BK Ashford smoke smell issue low draft theory

[blueguy]

Poindexter, where on the door is the joint in your door gasket and are the ends wrapped in anything?

 

[Calentarse]

I agree with Webby that you should bring your stove installation in compliance with what BK recommends. If that still does not solve your problem, then you have to decide to live with it or swap out the stove. All manufacturers have some situations where their stoves do not function properly in some situations. Good luck and hang in there.

I know I need to get the double wall installed in the house. It's inevitable. Gotta get in compliance with BK so I can start relying on them for advice. I just don't completely understand it right now when people with double wall are experiencing the same problems. Working on saving up the money now for it all.

Praying this fixes the issue so I don't need to pursue anything else. BKVP told me that stove temps will actually decrease as I increase my draft, which does make sense to me. The pipe will hold heat better and allow for cooler temps down below. I just don't want to have to swap my stove out. It was so much work getting it in the house, painted and hooked up. It's beautiful and I can't go through all that again. Just conjecture, but worst case scenario, maybe I'd be able to keep my painted top, sides and door and send them the steel stove if a swap is in order.

 

[Calentarse]

Calentarse - does your door gasket have a flat gasket "wrap" joining the ends?

Not really sure what you're asking, but here you go.

 

[Calentarse]

Good news. What brand double-wall pipe is this?

How many cords are burned between chimney cleanings?

I'm sorry, are you asking me or Poindexter? If me, I burn about half a cord between cleanings. I burn very little wood bc of my mild climate. Maybe 2 cords a year, never really measured, just guessing.

 

[Tenn Dave]

I know I need to get the double wall installed in the house. It's inevitable. Gotta get in compliance with BK so I can start relying on them for advice. I just don't completely understand it right now when people with double wall are experiencing the same problems. Working on saving up the money now for it all.

Praying this fixes the issue so I don't need to pursue anything else. BKVP told me that stove temps will actually decrease as I increase my draft, which does make sense to me. The pipe will hold heat better and allow for cooler temps down below. I just don't want to have to swap my stove out. It was so much work getting it in the house, painted and hooked up. It's beautiful and I can't go through all that again. Just conjecture, but worst case scenario, maybe I'd be able to keep my painted top, sides and door and send them the steel stove if a swap is in order.

We are all pulling for you. Good luck.

 

[blueguy]

Not really sure what you're asking, but here you go.

Your pics aren't working.

What I'm asking is, on your stove door, do the ends of the door gasket where they meet look like they're wrapped like in this pic (opposite from the latch, on the left side of the pic):

 

[alforit]

Why'd you get rid of your Chinook and Progress Hybrid?

What is the name of this sealant you speak of? Tell me, do you have double wall and what was your total chimney height?

Did you call BK at any point and inquire as to the problem? If so, what did they recommend?

The BK Chinook was a great stove. I didn't want to get rid of it but the dealer that I bought it from was unwilling to help with the smoke smell issue. .....The dealer told me that they couldn't do anything about it and if I didn't like it they would just give me my money back. The dealer was also in communication with Blaze King at the time that decision was made . So I just figured that nothing could be done about the smell and the dealer was not willing to do anything about it. Considering how well the stove performed , I was willing to overlook the smoke smell but felt the dealer was not on my side with any warranty issues and wouldn't be in the future so I felt it would be best to just get my money back and get out from underneath that dealer. The dealer was difficult to deal with.


I then purchased the Progress Hybrid from Woodstock (Which I had high hopes for) but had several issues with that stove. One of which was a safety issue......And unfortunately had to return it . If you want to read more on my experience do a search for : "Why buy anything except a blaze King ? " Post # 55


My chimney pipe is Duratech (DuraVent ) Height is 17 feet straight shot up . Stovepipe is double wall DVL ( DuraVent ) . My main stove pipe section is a telescoping piece and I do not seal the telescoping part. I don't think it needs it and would be messy to do it anyway.
The key part of sealing this pipe is where the pipe meets the stove flu.


