I've been running the stove pretty steady for the past 2 months. Over the past 2 weeks, I noticed that it wasn't burning quite right. It would also let out a lot of smoke when I would open it up to add wood. The past 3 burns, things got a fair bit worse, and I just shut it down for a few days. On the last few burns, when first lighting and getting it going, I would get a smoke smell even with the door closed. I kind of figured that something was going on with the chimney, but I couldn't see it being plugged with creosote. I generally run things pretty hot, and my wood is good and dry. This time of year, I go to work in the dark and get home in the dark, and I wasn't too keen on climbing up there to inspect things. FINALLY, I was able to sneak off work a bit early today. I didn't even go in the house. I just pulled out the ladder and headed for the roof. That's when I had the "well THERE'S yer PROBLEM" moment. LOL. I put that screen on there 8 years ago when I installed the chimney and my original non-epa stove. I've never had to clean it before, and this fall when I installed the new stove (Englander 30NC) it was fine when I got up there to inspect everything. Today....95% plugged solid with fluffy black soot. It wasn't oily at all...just at bunch of black fluff. There was some build up on the top 2" of stove pipe as well. I ran my cleaning brush full length, and got almost nothing out of it. The screen is now in the garbage, and the cap is free flowing again. If a bird gets in there...which is doubtful..but...too bad for birdie. Anyway.......I just put the fire on, and she's drafting light a freight train again. The moral of the story...if something doesn't seem right, don't ignore it. Just knuckle down and figure it out.
I do not have a screen in mine either. During the summer months I do get a bird in there once in awhile. Yours was sure plugged up.
During burn time, I don't have any cap. I put the cap on after we stop burning for the summer. Stove burns much better w/out it and doesn't need to be cleaned as often.
That happened to me every year when I had the BK princess no matter how dry the wood was and I seasoned it for 3 years. Hasn't happened yet with my PH yet but I do check it before the snow flies just in case so I don't have to go up on the roof with ice and snow.
Neighbor at the lake had his plugged up also. But, different burning habits and wood prep going on there.
Those type of caps, with hardware cloth are perhaps the worst for plugging. It can be helped by cutting out every other square but that wire will still tend to get crap on it and once it gets started... If it can be reached, you can take something and just tap on it and the gunk will fall off. We had one and simply used the wire brush. Standing on the ground we'd just reach up and gently tap it and the crap would fall. It's been a long time now since we've had that type of cap and will be a long time before we get another.
My roof/chimney are extremely easy to access as it's the lower part of a split level house which technically I could access from my bedroom window. With it being that easy I just check it every month. All the horror stories of not keeping up with even just the chimney cap and top of chimney have scared me into keeping up with it, but my T5 seems to burn pretty clean.
