22' is more than enough to get a good draft. Burning while it is 50's and 60's outside, makes for a lazier draft. A couple more feet is a waste of money. Waiting for some cooler temps would be a better alternative.
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Well, back when we was kids... Just kidding!
Op, how and when do you suspect the smoke to be getting in the house? Is it constant? coming back in after it leaves the chimney? Back puffing? Reloads? Etc. if you have said already then, sorry. I missed it.
Op, how and when do you suspect the smoke to be getting in the house? Is it constant? coming back in after it leaves the chimney? Back puffing? Reloads? Etc. if you have said already then, sorry. I missed it.
Cockshutt
Member
I was having very similar problems just a few weeks ago. New install a child with asthma, and a hyper-reactionary wife. Some one already mentioned to leave the stove alone for a bit. I agree! I left mine alone, didn't even talk about it for a while. Now that the temperature has dropped, it is working much, much better! For me, the solution was dry wood, cooler ambient temperatures, and under no circumstances can I open the stove door unless it is hot. I did all my experimenting at night to avoid conflict my wife! And I got a lot of great advice on this forum! I hope it works out.
Is this a first child? Babies are not all that fragile. A bit of dirt, animal dander, cool air etc. are helpful for developing immune systems. There are more pollutants in a new house from carpets, furniture, paint, candles, etc. than likely from a whiff of wood smoke. Some of these can be real health dangers.
That said, there shouldn't be any smoke smell if one is careful on reloading. But if there is, it's not worth panicking about. For now, it wouldn't hurt to wait until it gets cold enough to really need a stove. We've had a mild Oct. but it won't be long now. When high temps are 45 or below, crack open a nearby window, then wide-open the stove thermostat and bypass for a minute before reloading. When it's in the 20s and blowing up a storm she'll love the stove.
That said, there shouldn't be any smoke smell if one is careful on reloading. But if there is, it's not worth panicking about. For now, it wouldn't hurt to wait until it gets cold enough to really need a stove. We've had a mild Oct. but it won't be long now. When high temps are 45 or below, crack open a nearby window, then wide-open the stove thermostat and bypass for a minute before reloading. When it's in the 20s and blowing up a storm she'll love the stove.
+1. There should be absolutely no smoke smell coming out if the door is closed. When burning dry wood properly, even the exhaust from the top of the chimney should have almost no smoke smell and there should be no reason to ever open the door on a fresh fire.
A year or two ago, I was having an unusual smoke smell problem, I couldn't figure it out, until one day I got the smell even though the stove was not running. I stepped outside to smell the fine aroma of my neighbor burning wet wood...
Dry wood, cooler temperatures. Dry wood means at least one year cut, split and stacked in a sunny location, and at least two years for oak and some other slow drying woods.
TE
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
I agree that babies are not as fragile, but it is crucial that a new born until the first 4 months is given the cleanest environment as the lungs are still developing, after that very small amounts of pollutants that use bigger people deal with day in / day out are fine. I like to put it in retrospect of back in the 1800's there use to be open fire places and stuff and babies grew up fine, not to say that I would risk that with my kid. I would hold off for the cooler weather and then give the stove a shot again to see if anything changed. Also this seems like its a temporary problem. Also fyi the dangerous thing to be concerned about with little ones and the stoves is that the air in the house gets very dry in the winter so have a couple humidifiers ready to go, lack of moisture dry's out sinus's and can lead to ear infections and constant colds, humidity can help prevent these problems from developing.
Osagebndr
Minister of Fire
This is a very good post lots of interesting info. I'm having the same issue but only when it's warm outside. Be 40's soon tho
Unlike the east coast our winters are damp. We don't get cold clear days that often. Nature is our humidifier. Today's humidity is 100%, temp 50F outside. Inside it's 70F and the relative humidity is 60%. We rarely get below 40% in winter.
One suggestion for burning in the BK is don't go for the maximum burn time. Crack a window open for a steady bit of fresh air and open up the thermostat a little. If you only get 16 hrs burn time but a cleaner burn then that could be a better way to run in shoulder season weather.
One suggestion for burning in the BK is don't go for the maximum burn time. Crack a window open for a steady bit of fresh air and open up the thermostat a little. If you only get 16 hrs burn time but a cleaner burn then that could be a better way to run in shoulder season weather.
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Lots of great advice; thank you! I'm not sure if we're getting a tiny bit of constant smoke, perhaps coming from around the cat probe hole, or if it's all upon reload. This morning, during reload, there was a moment when a piece of wood was blowing smoke toward the front of the stove and some got over the lip into the house.
My wife is even more upset about the paint smell that's still curing. When BKVP walked me through tightening up the bypass plate, I scratched the stove pipe. So I touched it up with a bit of stove bright. Big mistake! That stuff smells like burning plastic and my wife has a nose like a coyote. I can't smell a thing; it's been two weeks. But she's sure the smell is still there.
