cough! Smoke cough!

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.

kwheat

Member
Hearth Supporter
Nov 25, 2005
7
I tried to start a flash fire today in our Napoleon stove and had smoke billowing out everywhere. The wind is very high today 25-35mph and the temp outside is about 60 and the inside was 66. Just wanted to take the chill off real quick. Once it started smoking I had a hard time getting the smoke to draft out, in fact it never did, I brought in a big tub and pulled all the smoldering wood out. Did I have some sort of negative draft? What do I watch out for next time? cough, cough!
 
If i understand from a previous thread, there wasnt enough differential temps to get a good draft. If the inside of the flue is almost the same temp as the outside you wont get lift.
 
I miss smoking ....33 years of Camels , it has been a year so far and smoke free. Just maybe the tuffest thing I ever did.

Oh we are talking wood smoke. ;)
 
kwheat said:
Did I have some sort of negative draft? What do I watch out for next time? cough, cough!

Probably a negative draft. Very common if your stove is in the basement, exterior masonry chimney, etc.

I've had luck opening a window near to the stove (in my basement) for about 15 - 30 seconds, to reverse a draft (get it going up) just prior to starting a new fire. At that high of an outside temperature, it might be hard to get things going up, though. Unless you have a mighty good chimney. You might want to test with something that smells better than wood smoke to see if you've succeeded. Try some incense or a candle to see which way the (chimney) wind is blowing before lighting your kindling.

Smoke sucks when chimneys don't!
 
Does anyone know a good way to get rid of or neutralize that smoke smell? Occasionally I accidently let a puff out and even if I open a window immediately it seems to linger for a day or so.
 
Marcus, with proper draft you shoudnt have any smoke smell. I know that didnt answer you question, but i suspect a ozone generator would fix the smell.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.