Smoke Starts Leaking Into Room All of a Sudden?

[Tiffany and Bartholomew]

Hi all!

I know this has already been touched on in many different threads, but I’ve read through a lot and am still having an issue:

This is our third year burning with our stove. Never had any problem with smoke leaking into the house until the other day. Basically my husband started a fire (cold start) in the same way he usually does. After a minute or so, the entire room was filled with smoke. It was leaking in from where the pipe connects to the ceiling box thing (attached pictures). He smothered it. We cleared the room. When we went to restart it again, everything was fine, no more smoke, etc.

We thought it was a fluke, but it did the same thing yesterday, again starting from cold. We smothered it, then restarted it again and everything was fine. Until about an hour later, smoke started coming in from that same spot.

Other details that might be important:
-we have a mobile home, no two stories
-no vents or fans or dryers were on anywhere in the house
-it has a fresh air intake
-our house is NOT well sealed
-it happened with windows open or closed
-chimney pipes go straight up and out. No bends/curves/etc. (probably 10 ft total)
-inside it’s double wall pipes

We’ve already swept once this season, so it shouldn’t be that much buildup, although he’s going to sweep again tomorrow to just be sure

It was cold outside both times. The first time was in the 20s

The chimney cap is not clogged

The *only* thing I can think is that we have had to use some subpar wood recently. Circumstances happened and we no longer have our properly stored, well-seasoned oak, so we started resorting to improperly stored, maybe seasoned wood that’s a mix of soft and hard woods. Could that really be the issue?

I’ve attached pictures of our inside setup and a closeup of the joint where the smoke was leaking in at in case that helps.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all!

 

[begreen]

I'm not sure, but what is described may have been a back puff. This happens when the firewood is having a hard time getting started. If the flame temporarily goes out with hot wood and kindling in the firebox, wood gases (smoke) starts to accumulate. Then, when a flame reemerges, the wood gases ignite with a small explosion. The short chimney on the mobile makes for a weaker draft, especially on start up, which can make starting damp wood even harder. So will trying to burn when outside temperatures are mild.

Burning subpar wood is a bear. Give the fire plenty of air when starting. If you can, get some good dry wood to mix in and leave the stove door slightly ajar a bit longer to be sure the wood is burning well. If no dry wood is available get some 2x4 cutoffs from a carpenter or new home site. Another source of dry wood is from a flooring installer. They often have a barrel of dry, unfinished oak or maple scraps from a full house install.

Also, clean the flue more frequently. Once a month is not too much when the wood has high moisture content.

 

[Eman85]

Odd it smoked out of the top joint where your pipe attaches to the chimney adapter. Short chimney doesn't help things. Possibly tried to build too big of a smokey fire with wet wood too quickly. I'd get some good dry kindling to start the fire with. Busted up pallets or I use scraps from a cabinet shop. Build a small fire with the kindling to heat the chimney and add wood slowly. Could also try the bricks at Tractor Supply and see how it does.

 

[Tiffany and Bartholomew]

Thank you guys!

We do have some pieces of unfinished oak in the house we were going to use for making shelves. Will try chopping those into kindling pieces and seeing what happens. We also do have some of those bricks, they were on clearance at Lowe’s last year for $1. Will try a fire with that and report back with the results.

You don’t think it’s a problem with where the pipe is connecting, do you? Could it have come loose somehow?

 

[begreen]

Hope

You don’t think it’s a problem with where the pipe is connecting, do you? Could it have come loose somehow?

Hopefully not, there should be 3 screws per pipe joint securing the system. When there is a back puff, smoke can be forced under strong pressure out of all connections, even out of the stove air intake.

 

[Tiffany and Bartholomew]

Hope

Hopefully not, there should be 3 screws per pipe joint securing the system. When there is a back puff, smoke can be forced under strong pressure out of all connections, even out of the stove air intake.

Okay. There are three screws, and they’re all still there! Hopefully that’s not it then. Thank you!

 

[Tiffany and Bartholomew]

Update:

Husband went and scrounged up all the slivers and tiny pieces of wood left on the floor in our barn to use as kindling. They were very small pieces. Definitely not wet or anything.

Checked the draft before, just with a lighter. Crumpled some paper and put maybe a handful of those kindling pieces. Virtually immediately after lighting the paper, smoke started leaking from that same place. The whole box filled with smoke as well.

I opened the window and shut the air. But the fire wouldn’t die, so I just opened it all the way and was going to let it burn down. There was no more smoke anymore, so I decided to add a bigger piece and see what would happen.

Now when you open the door, or even just turn the handle to crack it, smoke starts coming out of that joint. You shut the door, no more smoke. Did that about 10 times.

So, does that mean it’s not the wood? Could there be a blockage from not having swept in a few months?

 

[webby3650]

Checking the draft with a lighter isn’t enough. Get a small fire ready to light, then light some newspaper and hold it above the assembled fire, get some heat in the flue, and verify its drafting well, then light the fire. The chimney is very short and will struggle at times. Also, mobile homes are very tight, that ls why outside combustion air is required.

 

[Eman85]

When the fire goes out get the ladder and check the chimney. There is something wrong. I have a very similar setup and have run singlewall pipe that didn't mate perfectly and I never had smoke come out of any of the joints. I have the same looking DW pipe and ceiling kit as you and do not get any smoke backing up.

