Smoke from pellet vent in my house.

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CJB

New Member
Nov 6, 2012
6
Southern Maine
I am a brand new user to this website. Every time I Google something it brings me to the hundreds of threads on this website asking the same questions over and over again. I have read the hundreds of posts, threads, comments, ideas, and inquires on this website. I have also read the FAQs, and "Try this" before asking a questions on here.

My problem with all of these threads is that they do not pertain to me and my specific issues. There are a vast number of answers and suggestions that just do not meet my questions and needs.

I want to preface my question with some background information for everybody to digest and interpret so that the feedback given to me can be beneficial to myself and other people who may have the same issues or concerns.

I have a US Stove Works 5660(I) Bayview pellet stove. Brand new out of the box a month ago. Have had it installed for 2-3 weeks now. My fiancee and I noticed that when the stove runs we smell smoke from beginning to end. Being new to owning a fuel burning appliance we thought nothing of it as it should be normal to have smoke from a solid fuel. After doing some research last night I found that this is not normal, it is not healthy, and it needs to be fixed.

I had my stove installed by a general contractor. The main problem with my stove is that it comes from a box store. Ultimately this means there are no professionals, no technicians, it's me installing it or I find someone who knows how to install them. He installed it, it came out great, he had done them in the past with no issues, so I thought I was rocking and rolling when he completed the install.

The install is an up and out installation. The cleanout/T is in my house. Very first piece leaving the stove. It goes up about 2.5-3 feet and exits straight through the wall thimble outside. The exit point is about 5 feet above the ground and and about 16-18 inches beyond the wall with the horizontal cap.

Last night after reading that smoke in the home is usually from the vent of the stove I started digging. I did the lights off with a flashlight trick (as suggested on here) and saw smoke coming from the cleanout on the T and that was it. I spent a little bit of time plugging the holes on the T with some high temp silicone sealant and put it back in. Voila! No smoke from the T anymore! But then I realized that I could smell the smoke and could not see it.

I did some more research and then started putting some leftover silver tape over all of the joints. I sealed some of the joints that I could with some with silicone and to no evail I can still smell the smoke and cannot locate where it is coming from.

So this morning I took the entire vent apart. I am not a handy man so this was a venture for me. I cleaned off everything I had done the night before. I purchased a new T /cleanout and some more high temp silicone and started reassembling the unit. I put some silicone at the top of the T where the first 12" pipe connects to it. The next 12" length has silicone in it. The next 12' connection has silicone in it. Now we get to the 90 degree angle which at both ends has 12" connections. Neither of which have silicone in them. The next 12" length goes through the wall thimble and connects to the outer 12" length and cap which has no silicone in it because it was easier to install the pieces without having to worry about the silicone application.

I did not put any silicone around the 90 degree because I feared having to take this thing apart for maintenance in the future.

With the install from the contractor I had smoke at the cleanout/T and I could not see it coming from anywhere else.

With my reinstallation I have a lot of smoke, during startup, leaving through both ends of the 90 and all the joints on the 90. THe smoke is also coming out the cleanout/T, because I had purchased a new one thinking I had damaged the old one. I believe that there is smoke coming out of the joints that I had even put silicone in!

Overall my entire house wreaks of smoke. I have a CO sensor in the same room as the pellet stove and I have smoke detectors. None of which have gone off.

My question is - How do I fix this? Having taken this apart already - and not being comfortable with doing that - I now have a problem of smoke in the house that is worse from when I started.

Alternatives to high temp silicone?
Can I seal these joints while the vent is installed as is? (on the outside of the vent)
Should I make the contractor take this apart and fix it?

First time home owner, first time pellet stove user, not a handy man. Bear with me. And thank you ahead of time.

::edit:: I used Dura-Vent (Simpson) PelletVent/CornVent kit purchased at a box store.
 
maybe I read this wrong, but it sounds like you are putting the silicone on the INSIDE of the pipe joints and interfering with the proper seal?

screws and silicone and tape on the outside of the joints.
 
Silicone on the outside joints and also High temp tape over that.

As for other points, did the contractor seal the Stove Adapter well? It is a place that normally leaks (if not.done properly).

Welcome to the Forums. Hope you get this figured out.
 
