MontanaMan
ArboristSite Operative
Hey ... I'm new to this forum -- never heated with wood before this winter.
I just bought a log home here in Montana with a "Blaze King" woodstove in the basement. When I first started using the stove this winter, it wouldn't smoke at all ... had a great draw. I could open the door to put in more wood and no smoke came out.
This is an air-tight stove with a built in catalyst (probably old), and an air control knob, plus the two blowers.
After a while, it got more and more smokey. Now, it's starting to drip black goo down the stove pipe.
One more piece of info ... here in Montana, we only have softwoods; fir, pine and larch.
So ... obviously I need to clean the inside of the pipe ... how can I do that? If I brush it down from the roof, how can I get past the butterfly valve in the flue (just above the stove)?
Also ... do you think that the goo buildup in the pipe is causing the stove to not draw well?
How can I make it draw better? Should I run it with the flue damper all the way open and rely on the air control knob? That's what I've been doing. Or should I damp the flue a bit also?
Thanks!!
Here are some pics:
Thanks for any help you can provide.
I just bought a log home here in Montana with a "Blaze King" woodstove in the basement. When I first started using the stove this winter, it wouldn't smoke at all ... had a great draw. I could open the door to put in more wood and no smoke came out.
This is an air-tight stove with a built in catalyst (probably old), and an air control knob, plus the two blowers.
After a while, it got more and more smokey. Now, it's starting to drip black goo down the stove pipe.
One more piece of info ... here in Montana, we only have softwoods; fir, pine and larch.
So ... obviously I need to clean the inside of the pipe ... how can I do that? If I brush it down from the roof, how can I get past the butterfly valve in the flue (just above the stove)?
Also ... do you think that the goo buildup in the pipe is causing the stove to not draw well?
How can I make it draw better? Should I run it with the flue damper all the way open and rely on the air control knob? That's what I've been doing. Or should I damp the flue a bit also?
Thanks!!
Here are some pics:
Thanks for any help you can provide.
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