Need Help With Smoke Leaking Into Home

[bholler]

With good pipe and a good stove collar it should not be a problem.

 

[webby3650]

With good pipe and a good stove collar it should not be a problem.

Agreed. But we have ways around it even with a sloppy flue collar.

 

[blacktail]

I didn't read the whole threadthread, I don't have a cat stove, and I'm not a pro. But our weather recently, and for much of the winter, has been the kind that makes for crappy drafting. My stove wants to puff smoke when I open the door now. My dad (who lives just a few miles away) was recently complaining about the same thing. Both of us have done a mid season chimney cleaning recently too. This damp, 50 degree weather makes stoves extra temperamental.

 

[Parallax]

Here is one that a person on the other site raved about. He said it improved the performance of his stove dramatically. He lives on the shoreline of a windy bay. I have no personal experience with it.


StormShield Model STS

That's not bad looking. A bit like an air filter cover on a carbureted 66 Impala but interesting and it doesn't seem to be subject to the kinds of problems one might have with one that spins. Would love to know more about how well it works. Will research it.

 

[Parallax]

That's not bad looking. A bit like an air filter cover on a carbureted 66 Impala but interesting and it doesn't seem to be subject to the kinds of problems one might have with one that spins. Would love to know more about how well it works. Will research it.

Was just looking at it online. Seems to be to protect from wind and rain. Not sure that it would increase draft. Does anyone know. Looks like a variation on the vacu stack.

 

[branchburner]

our weather recently, and for much of the winter, has been the kind that makes for crappy drafting. This damp, 50 degree weather makes stoves extra temperamental.

So combine that fact with the fact that the OP had previously been burning green wood, and has not fine-tuned his technique for clean burning with a new stove. I suspect he ALSO needs a mid-season flue cleaning, perhaps in a big way!

Here is a suggestion, Parallax: since you say your dealer is not really a wood-heat expert, it might make sense to seek out a highly experienced chimney sweep. He could not only inspect and clean your flue, he could inspect the entire system and throw in his two cents as to what HE thinks the root problem(s) might be, and how best to proceed. Maybe you can get lucky and find a local sweep who has experience servicing BK cat stoves!

 

[branchburner]

Not sure that it would increase draft. Does anyone know. Looks like a variation on the vacu stack.

Before you seek out devices to increase draft, I really think you need to measure the draft, and ideally get an expert opinion on WHY you are seemingly suffering poor draft.

If you do get a sweep to clean the flue, he could probably also measure the draft while evaluating all the variables in your setup.

 

[Parallax]

Not a bad idea. I know a good chimney sweep. Had considered having him install the stove. Didn't because he wasn't a BK dealer. My dealer recently saw the inside of the stove pipe when he added a four foot section. He said it looks pretty clean. But I could definitely bring him in to get another opinion. Will give him a call.

 

[Poindexter]

Will give him a call.

I think that's a good idea.

 

[blacktail]

Isn't there a very well known stove and hearth shop in Bellingham?

 

[BrotherBart]

When I was there, there was a well known toilet paper plant.

 

[begreen]

Both are still there.

 

[Parallax]

Is like to see the stove pipe, from the stove to the box. Especially the stove pipe adaptor.

Webby, here are some photos. First is of the whole run from stove to ceiling. Then of the collar, the connection between the top and bottom sections and then the plate at the ceiling. Let me know if this is what you were looking for. (Sorry they're rotated; I'm obviously incompetent with a phone camera.) [By the way, the splotchy paint is my fault; touched up with the wrong tone of black stovebright. Will fix next summer.]

 

[webby3650]

I'm highly suspect of that stovetop adaptor, or whatever has been used there. Something just looks funky about it.

 

[alforit]

I used furnace cement on my DVL appliance adapter. The collar on my BK stove was a mess, not round with welds screwing up the fit. After grinding the welds down it seemed to improve the fit but still far from perfect.

I used a flexible stove vent sealant on my stove pipe adapter . its nice cause it wont crack from contracting and expanding and its good up to 1100 F and continuous at 900 F

 

[Parallax]

I'm highly suspect of that stovetop adaptor, or whatever has been used there. Something just looks funky about it.

Would you have a link to one you would recommend? I looked up the one you mentioned earlier but it appeared to be an adaptor to go into the box on the ceiling.

 

[webby3650]

You need to use the one that's made for your pipe. You could have the correct one? It just looks odd, why is it a different color? Also, are your fans off when you notice the smoke smell?

 

[Parallax]

You need to use the one that's made for your pipe. You could have the correct one? It just looks odd, why is it a different color? Also, are your fans off when you notice the smoke smell?

Yes, fans are off. It gets worse when the fans are on. Blows the smoke into the room.

 

[webby3650]

Yes, fans are off. It gets worse when the fans are on. Blows the smoke into the room.

If the top is off, does it look like that adaptor is seated good on the flue collar? Is the adaptor double wall like the rest of the pipe? It should have a label one it.

 

[Parallax]

If the top is off, does it look like that adaptor is seated good on the flue collar? Is the adaptor double wall like the rest of the pipe? It should have a label one it.

Will find out.

 

[Parallax]

If the top is off, does it look like that adaptor is seated good on the flue collar? Is the adaptor double wall like the rest of the pipe? It should have a label one it.

The dealer's guy is out here now. He says the adaptor is seated good, that it is double wall and he showed me the label. Says the pipe is Selkirk and so is the adaptor. Says nothing can be done about the screw holes because they're not in the adaptor but the pipe that sits on top. There's no section of pipe specifically designed to mate to the adaptor without the screw holes and he says there are no screws short enough to go in without piercing the inner stainless liner and creating more holes for smoke to escape.

How does this all sound to you, Webby?

 

[branchburner]

The dealer's guy is out here now.

Has inspected both the flue and OAK for blockage? Can he measure the draft?

 

[Parallax]

Has inspected both the flue and OAK for blockage? Can he measure the draft?

The OAK wasn't blocked but the stove does appear to be running better without it. This is all very preliminary. Still checking it out and will have to do so under different atmospheric conditions. But it's running well at a lower t-stat setting with less smoke coming out the chimney. Trying to throttle it down so there's no fire in the box and see if it runs smoke free. Will have to see if it helps with the smoke in the house. For that, I'll need my wife's nose and maybe a week or two.

This was the next step. If it doesn't help or doesn't help enough, I'll ask him to measure the draft. Will have to order a flue probe to give us a reason to put a hole in the stove pipe.

 

[maple1]

Stop waiting & putting off measuring the draft - just do it. Under all fire conditions, and ideally under varying outside conditions. Without doing that, it is like grasping at straws. Or chasing your tail. Or chasing straws while grasping your tail. Or something like that.

Something else to try while you're doing what you're doing now, is crack a window on the side of the house opposite to the OAK intake.

 

[begreen]

Today is a tough day to test. It's 55F outside here under low pressure. If it works better in these conditions that is an encouraging sign. We haven't run our stove for a couple days now, but I wouldn't be surprised if we got a little smoke spillage before the flue warmed up. These are not great burning conditions.

My guess is that disconnecting the oak is likely helping the stove breathe a bit easier by not having to pull the air through more pipe.