I noticed a Haze this year.

[Ellisd594]

Hello,

I am sort of new to the world of burning wood. And I am hoping to find some answers here.

I have installed an Osburn 2000 insert into my heatilator fire place. I did this myself with a few friends. I really like the unit as it heats pretty much my whole house with the blower. This year I have noticed a haze in the light at night since the wood burning season started. I don’t remember it last year. Is this common?

I am wondering what the haze could be from? Is it moisture being sucked from the basement? Is it fine ash particles being blown through the air? Is it smoke? Hmmm. I have stopped using the insert and the haze is gone.

The insert vents out a 20ft stainless steel liner and it is sealed properly with a top plate, heat silicone, and rain cap. I think the chimney center flue is 8x8 or 10x10 lined with clay tile in good condition. The chimney has three flues, none connected. I followed the liner instructions. The liner inserts into the throat of the Osburn unit with an adapter. There seems to be a good seal. I did have to cut an opening in the steel heatilator fire box to get the liner through and I used some ceramic blanket to seal the access gap.

I used aluminum for the blank off plate, two pieces because I decided to add it later…two pieces made it easier to go around the liner. It has to be 1/8 thick. My friend has a fabrication shop and he had it laying around, let me have it for free. I sealed it with some imperial bonding cement today, around the edges and the liner. I thought the haze might be dust from the chimney?

I have left the heatilator vents open as they still function for ambient heat. There was no blower for the heatilator. The fire place has a small ash door that the insert sits on. In the basement I put insulation in the ash pit access doors to prevent any draft there.

I have never had the insert spill smoke, only when I open the door and the blower is still on. Occasionally, if the unit is cold and I am starting a fire there is a smoke smell in my basement. Other than that I never smell smoke or other smells. Only when the unit was brand new. My fire alarms were going off, lol. Oh fire alarms do not go off or carbon monoxide detectors with the haze. I can add some pictures. My house is that sealed up, it’s a capecode built in 1955. I am just wondering what this haze is and is it something to worry about? Thanks all! Looking forward to the thread and any constructive criticism. Let me know if other information is needed.

Best,

Wade

 

[Todd]

Could just be the paint curing.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

When you’re referring to haze- do you mean on the glass or on the stovetop? I see haze on the glass (which can happen) but I also see some whitening of the stovetop area.

 

[Sodbuster]

I took it to mean a haze inside his home. I think the smoke smell in your basement is from the ash clean out's, does the top of your chimney have two flues? Where does your water heater exhaust to?

 

[30WCF]

I took it to mean a haze inside his home. I think the smoke smell in your basement is from the ash clean out's, does the top of your chimney have two flues? Where does your water heater exhaust to?

I think he said three, but I didn’t pick up on if the other two were capped or not.

 

[bigealta]

Did you cap the bottom of the T when you put in the liner?

 

[Gearhead660]

To add to the questions about the other flues, how far up does the insert chimney pipe go beyond the masonry chimney? It may be down drafting in the other 2 flues.

 

[EbS-P]

Get an air quality meter.

 

[gthomas785]

If you don't smell smoke, then it's probably not smoke. Are you seeing any dusty buildup on the surfaces in your house? Are you running a humidifier by any chance?

 

[bigealta]

Is the haze purple?