Need Help With Smoke Leaking Into Home

[Parallax]

Yes, it definitely seems to be helping. It's been less than an hour but already I can see that it's running with the t-stat way down from where it would run before. Used to crash below 2. Now at 2, there's a lot of fire in the box. At 1 1/2 there was still fire in the box. Now I've got it down to 1 and there are still flickers of flame. So way more air flow.

Hard to tell about smoke from the stack because there's so much wind. When the fire goes out completely, I'll see if I can detect any. Right now I can see some but it gets whisked away very fast.

 

[maple1]

So much wind? That might be why you're seeing an improved burn right now - things might deteriorate again when the wind goes down. Then you're back at not enough chimney draft. I still think the trees that are surrounding you are hurting things too.

 

[Parallax]

Until now the wind has not been my friend. And getting a burn at 1 was impossible. So I think it's safe to say there's improvement. Whether all problems are solved remains to be seen.

Now there's no fire in the box but still a bit of smoke. It's worth noting that both the dealer and BK say I may be overloading the cat by using all pressed logs. I'll mix in some splits to see how that effects things.

 

[begreen]

Sounds good, I thought it would be worth trying disconnecting the OAK. These are lousy burning conditions.Cooler weather should be even better.

On a side note, it's amazing how weather varies locally here. Bellingham weather stations are reporting 58F and gusty. Your winds must be coming up the straits. We are dead calm here.

 

[Poindexter]

Has the sweep come and gone already?

 

[Parallax]

Sounds good, I thought it would be worth trying disconnecting the OAK. These are lousy burning conditions.Cooler weather should be even better.

On a side note, it's amazing how weather varies locally here. Bellingham weather stations are reporting 58F and gusty. Your winds must be coming up the straits. We are dead calm here.

Bellingham has different sub-climates. Those in the Fraser River Valley get enormous wind. Not so much where I am, nestled up against the hills around Lake Whatcom. But it's still way winder than normal.

Last night I was out on Fir Island and the winds were fierce! So it's not just Bellingham.

 

[Parallax]

Has the sweep come and gone already?

No, the dealer said the chimney pipe looked very good when he was installing the new 4 foot section. So I decided to wait on having it cleaned.

 

[begreen]

It sounds like the OAK is on the leeward side of the house and in a negative pressure zone. This is fighting draft.

Yes, our topography dramatically affects local conditions. When I checked weather stations in your area Bellingham was about 8 mph and Bow was at 25 mph, steady.

 

[Parallax]

It sounds like the OAK is on the leeward side of the house and in a negative pressure zone. This is fighting draft.

Yes, our topography dramatically affects local conditions. When I checked weather stations in your area Bellingham was about 8 mph and Bow was at 25 mph, steady.

Big improvement on air flow to the box but we're still getting plenty of smoke out the chimney and I can still smell some coming off the top of the firebox. Too bad.

How would you suggest addressing the fact that code requires an OAK? I don't want problems with my insurance company should we have a house fire?

 

[begreen]

Did the cat get checked for plugging? What is the cat temp showing? Well into the active zone?

 

[Parallax]

Did the cat get checked for plugging? What is the cat temp showing? Well into the active zone?

Yes. This blows my mind. With the t-stat set at 1, the cat temp is sitting at 12 o'clock high or even a bit further to the right. In the past, at 1 it would have crashed.

Have not recently checked the cat. Did it a couple of months back with Chris (BKVP) directing me through the process. Right now the stove's hot.

 

[begreen]

Wonder why you are seeing so much smoke then? This stove is supposed to be a clean burner. What is the fuel load today?

 

[maple1]

Big improvement on air flow to the box but we're still getting plenty of smoke out the chimney and I can still smell some coming off the top of the firebox. Too bad.

Again - have you tried cracking a window on the side of the house the wind is blowing against to see what happens?

(A window closest to the stove).

 

[Parallax]

Wonder why you are seeing so much smoke then? This stove is supposed to be a clean burner. What is the fuel load today?

Still running the compressed logs. Figured I'd change one variable at a time.

 

[Parallax]

Again - have you tried cracking a window on the side of the house the wind is blowing against to see what happens?

(A window closest to the stove).

Will try that now.

Edit: Before opening the window, I glanced at the stack to get a "before/after" sense of the impact. At this moment, there appears to be no smoke. Will try it next time I see smoke. T-stat's still at 1 and probe still at 12 o'clock high so the burn seems to have settled in nicely.

 

[begreen]

Still running the compressed logs. Figured I'd change one variable at a time.

How many at once?

 

[Parallax]

How many at once?

Hard to say since some have burned down quite a ways and others were added an hour and a half ago. Pretty good load of them. Maybe too much for any cat to handle.

 

[Parallax]

Will try that now.

Edit: Before opening the window, I glanced at the stack to get a "before/after" sense of the impact. At this moment, there appears to be no smoke. Will try it next time I see smoke. T-stat's still at 1 and probe still at 12 o'clock high so the burn seems to have settled in nicely.

Ok, update on the update: Saw wisps of smoke again when the air got still. Opened a window for about ten minutes. Not noticing any difference in smoke output.

 

[Jags]

It does sound like you may be over powering the cat with the outgassing of the bio-bricks. Try fewer bricks??

 

[begreen]

I'm going to hazard a guess that your house is leaky enough to not need the OAK. We're going to be warm until about Tues night. If temps drop below 40F then I suspect you will think you have a whole new stove.

FWIW, Highbeam complained of smoke with a large load of compressed logs. I suggest trying to burn only 4 with the next load and see how that works.

 

[bholler]

It sounds like the OAK is on the leeward side of the house and in a negative pressure zone.

Yes that was my though as to what could be causeing allot of the problem oaks are good but they need to be placed properly

 

[Parallax]

I'm going to hazard a guess that your house is leaky enough to not need the OAK. We're going to be warm until about Tues night. If temps drop below 40F then I suspect you will think you have a whole new stove.

FWIW, Highbeam complained of smoke with a large load of compressed logs. I suggest trying to burn only 4 with the next load and see how that works.

New stove in a good way?

Though it's modern construction and well built, with 2650 square feet of high ceilings and 12 skylights, there probably is enough leakiness to run without the OAK but what about code? I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be there.

 

[bholler]

there probably is enough leakiness to run without the OAK but what about code? I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be there.

I dont know about your local code but it is not required here at all unless the manufacturer requires it

 

[Parallax]

Just tried a quick test. Disengaged the cat. Didn't notice any difference in smoke output. Hmmm . . .

 

[begreen]

I dont know about your local code but it is not required here at all unless the manufacturer requires it

WA state legislature made the wording vague so that some local authorities interpret it to be required on all new installs. That was not supposed to be the intent. It was supposed to be for all new home construction, the thinking that these homes would be tighter.

Tom Oyen has a good writeup on this in the sweep's library:
(broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/hooa.htm)