She remembers all the stuff I can't remember, sees stuff I can't see, smells things I can't smell. But she's also a better person than me (kinder, nicer, more empathetic) plus she's a fantastic mom.
My wife is even more upset about the paint smell that's still curing. When BKVP walked me through tightening up the bypass plate, I scratched the stove pipe. So I touched it up with a bit of stove bright. Big mistake! That stuff smells like burning plastic and my wife has a nose like a coyote. I can't smell a thing; it's been two weeks. But she's sure the smell is still there.
She remembers all the stuff I can't remember, sees stuff I can't see, smells things I can't smell. But she's also a better person than me (kinder, nicer, more empathetic) plus she's a fantastic mom.
She has a good nose. Stove Brite is only to be applied in a well-ventilated space, with breathing protection. It is acetone based and not good for brain cells. The next time she will be out of the house for a few hours, open up the windows and turn up the stove to bake in the paint once and for all.
Thought I had done that. Ran the stove on high for a couple of hours. How long does one have to bake before it's all gone?
Just get rid of the baby.
Years ago when we bought our first house we REALLY wanted a wood stove.
However, our first born had asthma and the pediatrician told us a wood stove was NOT a good idea.
So, I don't know, but you could ask the doc (as you mentioned).
You and the wife NEED to be at ease with your stove and your child.
Back then we installed a pellet stove. Not sure how much "less" smoke it put out into the room, but our child never had any issues.
Years ago when we bought our first house we REALLY wanted a wood stove.
However, our first born had asthma and the pediatrician told us a wood stove was NOT a good idea.
So, I don't know, but you could ask the doc (as you mentioned).
You and the wife NEED to be at ease with your stove and your child.
Back then we installed a pellet stove. Not sure how much "less" smoke it put out into the room, but our child never had any issues.
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Before you go asking a pediatrician or just about anybody else how much woodsmoke is safe for a newborn, expect that the safe answer will always be "none". The respondent is taking risk by advising anything else.
Some folks just aren't cut out for the mess, smells, work, and temp swings associated with wood heat. You have scared your wife into a jail cell. That's probably not going to work out in the long term. Today it is the newborn, tomorrow it will be reading an article like hotcoals came up with.
Some folks just aren't cut out for the mess, smells, work, and temp swings associated with wood heat. You have scared your wife into a jail cell. That's probably not going to work out in the long term. Today it is the newborn, tomorrow it will be reading an article like hotcoals came up with.
Today she mentioned the possibility of an air purifier. Is it possible to get one large enough for a 2650 square foot 2-story (well sealed) home?
smokedragon
Minister of Fire
+1 to that. My wife can tell if I reload without burning down to coals. Which brings me to my point, don't open the door until it has burned down to nothing but coals and it will help with that A LOT. Also, are you opening your air intake all the way and leaving it for a few minutes to establish a good draft before you open the door? That helps a lot too.
Brother Bart already gave what I think is a great answer to this (quoted below), but I will add my $0.02. I have an 8 year old and a 2 year old. They have been around woodstoves all their lives. People who don't heat with wood can sometimes catch it. It is a strong smell, and will easily stick to stuff. I personally like the smell, and unless it is enough to make you cough, it isn't needed to quarantine your family away from the stove.
No way will my wife agree that the threshold level should be a cough. But your suggestions on carefully opening the stove door and only after the fire is down to coals, at least this time of year, are well taken. Thanks.
I didn't mean to scare you with that link but babies are really susceptible to wood smoke.
I been reading your threads/ posts on your stove for awhile now and it's apparent you do have a draft problem of sorts.
To refresh do you have double wall pipe off the stove?
If not ,double wall could help with puff backs/leakage..that is if you are getting any.
Cockshutt
Member
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
This^^^
Kids breath lots more toxic poisons from the off-gassing of the plastics/synthetics/etc in our homes/cars by the time they graduate high school than what you'd get from a lifetime of normal wood burner "smoke smell" in the house. Heck, humans have been wiffin wood smoke since the beginning of time, ever been in a teepee with a fire going, or even old timey log cabin with a big ole fireplace? TONS of smoke!
Now if the smoke is heavy, or kid has respiratory issues, well, that's different, but for me, today's kids are mostly overprotected pansy's (JMO) but hey, gottta keep momma happy, so I agree, maybe just wait 'til it's colder to fire back up, mod your techniques a bit...
Not around my wife they don't. She's very conscious of off gassing and makes sure carpets get aired out for months before they come into a room we use. We have no furniture with pressed wood. We can't buy a new car because that new car smell is actually toxic waste.
Double wall pipe runs off the stove. He did a nice job on the install. This evening, I'm smelling smoke off the surface of the stove. I'm pretty sure it's coming from the hole for the cat probe. More evidence of not enough draft.
If you turn the air up do you get a nice clean flame?
If so can you see the flame being pulled towards to where the cat lives?
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