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Across the Fence:  Smoke from Woodburning Stoves  |
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sondrak
Farmgirl in Training
33 Posts
Sondra
Colorado Springs
CO
USA
33 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 27 2011 : 7:40:36 PM
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Is it possible to start a fire in a woodburning stove without filling the room up with smoke at first? If so how?
I’m originally from a warm part of Texas. I have zero experience with wood burning stoves. I had always considered fireplaces as a decorative item. Not a source of heat. Now that I’m in Colorado, I have a new outlook on fireplaces and wood burning stoves. I’ve fallen in love with the wood burning stove that came with my house. Well, except for the smoke for the first 5 minutes or so when I light the fire.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the girl.
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melody
True Blue Farmgirl
3319 Posts
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
3319 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2011 : 8:02:04 PM
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Geez...something up with the "damper?"
Melody
Farmgirl #525 |
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YakLady
True Blue Farmgirl
652 Posts
Natalie
Montana
USA
652 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2011 : 04:47:58 AM
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Your stove shouldn't be smoking you out just because the door is open when you're first getting it going... I would check to make sure everything is cleaned properly (possibly professionally if you're very new to the wood stoves) and functional. Ours only gets it a little smokey in here when we run it open to warm the house up quick once it's going really hot. Wood stoves are dirty, but they shouldn't be *that* bad.
Good luck!
~Natalie~ Just a farmgirl in Western Montana. http://mtnme.blogspot.com
Starting a family and raising Tibetan Yaks, Nigerian Dwarf Goats, Laying hens, Muscovy ducks, and a few dogs. |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4196 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4196 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2011 : 05:07:49 AM
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make sure the pipes and chimney are clean. Open up the ash door, and don't leave the door open that you put wood in through. Smoke will come out if you leave it open.
Just a thought.
Michele |
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nut4fabric
True Blue Farmgirl
885 Posts
Kathy
Morgan Hill
CA
USA
885 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2011 : 06:22:39 AM
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Sounds crazy but warm the flue by putting a piece of lit newspaper in before starting the fire. For some reason they draw better if the flue is warm.
Kathy |
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sondrak
Farmgirl in Training
33 Posts
Sondra
Colorado Springs
CO
USA
33 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2011 : 1:56:23 PM
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Hmmm. Thank you all for the suggestions.
Melody, I've "played" around with damper to make sure that I can tell the difference between open and shut. After I did that, I have made sure that it was in the most open position.
Natalie, a professional cleaning does sound like a good idea. While they are cleaning, I can watch and see how it's done. And....it smokes seeps out ever possible crack until the fire really gets going not just when the door is open. Once it warms up, it seems to be fine.
Michele, I guess I'd better figure out what the ash door is.
Kathy, I'll try the newspaper in the flue idea tonight. You are right, it sounds crazy but I don't seem to have the problem once the fire is really going.
You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the girl.
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YakLady
True Blue Farmgirl
652 Posts
Natalie
Montana
USA
652 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2011 : 7:25:16 PM
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The stove shouldn't have cracks that smoke can escape from... your stove may actually require some fix-up work :(
~Natalie~ Just a farmgirl in Western Montana. http://mtnme.blogspot.com
Starting a family and raising Tibetan Yaks, Nigerian Dwarf Goats, Laying hens, Muscovy ducks, and a few dogs. |
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smiley
True Blue Farmgirl
650 Posts
lea
pea ridge
arkansas
USA
650 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2011 : 3:46:05 PM
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| We love our wood stove. I dont think there is any heat like wood heat. |
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queenmushroom
True Blue Farmgirl
985 Posts
Lorena
Centerville
Me
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2011 : 4:32:26 PM
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Your chimney should be checked in the fall and 2 or 3 times in the winter. If you are burning green or wet (not dry) wood, the creosote build up will be worse than with dry wood. If you have to burn some green, make sure you start your fire with dry wood first. When the chimney is warm add a piece of green with your dry. Also, opening up the door to the ash tray first with an open flu will lessen the wood smoke. If you have cracks in your wood stove, then you need a new one. Can we say carbon monoxide poisoning? We have that same problem with ours (cracks) we fill in the cracks with chimney cement. Make sure the stove is cold first and don't start it until the cement is set. But replacing it is on our to do list. If it feels like your damper is spinning round and round in the chimney pipe then the damper is not open. Turn the handle slowly and you can feel it pick up the damper. Once it's open, don't move it.
