kimh
Well-Known Member
that's Mrs Stingercargill sorted as well then
Wood burning stove
- Thread starter Stingercargill
- Start date
that's Mrs Stingercargill sorted as well then
mollydog
Well-Known Member
it could well be a dirty flue we don't know what's
been burned in the fire .
I don't think its very likely after only 4 months.
I had a villager in my old house. It was the only source of heating in the house and I kept it going day and night non-stop in cold weather. The longest I kept it alight was 6 weeks and I sometimes left an iron casserole dish on top slow cooking all day. To keep them going like that you have to keep them shut right down and just ticking over and if you do that for any length of time, no matter how well seasoned your wood they will tar up, especially round the damper flap. I used tar abater powder at least three times a week and swept the flue two or even three times during cold winters and the damper flap had to be cleaned about once a month. In summer I'd service the stove by cleaning and resealing all the joints with fresh cement and replacing the fire ropes on the doors.
Villagers are quite old fashioned. None of this fancy air wash stuff so you can see nice jolly flames all the time. If you keep them closed down the glass doors will black up and the damper will get clogged. But they are incredibly efficient. With very dense wood like laurel or holly I've kept mine going 24 hours without adding another log.
But if you really use them seriously don't expect them to be maintenance free. And its imperative you burn decent wood and use tar abater regularly. (Renders tar deposits brittle and flaky so it is easily removed when the flue is swept. Does NOT remove the need to sweep. And the flaky tar is very flammable so the powder is an aid to sweeping, not a substitute). Use them and look after them properly and they'll keep you warm for next to nothing for a lifetime.
Villagers are quite old fashioned. None of this fancy air wash stuff so you can see nice jolly flames all the time. If you keep them closed down the glass doors will black up and the damper will get clogged. But they are incredibly efficient. With very dense wood like laurel or holly I've kept mine going 24 hours without adding another log.
But if you really use them seriously don't expect them to be maintenance free. And its imperative you burn decent wood and use tar abater regularly. (Renders tar deposits brittle and flaky so it is easily removed when the flue is swept. Does NOT remove the need to sweep. And the flaky tar is very flammable so the powder is an aid to sweeping, not a substitute). Use them and look after them properly and they'll keep you warm for next to nothing for a lifetime.
weeman
Well-Known Member
It seems strange it was fine when installed too now. Yeh wind directions have an effect but not like this. My liner is about 5 metres only time I ever have a draft problem is when cleaning. I'm no expert but you shouln't have to open doors internally to get things going all should be controlled by the stove it's self. It shouldn't need cleaning either I burn approx 0.5 tonne a year of coal and approx 18 of the builders cubic bags from September to April roughly doesn't need cleaning bu You may need a different cowl installing. Try sweeping it your self see where the rods stop.
Like said it was fine when started in September so really can'tt I do for piece of mind. see it being a cold liner if the smoke is coming back needs surely to be the line/stack or cowl.
Like said I'm no expert.
Like said it was fine when started in September so really can'tt I do for piece of mind. see it being a cold liner if the smoke is coming back needs surely to be the line/stack or cowl.
Like said I'm no expert.
kimh
Well-Known Member
there you go, small print in the purchase agreement, the details above sound right.
we have been talking generally on here from experience this guy is talking specific to your burner
I'm not sure about the change in temperature, but years ago I lived in a very old thatched house with a large hearth fire, when the air pressure was low it smoked like hell.
howa243
Well-Known Member
Clearly I don't know what the problem is with yours but I have two and one regularly does this. It is definitely linked to the cold weather and there not being any draw at all. I only light very dry kindling to start it. As soon as the heat is drawing up the chimney it is fine.