The sealant is a Direct Vent Sealant.....it's made by Meeco. This is a new product they came out with last year. It can stand temps up to 1100 F and continuous operating temps of 900 F . it's sold mainly through commercial suppliers. I got it on Amazon .

 

[Poindexter]

Good news. What brand double-wall pipe is this?

How many cords are burned between chimney cleanings?

Fo - shizzle?

ICC Excell as far as I know, the good stuff with the lifetime warranty as long as I own the home. The chimney is for sure ICC/Excell, I think the DWSP is also.

I actually clean every cord, I get out about 1 teaspoon of shiny black bits mixed in 2/3 to 1 kitchen measuring cup fine grey/brown powder. I think if it was just me I could go three or four cords between cleaning without seriously changing my overall draft

 

[begreen]

Good to know info for other folks considering getting an Ashford.

 

[Highbeam]

Fo - shizzle?

ICC Excell as far as I know, the good stuff with the lifetime warranty as long as I own the home. The chimney is for sure ICC/Excell, I think the DWSP is also.

I actually clean every cord, I get out about 1 teaspoon of shiny black bits mixed in 2/3 to 1 kitchen measuring cup fine grey/brown powder. I think if it was just me I could go three or four cords between cleaning without seriously changing my overall draft

Also will be interesting to see how long your cat lasts at high outputs. We hear things like 12000 hours from the cat manufacturer and then 10 years from BK but what about low and slow vs. full blast?

 

[Calentarse]

Your pics aren't working.

What I'm asking is, on your stove door, do the ends of the door gasket where they meet look like they're wrapped like in this pic (opposite from the latch, on the left side of the pic):

Ohhhh! Ok, sorry. Little slow. My gasket appears to be all 1 piece!

 

[blueguy]

Can you take a close up pic of the gasket specifically in the area between the hinges?

 

[Calentarse]

The BK Chinook was a great stove. I didn't want to get rid of it but the dealer that I bought it from was unwilling to help with the smoke smell issue. .....The dealer told me that they couldn't do anything about it and if I didn't like it they would just give me my money back. The dealer was also in communication with Blaze King at the time that decision was made . So I just figured that nothing could be done about the smell and the dealer was not willing to do anything about it. Considering how well the stove performed , I was willing to overlook the smoke smell but felt the dealer was not on my side with any warranty issues and wouldn't be in the future so I felt it would be best to just get my money back and get out from underneath that dealer. The dealer was difficult to deal with.


I then purchased the Progress Hybrid from Woodstock (Which I had high hopes for) but had several issues with that stove. One of which was a safety issue......And unfortunately had to return it . If you want to read more on my experience do a search for : "Why buy anything except a blaze King ? " Post # 55


My chimney pipe is Duratech (DuraVent ) Height is 17 feet straight shot up . Stovepipe is double wall DVL ( DuraVent ) . My main stove pipe section is a telescoping piece and I do not seal the telescoping part. I don't think it needs it and would be messy to do it anyway.
The key part of sealing this pipe is where the pipe meets the stove flu.


The sealant is a Direct Vent Sealant.....it's made by Meeco. This is a new product they came out with last year. It can stand temps up to 1100 F and continuous operating temps of 900 F . it's sold mainly through commercial suppliers. I got it on Amazon .

Well this is encouraging and discouraging all in 1. On one hand you had double wall and 2' more chimney than I and still had the exact issue as me. On the other hand, you found a possible solution for me and thank you for that.

 

[Calentarse]

Can you take a close up pic of the gasket specifically in the area between the hinges?

 

[Calentarse]

This is from my experience only.

If the smell you are smelling is the "sweet" smell then it is coming from past the cat (already burnt fumes).
But if you are smelling a typical wood smoke (like from a fire pit) then it is coming from the fire box.
There is a distinct difference in the smell. In the fall when I am doing yard work, I can often smell the sweet smell and without looking at the pipe I can tell the cat is doing its job. The minute I smell the typical wood smell I know the cat has stalled!!

