smoky odor

Today during the winter storm on the east coast I’m noticing a smoke odor in my house. My stove has been burning 24/7 since 10/23 (ok 2 re-lights) and never a hint of smoky odor. I thoroughly checked the stove (jotul 500) and can find no issues with that. I do have an OAK, which I checked for blockage/issues, none there. (prior to installing the oak, when the stove was off it [the stove] would draw air into the house through the chimney pipe and that made a stale smoky odor). My chimney is a massive solid masonry top to bottom with a clay flue liner. I do have a fire place flue next to the stove flue. Is it possible smoke is coming back down that?- that’s the only thing I can think of. I’ll start a fire in the fireplace later today to see what that does. But figured I would ask the experts incase I’m missing something. In 2 years of burning, 24/7, this has not happened before. The fireplace has a closed damper and glass doors.

begreen said:

Sounds like marginal draft. Do you know the ID of the clay tiles in the chimney? How tall is it?

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6" or 8" flue close to 35' high. The stove is burning as good as always

jrems said:

I'm in CT and have noticed the odor today too. I never usually smell it. I just think the high winds that are changing direction is the main reason. I also have two flues(wood stove and furnace). Once had the smell and the smoke was coming down the furnace chimey since it was not running and the dryer was on nearby. I kicked the furnace on for 10 minutes and reversed the draft and the smell went away.

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maybe, there is a furnace flue also. It has been windy and the smoke is going to down when I look outside. I stuck my nose in the fireplace and that seems fine

begreen said:

This could especially be true if both chimney flues terminate at the same height. If so, the stove flue height should be raised 12-18".

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Fire place flue is higher, but as in other reply there is furnace flue that is the same height as the wood stove flue, though separated by at least 2'.

I think it must be the furnace flue. But still odd as this the 1st time in over 200 days of burning (over 2 years)

pen said:

It could be coming through the fireplace if that has a downdraft in it.

Had the wife call me once that this was happening. As it turned out, she was running the kitchen range hood and the clothes dryer just after reloading the stove. The operation of those were drawing so much air into the house that some smoke from the reload was coming in with it.

pen

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my range hood would draw a bit from fireplace if no fire in it. Glass doors pretty much made that go away.