Hope this helps.
Lorie |
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sondrak
Farmgirl in Training
33 Posts
Sondra
Colorado Springs
CO
USA
33 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2011 : 2:27:11 PM
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I'm learning so much from you all. Thank you!
It sounds like I need to get someone (a professional) to check it out for me this week after payday. The cracks are around the doors mainly and a few screw type of things on the pipe leading out of the stove. Once the fire is going good, I haven't noticed the smoke coming from those places.
This stove looks to be a newer type of stove, so I'm wondering if it maybe wasn't set up correctly. The people before me was burning old lumber with nails in it, so maybe they messed something up. To me, it seems very very unsafe to even risk breathing burning paint or treated lumber.
I'm going to go check out the damper handle just to make certain. It's been warmer this weekend, so I haven't tried to use it. I'll also remember the advice about the green wood.
Thanks again.
You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the girl.
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2011 : 3:47:03 PM
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NEVER EVER BURN TREATED OR PAINTED WOOD, it will kill you!!!!If you go to the kitchen section, there is alot of excellant advice regarding wood burning stoves...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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sondrak
Farmgirl in Training
33 Posts
Sondra
Colorado Springs
CO
USA
33 Posts |
Posted - Nov 06 2011 : 10:38:47 AM
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Tina,
I'll check out the kitchen section. And thanks for re-affirming my belief that it just didn't sound very safe to be burning treated or burned wood.
You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the girl.
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Nov 06 2011 : 2:26:41 PM
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Start to save your $$ and research water stoves. Move the mess outside!
Until then, maybe crack to door first to "prime" the smoke and get a flame going before fully opening the door.
We battled this problem for YEARS! Turns out the thimble (something in the flu pipe that connects chimney to stove I think) was one size and the chimney was a different size, so drawing smoke out was a constant problem.
Sometimes we had smoke to come ROLLING into the house and would have to open the front door for a while. Kind of defeats the purpose of heating a home and having a smoke alarm.
(The final straw was when my husband got tired of smelling like a camp fire when he did not necessairly want to. I got tired of sweeping up wood pieces and ants when they warmed up and started to crawl around) We had seen water stove demos at the state fair and were pretty well versed in how they worked. So we sent out a few feelers and found an old lady who wanted to get rid of hers for about 300.00. We used that one for about 8 years and finally had to break down and buy a completely new one 2 years ago. They retail for about 5,000. Taylor Water Stoves and Wood Master and the two you may see in some of the Countryside Living type magazines. Around us in Mt. Airy, NC Hick's Water Stoves will custom build.) |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Nov 06 2011 : 2:33:13 PM
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and, no- we aren't rich by any means. I took out a personal loan via the credit union and am still paying it back in small bits. the old waterstove sprung a leak , so it had to be replaced
If they go unused and sit-it's a bad thing. So the old ladies whose husbands pass and they can't find a reliable wood source or aren't able to chop wood themselves, they let the thing sit in their garages or outbuildings |
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homsteddinmom
True Blue Farmgirl
441 Posts
Brandee
bullard
tx
USA
441 Posts |
Posted - Nov 08 2011 : 09:24:48 AM
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Also maybe your chimney isnt tall enough. They have to be a certain higheth for them to draw correctly over your roof. Also i do know if the wind is blowing hard it does sometimes blow back down the chimney.
Homesteading Mom in East Texas. Raising chickens, Rabbits and goats here on my farm! |
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Across the Fence: Smoke from Woodburning Stoves |
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Smoke from Woodburning Stoves
