# pellet stove smell



## jlupi (Sep 27, 2012)

I dont know if there is anything that can be done.  I installed my Quad castile (no oak) and it works beutifully.  However after letting it burn a little over the weekend my wife and he super sniffer says it smells "like a fireplace" during the week when not running. I did do a mild cleaning afterwards getting rid of whatever little ash was in the fire box.  Maybe this is just the smell that will go long w a wood burning apliance.  All gaskets look good.  Would an oak help?

No smell when running..


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## AbetterChimneynm (Sep 27, 2012)

Did you install it into a fireplace? If you are smelling the "Fireplace" smell only on start up i would have to say you have a vent pipe leaking (as for the most part the stove only smokes on start up) next time you fire up your stove do so in a dark room with a flash light and shine the light all around the pipe if there is a leak this is the best way to find it imo


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## jlupi (Sep 27, 2012)

No its freestanding and get the smell only when its "cold"


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## AbetterChimneynm (Sep 27, 2012)

"Cold" meaning when it first starts up before the fire is going?


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## jlupi (Sep 27, 2012)

AbetterChimneynm said:


> "Cold" meaning when it first starts up before the fire is going?


 
no,  cold as in sitting idel or unplugged. LOL

It is used and was very clean but was fired up for test when i baught it. She did not complain when it was sitting there before hookup and my first burn.


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## AbetterChimneynm (Sep 27, 2012)

That is odd, If it was just on start up i would say it is leaking pipe hmmm


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## slls (Sep 27, 2012)

jlupi said:


> no, cold as in sitting idel or unplugged. LOL
> 
> It is used and was very clean but was fired up for test when i baught it. She did not complain when it was sitting there before hookup and my first burn.


 
Ash odors will leak out when cold, air wash is one place.


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## sante fe (Sep 27, 2012)

You could try the flashlight test at start up just to make sure?Sounds like some how you are getting negative pressure in the house causing a back draft.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Sep 27, 2012)

Check to see if any ash has fallen out of the fire box and onto the hearth.

Also could you tell us your venting setup and if the vent is into the prevailing winds at your location.

A good strong gust or if the stove isn't running a steady breeze can cause issues including smell (just like a back draft in a fire place chimney with no fire).


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## jlupi (Sep 27, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Check to see if any ash has fallen out of the fire box and onto the hearth.
> 
> Also could you tell us your venting setup and if the vent is into the prevailing winds at your location.
> 
> A good strong gust or if the stove isn't running a steady breeze can cause issues including smell (just like a back draft in a fire place chimney with no fire).


 
direct vent, north side


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## DexterDay (Sep 27, 2012)

Sounds like air is coming into the pellet vent and coming out the intake and/or air wash.... 

Before the OAK on my Quad, I noticed this also. OAK gives the pressure an outlet (if sealed a little).


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## TheMightyMoe (Sep 27, 2012)

Covering basics... Is this a new install? =0


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## jlupi (Sep 28, 2012)

yes


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## TheMightyMoe (Sep 28, 2012)

New installs have a very bad / oven smell the first time you run them. You have to fire cure the paint by running the unit. Many people run the oven on max for 2-3 hours to get most the smell burned away. I was paranoid of the smell the first time I ran mine, after running it for 5 hours, it no longer has a smell.

You are having the same problem it sounds like, open some windows, run a fan, and blast the unit for 3-4 hours, then see if you still have the fume problem.


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## jlupi (Sep 28, 2012)

TheMightyMoe said:


> New installs have a very bad / oven smell the first time you run them. You have to fire cure the paint by running the unit. Many people run the oven on max for 2-3 hours to get most the smell burned away. I was paranoid of the smell the first time I ran mine, after running it for 5 hours, it no longer has a smell.
> 
> You are having the same problem it sounds like, open some windows, run a fan, and blast the unit for 3-4 hours, then see if you still have the fume problem.


 

Im sorry. mis understood you.  Its a just installed used stove.


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## AbetterChimneynm (Sep 28, 2012)

If it is a used stove then you will not have the break in time of a new one


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## DexterDay (Sep 28, 2012)

Its also only when the stove is COLD and Not running. 




TheMightyMoe said:


> New installs have a very bad / oven smell the first time you run them. You have to fire cure the paint by running the unit. Many people run the oven on max for 2-3 hours to get most the smell burned away. I was paranoid of the smell the first time I ran mine, after running it for 5 hours, it no longer has a smell.
> 
> You are having the same problem it sounds like, open some windows, run a fan, and blast the unit for 3-4 hours, then see if you still have the fume problem.




I would unplug the stove and Plug up the Exhaust and Intake on the stove (intake as best as you can, its a Quad, so its not a sealed system/many leaks). This will stop air from entering the exhaust and coming out the intake. You dont have an OAK, so the air pressure that blows in your exhaust, is coming into the stove room. 

Other than putting an OAK on the stove, there is little you can do.

Are there lots of other "Air movers" in your home? ? Things like an Oven range hood, bathroom exhaust fan, clothes dryer, etc. The more negative pressure your home has, the more air that will he pulled through your pellet vent, ran through the stove, then pulled into the room the stove is in.

Pulling the vent will let stop it. But not a permanent solution. The OAK will help. Especially if you seal all the leaky points of the OAK system.  Making it as sealed of a system as you can.


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## Lousyweather (Sep 29, 2012)

get some potpourri


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## Snowy Rivers (Sep 29, 2012)

What you are getting is air coming in through the exhaust vent and then out through the air wash and the air inlet.

This is common and the tighter the house, the more prevalent the occurance.

Almost all houses have bathroom vents, and with a tight house, air will come in from someplace.
Our house has a fresh air vent in the roof that connects to a ballance valve in the furnace room to allow some fresh air to enter.

Your stove is alllowing a back flow when its off.  This is going to take some creative fiddling to stop it.

We get the "smell" once in a while when the wind really blows from the north, but not often due to the air mixer in the roof.

Snowy


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## smalltown (Sep 29, 2012)

Iv'e got the freestanding Quadrafire Castile myself and I have smelled that faint musty "fireplace" smell once in a while *only* when the stove is cold. It's not over powering, but once in a while if the stove is cold I might momentarily smell something. I would need to be passing by say within 10 feet to get a hint of something. 
I chalked it up to air moving  backwards through the cold stove by way of the exhaust when there is no fire and the outside air was moving just right. I do have an oak. 
My stove is running 24x7 now on a digital thermostat.

Dexter Day might be on to something about air movers. The next time I smell anything I check to see if the microwave exhaust is running.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Sep 29, 2012)

Now a question for you folks with the smoke smell with the stove off if it turns out that Dexter has nailed one of the reasons as being air movers in the house.

What does that say about the need to OAK your stove?


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## Countryboymo (Sep 30, 2012)

the OAK should pretty much equalize the pressure in the stove so no air is transferred into the house or very little which should minimize the inside smell.  With no outside air kit every time you open an outside door it will pull air through the stove to equalize pressure.  This is the best solution that I know.


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