Dumb Woodstove Question

[Peacock]

This is our first year with a fireplace insert. Please pardon my ignorance!

It's got a catalyst, so I'm supposed to be able to close the flue and air intake knob completely (still has 2 air intake vents) once it gets started up really good, so most of the heat stays in the stove and gets blown into the room instead of going up the chimney. This worked fine till recently. Now, when I do this, the fire dies down and eventually goes out.

Does this indicate a need for chimney cleaning, the catalyst not working properly, or something else I need to worry about and fix?

Thanks!!!

[haypoint]

sounds like the catalist is plugged with cresote. Can you get to the catalist to view the openings in it?

[ricky]

clean the pipe and most likely the cap sounds like a bad draft to me.

[blue gecko]

Ours does that periodically over the course of the winter. Let it go COLD, then empty all the ashes and vacuum thoroughly. Use a shop vac and empty it immediately after vacuuming.

What kind of wood have you been burning?

When you start it up burn a really good hot fire one evening. Keep a bag of ice in the freezer just in case you get a flue fire (but unless you've been burning pine it's not likely). If you get a flue fire toss the ice on the fire, the steam will douse the fire.