exhaust pathway to the actual flue? Honestly your chimney looks to be plenty tall enough....

 

How tall is the chimney? And is there a prevailing wind?

 

It looks tall be he said it's only about 12 ft and he's way down in a bottom. Never thought about baffle issues good thought.

 

I agree, feels like we're trying too hard so solve the last 2% of the problem... and maybe there is a bigger problem someplace in the system. I'd open the door and put a rolled up piece of newspaper near the exhaust exit of the insert, with the draft as wide open as it can be, (wear gloves) light it, and tell us if there is a pull toward the chimney. It should be a strong pull/draft to the chimney.

If no pull (strong draft) then let's start looking for something blocking the air flow like the ceramic wool blanket, or some other blockage preventing a open air stream upward.

 

I've seen too many situations where the ceramic wool clogged the flue. Just a thought. I also live in a much colder climate so draft issues aren't as much of an issue. When it's warmer outside and given the location I can see positive/negative pressure causing a problem. I install them for a living and start a fire in every single one and if it isn't under freezing temps it's always harder to start a fire. You also bring up a good point, almost every wood stove I install calls for a very minimum chimney run of 13', but at our altitude (8000' or so) we usually shoot for more than 15'. There are a LOT of issues that could be at play such as other air sucking appliances etc.

 

Probably a ton of down pressure being in a valley as well.

 

Very likely. It NEVER hurts to make the chimney taller....

 

I don't know the background of your stove insert, but I'll share my experiences. My lopi freedom insert is recommended to have a minimum of 16' flue.. I'm at 15'. It has a secondary burn "bypass", no cat.

On a stone cold start up, I'll smoke the house out if I have the bypass open (basically like an old style stove, with no dampener). If I open the door, it smokes the house out bad. I've tried putting a box fan by the stove with the door cracked to get the draft going... Over time, I learned to start it and get it going with little fuss, but I think most of the problems result from a short flue height and stone cold, even though well insulated flue.

What I do now, is bundled up newspaper rolled up and tied in loose knots, split pallet wood on top, cross and longways, a few layers tall. Light the newspaper on both sides. Now, close the bypass and shut the door with the vent open all the way... it will smolder for a few minutes as the newspaper burns and takes off, once it takes off and started the pallet wood, then i can open the bypass and open the door to get the draft going good, and no smoke in the house. once the firebrick is warm, its never an issue. i'm guessing you're stoney chimney and short runner length to be the issue. Mine is double insulated wrapped 6" liner inside of a 8" double air vent pipe, so when its cold, it holds the cold until it gets ripping hot. mine is a newer epa stove any anything less than 18% is almost impossible to get to take off. Also, reading 18% on an "old split" is useless, I have to check it on a fresh split piece. I've had them read 15% from sitting and once split open it reads 21-25%...

closing the bypass was something I learned by accident because its normally only closed once up to temp. Starting instructions say to open bypass, oven vents and blah blah blah... thats where the smoke comes from on start up because the flue height and flue being cold. Not sure if yours is setup like that or not from the pics, but if it has a secondary burn bypass, its definitely worth a shot, and in my experience, the colder it was, the harder it was to take off and the more it smoked the house out. If mine had add-able sections, I would add a 4' stick to it, but mine is 6" SS flex liner and it was cut to length when the install was done... added flue height never hurts.