Help. Can’t snuff my BK

[Smolder]

Hi,

I have had a BK Ashford 30 for 5 years. Great stove, no issues, clean the chimney one a year and it’s never overly crusty. Runs 24/7

My actual furnace is broken, it’s below freezing and it’s an old home without insulation.

I ran some “wet” wood for a few weeks and when I went to light it up last night (it burned the last load and I was at work), it was hard to start.

When it finally lit off on the coals the house started filling with smoke, it has actually been hard to get logs into it without it letting some smoke into the room lately. Anyways, smoke coming out of stove pipe seams, some coming out the chimney, but lots just spilling out the air intake and seams.

I turned the air down to off (12 o’clock) 9 hours ago and it is still between active and cold. Still very warm to touch.

It won’t stop, still stinks just not smokey.

I need to kill it so I can clean the chimney before things freeze up in here. My only thought at this point is to bring a wheelbarrow into my home and throw the chard smoldering logs into it and dump them into the snow. I have welding gloves.

Apparently the damper all the way shut isn’t actually all the way shut.

Any help please.

 

[mellow]

I would check your cap and make sure it is clean, sounds like it is gunked up with creosote.

 

[Dieselhead]

Cap problem most likely. There was another post very similar to this a few days ago. Plugged cap. As far as removing the logs I’d not do them without misting them with some water first. Steam them up, close the door, repeat. Water expands 1700 times its original size so it should snuff the fire pretty fast. Empty out a spray bottle from cleaning solution and use that..

 

[mellow]

I wouldn't recommend hot steam with a catalytic stove unless you have another cat to replace it with and gasket.

 

[Dieselhead]

I wouldn't recommend hot steam with a catalytic stove unless you have another cat to replace it with and gasket.

Just need to open the bypass.

 

[Smolder]

Could be the cap, just went out and checked it again, some smoke/steam coming out of it still, but not much. I can actually clean the main flue from outside.

 

[Dieselhead]

Can you get up there and remove it?
That’s the best scenario.

 

[Smolder]

Can you get up there and remove it?
That’s the best scenario.

No… it’s about 43’ I can run my cleaner up from the inside through, that green door on the exterior wall is the cleanout.

 

[Smolder]

This is the naughty stove. I am thinking the cap is the culprit, smoke was coming out of pipe seams even at the thimble so the pipe was probably full of smoke and it isn’t a blockage low down.

 

[Dieselhead]

Yea for sure man check out this thread

M

Thread 'Frustrated with my Sirocco 30.2'

Nov 30, 2024

For the first month this stove was fantastic. Using seasoned wood (juniper) with a very low moisture content (below 10%, some pieces even around 5%-6%). Have been running the stove as described in the owners manual and it seemed to be doing just fine. Was getting 12+ hour burns on a load and still had plenty of coals when I'd get home from work, probe would even still be in the CAT zone many times and was super easy to reload and get a roaring fire going on a reload. Then about a week ago the stove started acting "different". Taking longer to start up from a cold start, have been getting a...

• Mustard Tiger
• Replies: 68
• Forum: Blaze King

 

[mellow]

Just need to open the bypass.

Cat could still be hot and while having the bypass open does allow a good majority of smoke to go up the chimney you still have draft going through the cat that could suck those water droplets up and once it hits a hot/warm cat it could cause thermal shock.

 

[stoveliker]

Use sand, cover everything. It may stay hot under but it'll stop smoking if using enough sand.
Be aware though that CO might still come out for a while when burying coals.

Then clean what needs cleaning. Sooteater from inside rather than going up 43'?

 

[bholler]

Just open the air up and let it burn out. Or pull out the wood which sucks

 

[stoveliker]

Just open the air up and let it burn out. Or pull out the wood which sucks

It appears there is a lack of draft after burning wet wood.
So burning it down may not be possible.

 

[bholler]

It appears there is a lack of draft after burning wet wood.
So burning it down may not be possible.

He said the CAT is still active and it's not smoking. I think it will burn

 

[stoveliker]

Yes. But cat thermometers are sometimes improperly calibrated.
And he said this

"When it finally lit off on the coals the house started filling with smoke, it has actually been hard to get logs into it without it letting some smoke into the room lately. Anyways, smoke coming out of stove pipe seams, some coming out the chimney, but lots just spilling out the air intake and seams."

And that was on a hot reload with coals, so less likely to be reverse draft (though not impossible).

 

[begreen]

If the cap can be accessed and removed, I'd consider not putting off cleaning it and the flue, doing this asap while there is still daylight. If that requires taking the charred wood out then so be it. Be careful on that roof. Run some electric space heaters in the house in the interim.

Hope there are good smoke and CO alarms in the house. Try to get some fully seasoned or kiln dried wood, or high-quality, compressed brick or log fuel.