Smoke Coming Out of Pellet Stove When Power Goes Out

[BKyler]

We had a power outage this morning and smoke started coming out of every opening of the pellet stove filling the house with smoke and setting off the smoke detectors. Is this normal? Is there anything you can do to stop this from happening in the future? Had to open windows to get the smoke out and it was 18 degrees in Central Pennsylvania at 4:00 a.m.

 

[bggzm85]

Make sure you have at least 36-48" of vertical rise or connect the stove to a UPS that's big enough to last through a shutdown cycle.

 

[johneh]

As Bggzm85 said .
If you do not have an OAK (outside air kit) installed and sealed you should
your stove intake and exhaust would be a loop to the outside
hopefully preventing smoke from coming into your living space

 

[zrock]

yes it is normal you need a battery back up or you need to have your stove pipe like above to create a draft and pull teh smoke out of the stove. My stove must be the exception to the draft rule as i only have a strait pipe going out of the house and when the power goes out it sucks about 90% of the smoke out of the stove.

 

[bogieb]

Not sure what stove you have (hint: it would be great if you put that in your signature), but some stoves will shut down "gracefully" if they are on the correct type of UPS. Both of my stoves are on an APC 850 UPS and the stoves can tell when they aren't on house current so will shut themselves down in a power outage. That shut down involves stopping the feeder and pulsing the exhaust fan (uses less energy that way - sounds weird though). Bonus of a UPS is that the it also acts as a buffer between spikes from main power and the stove, so less likely to fry electronics.

My basement stove has a 5-6' rise for the exhaust. That would probably take care of it but I prefer not to find out since smoke will ALWAYS find and take the easiest way out. unless otherwise directed (by the exhaust fan). My main floor stove is pretty much a direct vent, but due to circumstances there are a couple of 45* elbows over the 1' rise, so that one would most definitely be a problem if there wasn't a UPS there during a power outage.

Even if you have a backup generator, you need a UPS to keep the stove going until everything gets up and running.

 

[BKyler]

It's a Harman Advance pellet stove. Now after two power surges and power outage it won't feed pellets now.

 

[johneh]

I have to presume the stove was not on a surge protector.

 

[BKyler]

I have to presume the stove was not on a surge protector.

no it was not

 

[Dataman]

I run AIMS 1250 to mine to keep it running or shut it down. Couple 100ah Batteries (200AH Batteries going in next Season)

 

[johneh]

No surge protector magic smoke may have escaped the control board

 

[mellow]

I agree, you might have blown a board. Time to try diagnosing the issue or calling the dealer for service.

You might get away easy with just a blown fuse, here is a link to parts for it: https://pellet-stove-parts-4less.com/collections/harman-pellet-stove-parts-advance/control-boards