Stove chimney sweep is coming Monday. It has been on all the time since September. It was all seasoned wood I burnt up until the river earn burst it's banks and scattered my firewood for about three miles.. Bought (seasoned)logs from local chap but got a moisture detector yesterday and the wood is reading about 30 -35 % moisture and some was of the scale.
kimh
Well-Known Member
moisture weight lock then, as the boyz say then, dry heat first up the stak will help
Should go without saying that stainless steel flexi-liners must be lagged. Otherwise they become chilled, especially at the top where they pass through the chimney stack and tar deposits will solidify too quickly before they can run back down the flue to be burned up and they become set into a dense rubbery coating like fat in an artery which cannot be removed by sweeping. The void between the liner and the pot above the top plate must be stuffed with insulation and pointed in as well or you'll get the same chilling problems there and the top of the pot will gradually choke up.
None of that should have happened in the time the OP has had the stove but if the liner isn't properly lagged the cold-smoking effect will be much worse.
None of that should have happened in the time the OP has had the stove but if the liner isn't properly lagged the cold-smoking effect will be much worse.
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Thats why Im questioning the installation (Ive fitted around 30 stoves in my time)
Chances are this is your problem. The flue gradually blocks up until it reaches a critical point and you just can not get enough flow up the flue. Happens fairly often on my stove which is worked in the same manner as above. It is my only source of heating. I find that while the weather is cold enough for a fire it only needs to be a slow one in the autum early winter. My wood is 2-3 years dried and normally winter felled so plenty dry enough. (don't bother to try and tell me about logs I used to sell 200 tonnes a year, and have only ever had wood as my heating) but I still get flakey tar deposits up the flue. I probably sweep mine once every 2 months through the winter. But then my fire is on 24/7. It takes minutes to sweep the flue so worth doing just to illiminate any problem there. If very little soot comes out, have a look in the flue and check to see if is got a lining of shiny tar in the flue, especially at the top where the cold wind cools the top and makes the tar form. Won't come out with a rush and will need knocking out. Remember don't run it if it's smoking in the room else you might wake up dead.
Lets hope the sweep can fix it. use dry wood half the moisture content you had and sweep regularly 6-8months
We have a 15 year old Villager Chelsea Duo and it does have an air wash system which keeps the glass clear, and does it very well....just saying...
The only time I have seen any smoke was when lighting it, and I would agree that warming the flue with a paper burn is a good starting point.
Certainly get the flue checked though, especially if you have been burning damp and tarry wood when the fire is damped down.
We have ours in an unlined stone flue which has been swept once in fifteen years...6 months ago...the sweep told us we were risking death and the end of civilisation as we know it...until he found that he had only cleared a quarter of his vacuum cleaner tub out. I do check it every summer and we burn dry wood, or if the wood is a bit heavier than it should be I don't try and keep the thing in overnight, just keep it drawing and burning clean.
Alan
Ours just put in & same
I need to get more more height for mine , see how that goes , I also bought an anti downdraft cowl to help ....
Getting the flue warm/ hot is fine but doesn't help when the fire is burning down & starting to cool & coukdget the same thing happening .
Carbon monoxide monitor a must in my opinion
Paul
I need to get more more height for mine , see how that goes , I also bought an anti downdraft cowl to help ....
Getting the flue warm/ hot is fine but doesn't help when the fire is burning down & starting to cool & coukdget the same thing happening .
Carbon monoxide monitor a must in my opinion
Paul
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Bavarianbrit
Well-Known Member
We also only light newspaper bundled up with very dry kindling to start it. And as soon as the heat is drawing up the chimney it is fine.
Here in Germany the law requires you to have the chimneys regularly swept/serviced around 4 times per year due to many chimney fires happening over the centuries and we had a designated sweep from the council for our area (we had to use him as no others were allowed to compete with him, now the law has changed and we can choose our sweep but have kept the old one because they do a full apprenticeship. Not like in the UK where you can buy a white van and then off you go as a quote professional).
Was the chimney serviced before the unit was fitted?
Martin
Here in Germany the law requires you to have the chimneys regularly swept/serviced around 4 times per year due to many chimney fires happening over the centuries and we had a designated sweep from the council for our area (we had to use him as no others were allowed to compete with him, now the law has changed and we can choose our sweep but have kept the old one because they do a full apprenticeship. Not like in the UK where you can buy a white van and then off you go as a quote professional).
Was the chimney serviced before the unit was fitted?
Martin
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