Leaky Stove

[Botanical]

Hi all, I’ve just moved into a new property that has an old and used wood burning stove, I have lit it twice and both times couldn’t see any visible smoke leaking but a few days after lighting the house smells of smoke. I put a smoke pellet in the stove to test and huge amounts of smoke were escaping. Is it possible to just get the seals on my stove fixed or do I need a new one?

Video attached so you can see

 

[begreen]

Looks like there is no draft. The flue system should be checked for plugging or failure.

 

[stoveliker]

I think not; burning went fine. A few days later cold air in the flue sank down and exited the stove (via leaks and air intake). (Upon which the smoke test was done with a cold stove.)

Yes, the stove needs resealing. Assuming these are cast iron panels, take it apart, clean, use stove cement to put it back together.
Careful with the bolts; don't snap them.

 

[begreen]

Draft is reversing. It may just be a cold chimney, but if draft was present air would be pulled into the stove body. The flue system should be checked, especially since this is a new move-in.

There are several reasons why draft may reverse if the flue is clear and clean. Is this a one story or multistory home? What level is the stove on? Is this an interior or exterior chimney?

The stove should also be checked for integrity and sealing. It appears to be rear-vented so checking the rear elbow for debris would be a good place to start.

 

[Botanical]

Thanks for the replies.

The smoke test was done when the chimney was cold yeah

The chimney was swept before I moved in and the report said it was fine but I did not see a report on the stove itself. It’s a 2 story house with an internal chimney.

The stove is a Parlour Cast Iron stove if that helps. I found a link to the model here.

https://www.clarkeservice.co.uk/manuals/stoves/Parlour_Stove_REV_6.pdf

 

[begreen]

Is the butterfly damper on the flue outlet in the open position?

 

[stoveliker]

But those won't prevent cold air from sinking into the stove and smelling up the room as they're not tight at all...?

Again, I think you're misreading the OP.
Stove worked fine (as far as reported), just a smell *a few days later*. And that smell was the reason to check with the smoke stick, discovering a leaky stove.

Point is that even resealing the stove (something I would nonetheless advise to do) won't resolve the smell issue as stinky flue air can leak out of the air inlet.

Negative pressure in the stove room should be looked at imo. And even that may not resolve it 100%< because a standing column of cold air in the flue tends to sink down into the stove and out of the air inlet. (And no oak is present for sure.)


That's my reading of the "case".

 

[begreen]

One needs to check things off the list. The first thing to do is make sure that the flue is clear. If so, the next thing is that the butterfly damper was not accidentally left closed.

Weather conditions change which may have a bearing as can the home design causing negative pressure in the room. Given the remote nature of the dialog with someone 6000 miles away one needs to wait for a reply to check another variable off the list.

 

[stoveliker]

Yes, I understand.
But how would all this matter if two burning cycles went all well, and then 2 days later a smell appeared.
THAT is the problem that made the OP start diagnosing.
And that has nothing to do with accidentally closed dampers? (which they were not as the burning went well; no smoke escaped while burning...)

And to diagnose a *smoke pellet* was put in a cold stove leading to the pictures shown.
If a damper was closed, but the stove was sealed properly, smoke would not leak out in all these places. So the damper has not much to do with the issue (smell) nor with the smoke diagnostics tool used showing a second problem (leaky stove).

To the OP: negative pressure happens if the stove is in a lower floor and air escapes the home above. (e.g. leaky or open windows upstairs), or a kitchen/bathroom fan is on, exhausting air, that then gets made up by (smelly) air sucked down the chimney.

 

[kborndale]

One needs to check things off the list. The first thing to do is make sure that the flue is clear. If so, the next thing is that the butterfly damper was not accidentally left closed.

Weather conditions change which may have a bearing as can the home design causing negative pressure in the room. Given the remote nature of the dialog with someone 6000 miles away one needs to wait for a reply to check another variable off the list.

Seems to me that there are no issues when running the stove, the issue is days later they can smell the stove when it's cold. Smoke doesn't come out of the stove, just odor.

 

[begreen]

And that has nothing to do with accidentally closed dampers? (which they were not as the burning went well; no smoke escaped while burning...)

There is a butterfly damper on the top of the flue collar which may or may not have been closed to regulate the stove when it was last burned. I don't know. I just want to eliminate the obvious first. This is not the same as the air controls on the stove.

 

[stoveliker]

Yes, I know what that is.

Can you educate me and the OP as to how this relates to either the smell in the room 2 days after the stove went cold?

And how it relates to the question whether the leaking seams are a problem or not?

 

[begreen]

No one is disagreeing with your premise. If the flue is blocked, smoke will leak out of a stove eventually. The video never posted but there is a side air control on this stove that may be open. It looks like there is more smoke on that side.

 

[stoveliker]

Okay. I'm just trying to answer the questions of the OP:

Yes, the leaks ("everywhere", not just the air inlet) are an issue . They'll decrease the level of control you have over a (out of hand) fire.

And the smell is most likely exacerbated by negative pressure. If you reseal the stove and are able to tightly close the air inlet (may not be possible), then the only places it can leak out is the stove pipe seams. They are never perfectly air tight and don't need to be.

(And smoke pellets won't leak out everywhere if the stove is properly sealed, regardless of what is the situation with the buttery valve. Sealed is sealed. The air inlet, if not tightly sealed when not in use, will always allow for (cold smoke or) smell to escape.)

 

[begreen]

Just eliminating the simplest solution first. It does sound draft related and negative pressure is a possibility, but I want to eliminate user error first.

I don't know about this stove, but an EPA stove will leak smoke out of the secondary inlet, boost air inlet, and often the primary air inlet if it doesn't close all the way. They're not air tight.

 

[kborndale]

Just eliminating the simplest solution first. It does sound draft related and negative pressure is a possibility, but I want to eliminate user error first.

I don't know about this stove, but an EPA stove will leak smoke out of the secondary inlet, boost air inlet, and often the primary air inlet if it doesn't close all the way. They're not air tight.

Even when there hasn't been a fire burning in it for 2 days as is the situation I believe OP is talking about?

 

[begreen]

Even when there hasn't been a fire burning in it for 2 days as is the situation I believe OP is talking about?

The OP has brought up 2 issues, the smell and the smoke leakage when they tried the smoke pill. Both issues may have the same cause, that's TBD. It may very well end up being negative pressure. I am just trying to eliminate the basic issues that may have been overlooked by a new stove operator by asking if something simple like a flue damper was left closed. Considering I have been guilty of the same at the start of the season, it doesn't hurt to ask, right?

 

[begreen]

@Botanical . Are there any other wood burning stoves or fireplaces in the house? If yes, have they had a fire in them in the past few days?

If the smoke pill test is done with a nearby window or door open an inch, does that reduce or eliminate the smoke coming out of the stove?