# Hot metal smell??



## djembeplay (Mar 21, 2008)

Hey everyone,

I just discovered this forum exists.  I'm glad I found it as I have had something on my mind that has bothered me for about 4 months now.  

My wife and I moved into a log home rental with a 1977 Vigilant wood stove.  It works fine and all... but when it reaches about 400 degrees it begins to emit sort of a hot metal smell.  This is my first experience living with a wood stove, so I am not sure if this is a normal occurance or not.  I asked my landlord about it... to which he replied that it was the new paint he had sprayed on it just before we moved in.  He also didn't seem very concerned about it...

Is this a health risk??!?

To elaborate, usually it only smells slightly (more-so upstairs) and on occassion the smell is more potent.  A more potent smell seemingly correlates with a hotter burn temperature (500-600 degrees = I would rather live in a tent outside).

Anyways... I dont have the time to deal with anything too intensive, so... if this is indeed a health risk of any kind or an abnormal smell... I just assume move out to an apartment with good ol' wallet-busting gas heating at this point... 

Thanks everyone.


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## savageactor7 (Mar 21, 2008)

I would think at 500-600* the smell should be gone after a few days at the most...did you recently replace the flue pipe?

 If so that should also take a few days to burn off. If you know a neighbor that burns wood stop by and introduce yourself maybe they can help troubleshoot the problem...you should not be smelling hot metal in a stove that's broken in like yours is.

Just say'en because you do smell hot metal I'm pretty sure you're NOT in immediate danger so don't worry, but it is worth investigating further, if everything is up to code. some people are just more sensitive to smells than others...not that there is anything wrong with that.

edit to add ...PS new paint would emit an unplesent oder to some but that should go away after 2 days at the very most and ...

...yes welcome to the forum.


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## Backwoods Savage (Mar 21, 2008)

Soon it will turn warmer outdoors ( I hope ) and you can then open some windows while you build a hot fire or two and then it should go away. Healthwise I doubt there is anything that will do harm unless the smoke gets thick. You might though want to check on what the guy used for paint. Was it high temperature paint? If not, it should have been.

When a stove is new and even new stove pipe, you will get this smell. For example, we installed a new stove this last summer. On the first cool day we had in the fall we started a fire....but used only kindling. We just let the kindling burn and go out. Then we did it a second time but used a little more wood. The third time we built a normal fire and brought the temperature up to about 400. Each time there was a little smell but we just cracked a window near the stove and it went away. However, the black stove pipe took a little longer and we almost replaced it but the smell finally went away after several hot fires. We never did see any smoke though; only had the odor.

So I'd check to see what the guy used for paint. If it was the right stuff, the smell should be gone by now for sure and I hope you can run the stove over 400 degrees else you have had to run a furnace also.


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## Backwoods Savage (Mar 21, 2008)

By the way, T, welcome to the forum.


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## djembeplay (Mar 21, 2008)

I'm not sure if the landlord recently replaced it before we moved in or not.

Hmm... I don't know what's going on then... I have been burning just about every day almost all day all winter here...

It's weird... the smell is like a hot curling iron.  I am indeed someone who is particularly smell sensitive though...

So normally there isn't even a trace of an odor at all?

To give the most non-scientific sense of smell-potency ever, usually this can be masked by a scented candle...


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## djembeplay (Mar 21, 2008)

Thanks for the welcome!

I wanted to add that I have burned it above 400 or even 450 quit a bit at this point... but the smell only seems to be the same if not worse...

I'm a non-smoker and have always been really smell sensative though... so I'm really not sure where the border is of obsession and a real problem... hmm, tough call.


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## djembeplay (Mar 21, 2008)

Oh, and there is no visible smoke at all...


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## savageactor7 (Mar 21, 2008)

^ it could be then it's just you, what does your partner say? If you're not use to a wood fire it is a little different till you get use to it. 

PS My recommendation is to burn less wood hotter while your awake....OK I just checked out you're last comment...sounds like your burning hot enough.


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## jtp10181 (Mar 22, 2008)

Find out what kind of paint he used


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## djembeplay (Mar 22, 2008)

So there is a slight metalic odor normally?  I will find out about the paint...

My wife doesn't smell it as much... I think I am hypersensative.... especially after being inside all winter.

What about having an older stove?  Did they use quality metal??  Anyone know about the quality of old Vigilant stoves particularly?

Thanks.


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## webbie (Mar 22, 2008)

My guess is that it is mostly burning dust!

Make sure the underneath and all areas of the stove  - including between heat shield and the stove, etc. are VERY clean. A air cleaner in the room may also help.

It is not the metal itself, although I know the odor smells like that. It is usually dust.


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## log-on (Mar 22, 2008)

I don't know but when my old Fisher hits about 500 it smells like hot metal just like you say
It always has. I never thought about the dust, could be, but anyhow don't worry, We are still alive and we sleep 10' away from it. cough , cough ,,hack....
Anyhow it's about to be scrapped. Looking at a Quadrafire 3100.


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## Carl (Mar 22, 2008)

I have to agree with Craig. Whenever we start a fire after not having one for a few days we also get a slight smell. It is dust which has collected on the stove top and chimney burning off. No big problem for us. Usually I do dust, clean the exterior of the appliance before fireing up for the first time of the season.

Log On, I don't think you will go wrong with your Quadafire. We have used one in our Beaver Island house for 10 or so years and love it. Just purchased another(yosmite) for our house here which we heat part time with. Took out a Joutol F3 which we are trying to sell. The joutol is a great stove but got the bug to update. We used it for 18 years.


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## djembeplay (Mar 22, 2008)

oh DUST  That's genious!  Thank you so much for the insight...  I don't know if I would have ever thought of that one.  That's probobly it b/c this thing is realllly dusty and I never thought to clean it.  If I blow on it or even create a small draft when I'm building a fire it's enough to kick up a flowing river of dust from the stove... which is especially noticable in the sunlight.

Ah, what a good feeling when you find out your problem/solution is so small and easy.

Thanks again.


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