Problem is most likely the box store duravent. It is crappy pipe with only a rope gasket inside it, no silicone seals. Do yourself a favor and get ICC Excel you will never need pipe again. With ICC you never need to seal the outside with silicone or aluminum tape because it has huge silicone gaskets on the inside that seal each section tight. At least get the duravent pro that has the internal silicone gaskets.
 
maybe I read this wrong, but it sounds like you are putting the silicone on the INSIDE of the pipe joints and interfering with the proper seal?

screws and silicone and tape on the outside of the joints.

I did put silicone on the inside. How do the screws help the connections? I feel like it would only be worse.

Predrill holes for screws?
 
Silicone on the outside joints and also High temp tape over that.

As for other points, did the contractor seal the Stove Adapter well? It is a place that normally leaks (if not.done properly).

Welcome to the Forums. Hope you get this figured out.

Stove adapter? Is this the first little piece of piping that connects directly to the exhaust? Its probably an inch or 2 long?

If this is the case, i put sealant on the inside of the joint between the adapter and the cleanout/t
 
I used the same pipe kit as you from the box store. I went crazy what i found was the first pipe that connects to the pipe adapter i could never get to stop leaking smoke. i took a dremel and cut it, just the outer shell all the way around the pipe so when i installed it i could get to where it seats. i also filled where the rope seats with silicone yes filled it and let it harden before install. look at the clear silicone in this pic not the red if i didnt cut back that pipe it would almost cover the red silicone and i couldnt get to it good

::picture removed::

I appreciate the picture and information.... I am just confused as what the "adapter" is. It has got to be the little 2" piece that connects directly to the exhaust then in line would be my cleanout/t for my particular set up?
 
I did put silicone on the inside. How do the screws help the connections? I feel like it would only be worse.

Predrill holes for screws?

I did the following on my instal, My selkirk pipe has a rope gasket. Per the instructions i applied hight temp silicone to the male end of each section of pipe, and put it together and as it oozed out smoothed the edges. If you did this you should be fine.
 
The screws provide a positive mechanical fastening, this prevents joint separation if the vent is struck or otherwise moved when working around it, silicone seals can break if things move to much.
 
By sealing the adapter, the Stove collar must have Silicone applied to it.

Is the adapter just sitting on the stove collar? You shouldn't have to seal the inside of the venting.

The only piece that has Silicone applied to the inside, is the stove adapter. Once silicone is applied to the adapter (I.D.) and the stoves collar (O.D.) then put the adapter on the collar (I like to twist while putting on/evenly applies)

The collar is where many leaks are found. Any other leak can be sealed externally with silicone. Any outside joints do not need sealed (including cap). If they leak, it wont matter.
 
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So i have sealed every joint on this vent with some black high temperature sealant. I put some high temperature tape around the joint of the t cleanout and put a collar on it to tighten the connection really well.

I can still smell smoke. But I cannot see it.

It has got to be at the connection from stove to adapter. Where I have done nothing to make it air tight. A picture is here for reference, You can see that I have sealed the first joint that connects my cleanout/T to the stove adapter. But I have not done anything where the actual adapter connects to the exhaust of the stove.


At this point the joints are all rigid/solid. Concerned about having to remove these pipes to make this adapter/stove exhaust air tight.

Suggestions?

(I very much appreciate everyones input !!!)
 

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I like this silicone tape to seal all external joints, seams, etc. (about the circumference) It is rated to 500 degrees F. My pipe is black so it blends in nice. I still had to use the high temp silicone caulk on some of the longitudinal seams. That is why I re-named the Duravent in my signature!

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Nashua-Tape-Stretch-and-Seal-1-in-x-10-ft-Silicone-Sealing-Tape/100206050/


thanks for that link!! I may use this stuff on the exhaust of the stove where I do not want to remove the pipe as it is all fixed now!
 
When I assembled mine, I did use plenty of silicone between the adapter and exhaust, but I also used a hose clamp cinched up real tight around the slightly exposed part of the adapter. You can try one without removing the adapter and see if it helps.
 
If you have not sealed it? Maybe the contractor didn't seal it?? I would check... A.S.A.P.....

Could be a super simple fix.... Because I am seeing no evidence of Sealant on that adapter.

That is a LOOSE fitting part. It NEEDS sealant.

It has been said several times to check the adapter.
 
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