 

[begreen]

Update:

Husband went and scrounged up all the slivers and tiny pieces of wood left on the floor in our barn to use as kindling. They were very small pieces. Definitely not wet or anything.

Checked the draft before, just with a lighter. Crumpled some paper and put maybe a handful of those kindling pieces. Virtually immediately after lighting the paper, smoke started leaking from that same place. The whole box filled with smoke as well.

I opened the window and shut the air. But the fire wouldn’t die, so I just opened it all the way and was going to let it burn down. There was no more smoke anymore, so I decided to add a bigger piece and see what would happen.

Now when you open the door, or even just turn the handle to crack it, smoke starts coming out of that joint. You shut the door, no more smoke. Did that about 10 times.

So, does that mean it’s not the wood? Could there be a blockage from not having swept in a few months?

Check the chimney cap by removing it. If it has a screen it may be plugged. While up there take a picture looking down the chimney pipe and post it here.

 

[webby3650]

When the fire goes out get the ladder and check the chimney. There is something wrong. I have a very similar setup and have run singlewall pipe that didn't mate perfectly and I never had smoke come out of any of the joints. I have the same looking DW pipe and ceiling kit as you and do not get any smoke backing up.

When there’s no draft, smoke will come out of every joint, especially at the chimney adapter. Checking the cap is a great idea though.

 

[Tiffany and Bartholomew]

Thank you guys! And don’t I look foolish. From the ground, the chimney cap looked fine. But it was not the case! (See pics)

Sweeping the chimney now. Apparently there’s some thick buildup in there, too.

 

[begreen]

Yep, that's the problem. Thanks for the update. The screen is pretty fine. It looks like it might be 1/4". If so, it could be replaced with a stainless 1/2" screen.

 

[Tiffany and Bartholomew]

Yep, that's the problem. Thanks for the update. The screen is pretty fine. It looks like it might be 1/4". If so, it could be replaced with a stainless 1/2" screen.

That’s a good idea! I thought the holes were pretty big lol. Guess not 😅 how often do you have to clean the chimney cap?

 

[Eman85]

My cap is nothing like that, it has 3 straps going up to the cap and a band going around, the rest is wide open no screen. A lot of cleaning depends on your stove , the wood and how you burn. Your home is like mine, one story, so it's easy enough to check and clean often.

 

[30WCF]

Good deal
Clean that cap and let us know how great it works.

 

[begreen]

That’s a good idea! I thought the holes were pretty big lol. Guess not 😅 how often do you have to clean the chimney cap?

Never, since I removed the screen. But for some that's not a good option, especially if birds or squirrels like to get in there.

 

[30WCF]

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[NickW]

If you are burning questionable wood, do everything you can to get up to temp quickly to reduce buildup. Creosote can only form at temperatures under 250f. How do you monitor temperatures?

 

[Tiffany and Bartholomew]

My cap is nothing like that, it has 3 straps going up to the cap and a band going around, the rest is wide open no screen. A lot of cleaning depends on your stove , the wood and how you burn. Your home is like mine, one story, so it's easy enough to check and clean often.

True enough. We’ll definitely be checking the cap way more often now!

For most of the season we were able to use great wood, but suddenly we had to resort to the questionable wood. Some is oak and some is pine. Some is extremely well seasoned and others you could wring out like a sponge. We try to avoid those lol

If you are burning questionable wood, do everything you can to get up to temp quickly to reduce buildup. Creosote can only form at temperatures under 250f. How do you monitor temperatures?

I think it’s like a IR heat gun or something like that? It’s been very difficult to get above 250 quickly. Today it took the better part of an hour, maybe more. But I don’t think the strong winds are helping any!

 

[Tiffany and Bartholomew]

Good deal
Clean that cap and let us know how great it works.

And yes, it is working WAY better now. No more smoke in the house. Thankful for that!

 

[begreen]

Where is the temperature being measured?

Hope the winds settle down, they have been really bad in eastern TN.

 

[Eman85]

WIND I've had enough already! Locally we had 60mph sustained and over 100mph gusts recorded. It's caused a backpuff on me and then incredible draft.
If I burn dirty I get a black Styrofoam looking crust around my cap that rubs right off. I can see my cap easily from my deck so I check it regularly. If it's that slow to get up to temperature I'd say the wood is not seasoned enough. You can burn it but you'll need to keep the chimney clean.

 

[Tiffany and Bartholomew]

Where is the temperature being measured?

Hope the winds settle down, they have been really bad in eastern TN.

The top of the stove. We kind of point it all around and go off the hottest temperature. Usually it’s relatively consistent. With seasoned wood it stays in the 500s.

Thankfully we got it taken care of before last weeks horrible temps and snow.

 

[Tiffany and Bartholomew]

WIND I've had enough already! Locally we had 60mph sustained and over 100mph gusts recorded. It's caused a backpuff on me and then incredible draft.
If I burn dirty I get a black Styrofoam looking crust around my cap that rubs right off. I can see my cap easily from my deck so I check it regularly. If it's that slow to get up to temperature I'd say the wood is not seasoned enough. You can burn it but you'll need to keep the chimney clean.

Thank you! We will definitely keep checking the cap often. Will definitely be keeping a double stash of seasoned wood for next year so we don’t have this problem.

Also having a not so pristine door gasket doesnt help the smoky smell. But we can’t find anywhere that carries the size gasket we need, and even the stove supplier said they didn’t have anything in stock! Can’t find online either