Once in a while I will get that sweet smell from around the flue collar (it is not sealed perfectly), but it only happens a couple of times in the season.

This is also very nice insight not aforementioned, thank you. Helps me consider it a little differently. Makes me hold out a little hope for double wall and working towards any and all possible improvements to draft that I can work out.

 

[Calentarse]

Over 500 on the outside of single wall is much too hot. That corresponds with 1000 degree flue gas temps. Compare that with 400 degree temps for me even with a cat probe much higher.

A half gallon of creo after three months seems high too.

Hey guys, so this high temp alert was alarming to me and I decided to make sure that gauge is right. Appears to be reading 100 degrees too hot. I also included photos of the rest of the inside of the run,middle and upper. Let me know your opinions...

 

[blueguy]

View attachment 154491

Thanks. Can you by any chance get in closer to the section right between the hinges? It looks like the gasket in this area is bunched out on the inside of the knife edge indent, and the outside appears blackened, at least in the pic.

 

[Calentarse]

Thanks. Can you by any chance get in closer to the section right between the hinges? It looks like the gasket in this area is bunched out on the inside of the knife edge indent, and the outside appears blackened, at least in the pic.

Is that any better at all? I don't understand your description about knife edge, but am interested and was highly suspicious of a gasket issue here since this is directly under where the odor escapes

 

[blueguy]

Is that any better at all? I don't understand your description about knife edge, but am interested and was highly suspicious of a gasket issue here since this is directly under where the odor escapes

A little further down? The area I'd like to specifically see looks to be about 4" above the bottom edge of the door.

 

[alforit]

Well this is encouraging and discouraging all in 1. On one hand you had double wall and 2' more chimney than I and still had the exact issue as me. On the other hand, you found a possible solution for me and thank you for that.

Welcome

 

[alforit]

I am interested too. Every little bit helps and we all know that the flue collar is not the strong point on the BKs.

Yeah , I remembered a post from you a year or so ago about you saying that the smoke smell on the BK could be coming from the flu collar....I kind of dismissed it because I couldn't see how that could be possible if it the smell was coming from the door......Well now I take that back .... I think you were right . Because after I sealed the stove pipe , especially around the flu collar , The smoke smell disappeared from around the door. Go figure . Heh

 

[Calentarse]

Yeah , I remembered a post from you a year or so ago about you saying that the smoke smell on the BK could be coming from the flu collar....I kind of dismissed it because I couldn't see how that could be possible if it the smell was coming from the door......Well now I take that back .... I think you were right . Because after I sealed the stove pipe , especially around the flu collar , The smoke smell disappeared from around the door. Go figure . Heh

I just don't understand how sealing that small area around the pipe solved a smoke smell from around the door.

Same situation tonight as last night, but mine definitely isn't coming from the back of the stove. Gotta be glass or door gasket leaking

 

[Calentarse]

A little further down? The area I'd like to specifically see looks to be about 4" above the bottom edge of the door.

Also, please see my previous post and discussion on this issue about that area of the gasket as well.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/blaze-king-ashford-door-gasket-glass.136392/

 

[rdust]

Stovepipe is double wall DVL ( DuraVent )

My pipe is Duravent DVL and after seeing how bad it's leaking the last time I cleaned it will be getting swapped out with Excel stuff before next season. I could see witness marks where air was leaking in on every connection. Some of the pieces are carry over from 2009 when I had my Lopi and I have to pull the pipe apart every time I clean so maybe the wear and tear over the years has worn the connections out. Either way I'm going to give the Excel stuff a try.

 

[rideau]

Poindexter: FYI, the stovepipe in the excel system is called UltraBlack, the chimney Excel.

rdust: My install is 11 years old; I've been very pleased with it. Take it apart every year for cleaning, no issue with wear. My cap has never had any creosote formation, any plugging of any sort, despite extreme climatic conditions. Cap and exterior pipe looks as if they were just installed.

ICC also has great customer service.