First fire fail smoked out my basement

[Welderman85]

Hello I just tried to have my first fire. The smoke didn't go up it came out of the ports on the stove. It's a avalon pedelton with a new flex liner its insulated and about 21 feet long. When I was doing the work I noticed the strong draw the flue had now it seems like its pushing air down instead of sucking it up. I was trying to lite it and it seem hungry for air then all the smoke came out insted of up. I let it go for a few minutes to see if anything would change but it didn't so I put it out. Also all wood is 20% or below

 

[begreen]

basement or bottom floor install?

 

[Welderman85]

basement or bottom floor install?

Basement with outside wall flue

 

[begreen]

Cold basement chimneys can be balky. Make sure no windows upstairs are cracked open. If there is an attic ceiling vent, make sure that is sealed. Make sure nothing is exhausting air from the house like a clothes dryer, kitchen or bath fan. Try taking a hair dryer and blowing it toward the flue outlet for a few minutes to establish draft. Test with a little burning newspaper to see if it is drawing then. Also, try cracking open a nearby basement window or door 1/2".

 

[Welderman85]

Cold basement chimneys can be balky. Make sure no windows upstairs are cracked open. If there is an attic ceiling vent, make sure that is sealed. Make sure nothing is exhausting air from the house like a clothes dryer, kitchen or bath fan. Try taking a hair dryer and blowing it toward the flue outlet for a few minutes to establish draft. Test with a little burning newspaper to see if it is drawing then. Also, try cracking open a nearby basement window or door 1/2".

It worked like a charm. I put some small splits in and lit it with a map gas torch. Took of nice. Buthen I just had a tiny fire.lol will I have this issue every time I lite it

 

[weatherguy]

Sometimes but now you know what to do. Learn a top down fire to start in the future.

 

[thewoodlands]

Hello I just tried to have my first fire. The smoke didn't go up it came out of the ports on the stove. It's a avalon pedelton with a new flex liner its insulated and about 21 feet long. When I was doing the work I noticed the strong draw the flue had now it seems like its pushing air down instead of sucking it up. I was trying to lite it and it seem hungry for air then all the smoke came out insted of up. I let it go for a few minutes to see if anything would change but it didn't so I put it out. Also all wood is 20% or below

We have a basement install for our Lopi Liberty. If we have any cold air coming down the stack, (I'll check after opening the bypass) I'll make sure that my bottom row of wood is setup in the stove along with the firestarters and then take the old hair dryer, stick it up the the opened bypass, turn it on and let it run for 60 seconds and then take a match to the firestarters, it should work for you if your wood is truely seasoned and your setup is correct.

 

[SpaceBus]

My cookstove is balky with a complicated flue gas path and an exterior chimney. I preheat briefly with a propane torch and then light a small kindling fire with newsprint or a "fire lighter" and always make sure to open a nearby window when lighting a cold flue. Once the oven is warmed up I don't have to deal with any extra steps.

 

[blacktail]

Before you light a fire, stick your hand in the stove or around the door. If there's a down draft, you'll be able to feel cold air coming down your flue. Then you'll know to warm the flue before lighting up.
The rare times I've had this it was fixed by cracking the back door.
My parents have a basement stove that gets downdrafts a lot. Aiming a small propane torch into the stove and warming the top of the firebox is one way they reverse it.

 

[jetsam]

Grab a piece of kindling and torch that to make it smoke, then stick it in the stove and see which way the smoke goes. If it comes back at you, torch the inside of the stove until it reverses course.

With a basement install you may not be allowed to install an outside air kit, but you can still crack a window or run a piece of PVC through the wall to admit outside air near the stove.

Also be aware of what else is pulling air out of the house. Is your dryer running? Bath exhaust fans? Kitchen range hood? Depending how tight your house is, there may be a big difference with all that stuff going and not going.