Ideal Steel Season #2 Tips, Tricks, and Improvements.

Sometimes, not often. It's been suggested before that there could be steam from water getting out of the wood. I'm still not clear how to tell the difference between the look of steam and that of smoke from the chimney.

 

I agree. I think a lot of it is steam.

 

I would think steam would evaporate within a couple feet of the rain cap. This is a longer "whisp" day 10-12 feet and with a blue ish hue. Again this is far less than both my VC and old Sierra smoke Dragon. I'm just curious

 

I like that idea. Whos to say when automation type technology like that will come to be on woodstoves.

 

It defintely sounds like the pulsing was caused by either (as Jeff said) a possible leak in the flue joints or my thought is the draft was drawn by windy conditions. Mine has pulsed like yours before but not to that extreme, and I had some windy conditions.

 

I can't say I've ever seen it with the cat engaged.

 

Tom (of WS) brought up an interseting point when talking about the leaking gasket at the rear of the some of the stoves last season. When he indicated that water was collecting and sometimes finding it's way out I asked him if this was the result of wet wood being burned and steam resulting, and maybe this was the cause. He told me that after they determind it was water and where it was coming from he had some testing done with done with splits having different MC. He said 10% mc or 18%, they both did the same thing, he didn't think it was wet wood.

 

Good info

 

Most likely what you are seeing is just steam (water vapor) condensing in the cooler outside air. Perfectly normal and not a pollutant at all. The only way I know of to tell steam from smoke (particles of soot) is to watch it and see if it trails off into the distance (smoke) or just disappears w/in a couple of feet of the chimney (steam). Also while the steam from a woodstove may not be white, it will be light in color while particulate smoke is usually dark.

Funny you mention the temp. of 1,100 F; that is usually the quoted temperature given as the temp. needed to burn all combustibles in an enclosed wood fire.

It is also possible you are burning just a bit of accumulated creosote out of the end of the chimney and that is what you are seeing.

But with a modern catalytic stove running well over 1,000 degrees F, unless there is a leak around the combustor, it is pretty sure that the stove is burning extremely clean.

Brian

 

Do you have enough draft?

The reason I ask is I installed a IS for my mom and sister. Trying to save some money I left my moms chimney an 8x8 masonry flue hoping it would be good enough. Turns out it's not. She gets smoke much as you describe most of the time.
Occasionally it will burn clear but the more she uses it seems to be less clear. Thinking she's coating the cat by not having enough velocity/draft.

Finally got my sister to fire her IS. Chimney roughly the same height but she has a liner. Worked like a charm, clear as a bell.
Moms getting a liner soon. Her cat may get a vinegar bath also.

 

I'm at the very min in height but I did line my masonry chimney. I have another 4 ft section of class a I can add but I have to get a brace first. I'll give it a whirl

 

I started with about 23' of of 7x11 outside masonry chimney. So I put a liner in it. The stove pipe has a 90 elbow as does the T. Double wall stove pipe. It is a basement install so I am below the neutral pressure plane of the building (negative pressure). I had a bit of back draft.

So. ... yesterday I installed a 3ft double wall extension of class A.

So far this is the best improvement I have done! I have a much more robust fire, easier starts, and the smoke problem has gotten much better!

I am more comfortable with opening the door for loading. I don't get any smoke spillage anymore. However, I still get a slight whiff of burning wood occasionally (door open). This I am blaming on my negative pressure issue In the basement. That I am still working on. I believe the taller chimney is effectively winning the battle against my stack effect issues.

3ft made a big difference. If you are thinking of adding more stop thinking and get it done!

 

Great news! You're burning season is going to be much more enjoyable.

 

Brace is ordered. And I have the 4 ft extension ready whenever the brace shows up. I'm excited to reload with little to no smoke spillage

 

At 25' of insulated SS chimney within a masonry liner I have always had good luck with draft and cold startups, I feel fortunate to have it, not everyone does.

JA600L , congrats Jeff on the extension, what a difference

chance04 , good luck finishing up your 4' extension.

 

Has anybody tried running this stove with the air fully shut? With my chimney addition I thought I would test and see what it does. I had about 1300 degrees on the cat and 600 degrees stove top going on 3/4 load mixed woods. So I tried closing the air completely. It maintained those temperatures with a slow drop off. The cat stayed red and there was no visible smoke. Very interesting......

 

Thats the way I run mine & it does real good. Burns all nite & the next day till 3 or 4 pm. I don't think I'll be able to run mine past 1/4 throttle until it gets down around 0* I love it! Bring on the cold weather.

 

I like the idea as long as it doesn't stall. Do you typically run the stove hot for a while before closing it off completely?

 

Yes I'll let the cat get 700* or so & then just slam it shut & it's off to the races. Then it will slowly climb to 11-1200 & sit there for a long time & the box will pretty much go black, But man that stove will pump the heat for sure. The next morning the cat will be down 6-700*. I am fortunate to have some very good wood also, white oak & hickory 3 yrs seasoned. Haven't even used any hedge yet. Works out good for me when the cat gets down 500 I'll bypass it & crank the air up & burn down the coals.

 

Sounds like some major wood savings there! That thing must go a long time at that setting with those dense woods. Does your glass get coated pretty bad?