Pellet stove fills room with smoke

[RM Donaghy]

Hello and thank you for accepting me to the forum. I'm new to the pellet stove thing so forgive my lack of knowledge. When I turn on my Drolet 45 stove, it does the usual stuff. The auger feeds pellets into the burn pot, after a predetermined amount, the igniter fires up. Then the pellets start smoking and the smoke comes out from under the burn chamber and fills the room with smoke until there is fire in the burn pot. What could be causing this? The stove was used when I bought it I don't know it's age. Everything else in new, pellets, exhaust pipe. There is currently no fresh air intake piping installed.
I bought a kit but haven't gotten it installed. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[johneh]

Unless something has come apart or broken inside the stove
your smoke on start-up is from the chimney connections
seal with hi-temp silicon, silicon tape or the metal tape used by HVAC techs
The smoke can be seen in the dark using a flashlight

 

[ARC]

the smoke comes out from under the burn chamber and fills the room with smoke until there is fire in the burn pot.

Describe or picture of your venting, when was the last time it was cleaned. Ash, bird nest or wasp nest blocking venting? Were does the smoke come out of when filling room, ash drawer, around door, venting or some place else?

 

[RM Donaghy]

Describe or picture of your venting, when was the last time it was cleaned. Ash, bird nest or wasp nest blocking venting? Were does the smoke come out of when filling room, ash drawer, around door, venting or some place else?

Hi, thanks for the reply. The exhaust piping is brand new. The smoke seems to come out by the ash drawer. I just got this stove so I don't know if something is missing. The little hatch in the floor of the burn chamber is there and there is one piece of steel that sits at an angle in the burn chamber. I don't see any other connection to the ash drawer other than that little hatch.

 

[johneh]

If you have smoke coming out of the ash drawer I would
suspect the combustion fan is not working. But more likely
the gasket for the drawer. There is a possibility
that the drawer gasket is not sealing tight. Is there a gasket
around the front of the drawer? Does the drawer latch close tight?
I also do not see any sealant on any of the pipes in the house. It
does not take much for smoke to leak at the joints

 

[RM Donaghy]

If you have smoke coming out of the ash drawer I would
suspect the combustion fan is not working. But more likely
the gasket for the drawer. There is a possibility
that the drawer gasket is not sealing tight. Is there a gasket
around the front of the drawer? Does the drawer latch close tight?
I also do not see any sealant on any of the pipes in the house. It
does not take much for smoke to leak at the joints

I will have to look at the ash drawer. I had it out to empty it but I saw no gasket on the drawer itself. The pipe joints will get hi temp silicone on final install. I need to finish the tiling on the hearth first, then reinstall the stove, but there doesn't appear to be any smoke coming from the pipes as they are right now.

 

[Washed-Up]

Also it would make the airflow, safety and cleaning way better if there was a T straight off the back of your stove inside, ash can build up pretty easily with the flex pipe

 

[ARC]

What level do you have the damper set at when starting? I know this sounds backward but on start up damper should be more toward the minimum setting. The blower pulls air over the ignitor and the hot air is what starts the pellets on fire. To much air and the pellets smother causing more smoke and less flame. Try different damper settings on start up.

 

[RM Donaghy]

There is no gasket on the ash drawer or the stove.

 

[RM Donaghy]

What level do you have the damper set at when starting? I know this sounds backward but on start up damper should be more toward the minimum setting. The blower pulls air over the ignitor and the hot air is what starts the pellets on fire. To much air and the pellets smother causing more smoke and less flame. Try different damper settings on start up.

There is no damper that I know of. Edit: i read the manual, there is a damper inside the unit. I have not checked it yet.

 

[ARC]

Drolet 45 stove

Can you post a picture of model number plate? or tell us what stove is called on the plate and a date? I have seen a Drolet eco 45 and it had a damper adjustment knob on the outside right side. Some have damper adjustments some don't. Is there a gasket under the fire pot?

 

[RM Donaghy]

Can you post a picture of model number plate? or tell us what stove is called on the plate and a date? I have seen a Drolet eco 45 and it had a damper adjustment knob on the outside right side. Some have damper adjustments some don't. Is there a gasket under the fire pot?

I found the damper in the right side.

 

[ARC]

Have to figure out how to get flame started sooner in the fire pot. Venting looks good. Try adjusting draft next. What kind of pellets are you using, softwood, hardwood or mixed? Softwood seems to start easier. Could be dirty or weak exhaust blower. Dirty/ash filled passage in stove. Dirty under fire pot to include ignitor. Weak ignitor. Blocked air inlet. Does it have a good active fire after it gets started or is it lazy orangish fire?

 

[RM Donaghy]

Have to figure out how to get flame started sooner in the fire pot. Venting looks good. Try adjusting draft next. What kind of pellets are you using, softwood, hardwood or mixed? Softwood seems to start easier. Could be dirty or weak exhaust blower. Dirty/ash filled passage in stove. Dirty under fire pot to include ignitor. Weak ignitor. Blocked air inlet. Does it have a good active fire after it gets started or is it lazy orangish fire?

Flame is orange but comes on fairly quick. This start after adjusting damper there wasn't any smoke.

 

[ARC]

This start after adjusting damper there wasn't any smoke.

So your saying adjusting damper fixed your "Pellet stove fills room with smoke"? Good job.

 

[RM Donaghy]

So your saying adjusting damper fixed your "Pellet stove fills room with smoke"? Good job.

I'll be watching it but it seems to have solved it. The damper was nearly wide open.