Tar in your flue

[Big J]

I've come to the conclusion that most people just can't effectively operate stoves. Our friends very kindly housesat (and dog looked after) whilst we were away and despite careful instruction, struggled to keep the house warm with our stove. Within a few hours of us being home, the temperature was up 5 celcius and the stove was happy again. Interestingly though, there was noticeable 'soot fall' from the flue when I got it back up to temperature again (towards the top of the ideal operating temperature range - always use the flue thermometer and don't know how people operate stoves without them). This indicated that it was running quite cold for much of the time.

 

Similarly, another friend popped over the other week and popped a few logs on the fire. Failed to open any vents or check the fire and put it out, which was quite incredible considering she has been operating fires for about 60 years. She's unable to use her stove without coal though, which I've determined acts as a sort of fail safe in case of poor operation.

 

Education on correct stove operation seems to be lacking. I do think that with education we'd use half as much wood and be twice as warm.

 

Jonathan

[matthawh1966]

Same, i use to burn just syc, and ash but now if its well seasoned i put most woods on and all different shapes and sizes, makes it more interesting . And it all burns much the same.

[Alycidon]

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Education on correct stove operation seems to be lacking. I do think that with education we'd use half as much wood and be twice as warm.

 

Jonathan

 

 

Agreed, I send out an 8 page document I write myself on using a new stove as all have their slight differences. Got called in to look at one we installed in the summer last night, customer complaining fire is burning but he he has no heat coming out of it.

 

Homeowner is shoving Eucalyptus and other garden shrub type timbers on it un split and all pretty recently felled.

 

Black glass as well so no secondary air being used. Cleaned it up, lit it up and piled some nice dry Ash and Syc on it and away it went.

 

And thats after he has had a six page document on the ins and out of firewood.

 

I size all my stoves on their maximum heat output, that ensures customers have to work them hard all the while, so no tars, good flame patterns and comfortably warm not roasting.

 

A

[Joy Yeomans]

religously sweep our chimney every year the problem i find through summer months when not lit is jackdaws nesting on top stopping draught.

burning two year old poplar and its the best wood ive ever used. it lasts ,very little soot and upto temp almost instantly i however cant sell it as as its been kep two years the bark has sloughed off and the logs look dirty. we are finding more people wanting clean looking logs

joy

 

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[nepia]

i however cant sell it as as its been kep two years the bark has sloughed off and the logs look dirty. we are finding more people wanting clean looking logs

joy

 

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Sssh! I try to age my logs so they grey, then I can prove how old they are.

[nepia]

Nothing wrong with soft wood if its seasoned and dry

 

 

My sentiments entirely: I just wondered why 'sparrow holds his sentiment towards softwood.

[Joy Yeomans]

nothing wrong in burning seasoned softwood we have for over 13 years no probs and regularly swept our chimney

 

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