so I just bought a house and it has a pellet stove. I do not trust it at all. we closed on the house Monday and the pellet stove was running when we got to the house. it got way too hot in the house even on its lowest setting so we shut it off. went to turn it back on and smoke started leaking out the pipe and into the house. and then it made a big PUFF inside the glass cover and more smoke came out of the back of the stove into the house. I'm terrified of this thing starting a fire or smoking the entire house. my 2 dogs stay at the house while I'm at work and I'm so scared something will happen. I currently only have heat in my bedroom via baseboard heat. I'm afraid my pipes are gonna burst since the rest of the house is freezing. what do I do?
Pellet stove beginner...
- Thread starter kbirbs
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The seller, agent, or home inspector should have given you some instructions as part of the sale. There's no need to be scared as long as the stove is in good working order. You may want to find a local dealer and have a deep cleaning and inspection of the stove performed. The dealer can then give you a full report along with instructions on how to use and maintain it. In the meantime here's a link to the manual: http://www.breckwell.com/Manuals/USSC/5500 Series.pdf
Deezl Smoke
Feeling the Heat
It really would help if you took a picture or two of the back of the stove and how it is hooked up to any piping.
The big puff and smoke was a "flash over" ignition. It's not uncommon. My pellet stoves will do this too when the pellets are not in real good condition. Basically, you have a glowing bit of special meal that is trying to get the pellets in the burn pot to ignite. As this process takes a little bit of time, smoke will fill the burn box, but the fan known as the "combustion fan" will pull the smoke outside through the chimney. However, if the pellets do not ignite on time, there will be so much smoke in the box that when they do ignite, the smoke is at near ignition temperature itself. So the smoke catches fire at the same time as the pellets do, causing this big woosh sound and it will push smoke out of any leak in the piping.
Since you are new to pellets, it really would help to see how the stove hooked up to you chimney so we can tell you if the burn air is coming from inside your house or outside.
Please read your owners manual. If you do not have the paper one, look for one online or call whomever makes or made that stove for one. You need to know how to properly clean the stove and how to make sure your pellets are in good condition.
The big puff and smoke was a "flash over" ignition. It's not uncommon. My pellet stoves will do this too when the pellets are not in real good condition. Basically, you have a glowing bit of special meal that is trying to get the pellets in the burn pot to ignite. As this process takes a little bit of time, smoke will fill the burn box, but the fan known as the "combustion fan" will pull the smoke outside through the chimney. However, if the pellets do not ignite on time, there will be so much smoke in the box that when they do ignite, the smoke is at near ignition temperature itself. So the smoke catches fire at the same time as the pellets do, causing this big woosh sound and it will push smoke out of any leak in the piping.
Since you are new to pellets, it really would help to see how the stove hooked up to you chimney so we can tell you if the burn air is coming from inside your house or outside.
Please read your owners manual. If you do not have the paper one, look for one online or call whomever makes or made that stove for one. You need to know how to properly clean the stove and how to make sure your pellets are in good condition.
Never just turn it off is #1. Turn the Temp down so the Combustion Blower keeps running. Please take pics, include pic (close up) of pellets. Are they dry? I agree get it cleaned and inspected.
yep some good advice above... I would spend the few $$ and have someone come and inspect and give you a rundown on how to use your stove. The pipe probably just needs some sealent around the joints or some furnace tape.
heat seeker
Minister of Fire
It sounds to me like insufficient combustion air flow - bad fan/motor, blocked pipe, dirty stove.
BigJohnfromCT
Feeling the Heat
If money was held back in escrow notify your real estate agent so as not to release funds until the issue is resolved.
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