Need Help With Smoke Leaking Into Home

[bholler]

You are getting smoke out of the cat probe hole? Wow it might be bad draft then you need to get a pro out there with a manometer

 

[Parallax]

You are getting smoke out of the cat probe hole? Wow it might be bad draft then you need to get a pro out there with a manometer

I don't know where the smoke is coming from. My sense is it's coming from the seam between the collar that attaches the top of the stove to the stove pipe but I could be wrong. We were getting it when that collar wasn't there. It might have been coming from the connection of the pipe to the stove itself. The smell seemed to go away. The dealer guessed enough soot had built up to seal it shut. He added the collar hoping that would correct the problem, so it didn't occur after each time the stove pipe was disconnected for cleaning. Instead, we seem to have caused the problem to recur. But it could be that it's actually been from the probe hole all along. So much of this investigation has required guess work -- hopefully educated.

 

[bholler]

But it could be that it's actually been from the probe hole all along.

That would surprise me but i guess it is possible

 

[Parallax]

I hope you're right because that would seem harder to fix.

I wonder if the leakage from the stove pipe is there but within normal tolerances and the smoke is being forced through because of inadequate draft or a problem with the cold air coming into the burn chamber.

 

[bholler]

I wonder if the leakage from the stove pipe is there but within normal tolerances and the smoke is being forced through because of inadequate draft or a problem with the cold air coming into the burn chamber.

stove pipe is never really sealed your problem i would say is either with inadequate draft of not enough air. If you dont have good draft you will get smoke no matter what you do

 

[Parallax]

stove pipe is never really sealed your problem i would say is either with inadequate draft of not enough air. If you dont have good draft you will get smoke no matter what you do

How can that be fixed if you can't raise the pipe any higher?

 

[bholler]

Well you can always raise the pipe but if it is proper height a vacustack cap might help But again i am not there to see it. Can you take a pic of the chimney from outside?

 

[Parallax]

Well you can always raise the pipe but if it is proper height a vacustack cap might help But again i am not there to see it. Can you take a pic of the chimney from outside?

By the time I get home tonight it will be dark but will do that in the morning and post it here.

 

[Wood Duck]

Are you sure the smoke smell is coming from the stove, rather than from outside? With my house and the right wind we will get a vortex behind the house that will pull smoke from the chimney into the front yard. This smell can easily come in through the front door. Raising my stack helped, but this still happens. The smell is stronger at the front door than it is near the stove.

I haven't had backpuffing in my stove, but it seems like it could open cracks in the stove or pipe, which would then become leaks.

Your draft should be stronger when the flue gets hot after a few hours of use. Does this happen with your stove?

 

[Poindexter]

I took my SWSP to DWSP adapter off the stove collar this afternoon and just got the stove restarted.

I used hex head sheet metal screws and have about .020" clearance between the enamel surface of the top and the closest screw head.

I relit the stove this time using the small basket of kindling method and noticed personal draft - my stove - my install - is much improved without the adapter on start up. Now that I have the cat engaged the cat temp is climbing much slower than I am accustomed to, but it is climbing.

The adapter I took out, compared to my BK stove and my ICC Excell chimney parts is frankly made of sleazy Italian scrap tin, I am talking rejects from the Fiat factory for exhaust pipe.

Odd. I do think Parallax is going to maybe need some manometer testing, but a small run with the enamel top off might narrow down a leak without having to go to the trouble.

 

[Tenn Dave]

Are you sure the smoke smell is coming from the stove, rather than from outside? With my house and the right wind we will get a vortex behind the house that will pull smoke from the chimney into the front yard. This smell can easily come in through the front door. Raising my stack helped, but this still happens. The smell is stronger at the front door than it is near the stove.

I haven't had backpuffing in my stove, but it seems like it could open cracks in the stove or pipe, which would then become leaks.

Your draft should be stronger when the flue gets hot after a few hours of use. Does this happen with your stove?

With a properly engaged cat, there should be no smoke smell coming out of the chimney.

 

[rdust]

Post a picture of the chimney from the outside if you can. The way I'm reading it even with the extra height the chimney is still just even with the highest peak only 4 feet away? The chimney needs to be 2' higher than the roof within 10'.

 

[Parallax]

Post a picture of the chimney from the outside if you can. The way I'm reading it even with the extra height the chimney is still just even with the highest peak only 4 feet away? The chimney needs to be 2' higher than the roof within 10'.

The peak of the roof is way more than 4 feet away. The edge of the roof of the second story is about 4 feet back from the edge of the roof of the first story. Even without the extra four feet of pipe, the installation met code requirements.

 

[rdust]

The peak of the roof is way more than 4 feet away. The edge of the roof of the second story is about 4 feet back from the edge of the roof of the first story. Even without the extra four feet of pipe, the installation met code requirements.

Gotcha, I'm picturing a chimney surrounded by roofs and valleys with tall trees surrounding it. A picture is worth how many words?

 

[webby3650]

I didn't read all of the discussion above. Did you ever have double wall connector pipe installed?
How is the OAK routed? Your stove is starving for air as well as suffering from poor draft. With a tall flue and an OAK it shouldn't be, as you know. Something is causing this to happen. Chimneys suck smoke and air out of the stove, it's as simple as that. If it is leaking smoke, something is causing it. Something is preventing the stove from working properly.

 

[Parallax]

I didn't read all of the discussion above. Did you ever have double wall connector pipe installed?
How is the OAK routed? Your stove is starving for air as well as suffering from poor draft. With a tall flue and an OAK it shouldn't be, as you know. Something is causing this to happen. Chimneys suck smoke and air out of the stove, it's as simple as that. If it is leaking smoke, something is causing it. Something is preventing the stove from working properly.

Are you referring to the collar connecting the stove to the stove pipe? I think it's double walled. It seemed like it was made from cheap metal but I saw a divider in there. I figured that's double wall.

Webby, if it were your job to fix, how would you go about diagnosing the problem.

 

[webby3650]

Are you referring to the collar connecting the stove to the stove pipe? I think it's double walled. It seemed like it was made from cheap metal but I saw a divider in there. I figured that's double wall.

Webby, if it were your job to fix, how would you go about diagnosing the problem.

How is the OAK routed? What size is it? Is it insulated?

 

[Parallax]

How is the OAK routed? What size is it? Is it insulated?

It comes from the wall behind the stove up into the burn chamber. I'm not sure of the size. Will take photos tomorrow morning and post them here. I don't believe it's insulated but I'm not sure. It doesn't get all that cold around here.

 

[maple1]

Randoms:

-A Dwyer Mark II Model 25 manometer is cheap. Then you have the tool to get & keep your draft right.

-If the top of chimney is not higher than the highest roof, it might still be too short. Tall trees also complicate.

-If the OAK intake is not on the side of the house that prevailing winds hit, it might actually be
sucking against the chimney.

-You might have some creosote buildup from this sluggish performance. First thing to do is inspect the chimney & clean if necessary.

 

[begreen]

To test the oak theory I would run it with the oak disconnected for a day, with a nearby window open 1/4".

 

[maple1]

To test the oak theory I would run it with the oak disconnected for a day, with a nearby window open 1/4".

And maybe on the opposite side of the house?

 

[Parallax]

Is it safe to just disconnect the OAK? Just leave a hole there for it to suck air right into the stove from the house itself?

 

[begreen]

Yes, lots if not most stoves run this way, mine included.

 

[Parallax]

What prevents sparks from coming through that intake into the house? Or smoke from coming out?

 

[Parallax]

Too dark to get photos of the chimney tonight. But here's the OAK.