Smoke out the door

Howdy!

Not whatsoever. You simply had a negative pressure in your stack. Open the closest window to the stove 5-10 minutes before lighting. Make sure all fans that vent outside are off (bathroom, kitchen, etc) and then check. What is your stove/chimney setup (basement stove? outside chimney?)? What was the temperature outside?

Andrew

Once you get the heated air reversing the cold air flow down the stack, your smoke problem will be resolved.

Some options to get a cold flue warmed up to reverse a downdraft:

- Stuff some crumbled newspaper in the front of the baffle and light it up.
- Use a hairdryer and blow warm air over the baffle.
- Ditto with a propane torch.
- Simply keeping the house warm will also help.

Make also sure the flue is not blocked. Check especially the cap screen.

I have a basement stove that's has back draft issues. If it is backdrafting you can usually tell as soon as you open the door, you can feel the cold air rushing out.

For the least amount of smoke released i start a hot quick fire, newspaper and dry kindling, or just a super cedar, then immediately once it stars point a box fan on low right in the opening of. The fan over powers the backdraft and forces the air up the chimney, the air its forcing up is warm so it reverses it, after only a few seconds with the fan its reversed and I'm good to go.

It's in the basement so I have the luxury of leaving a fan nearly and not worrying about a tiny bit of ash blowing around. It may or may not work for your situation, if you accidentally catch your box fan on fire I will deny making the suggestions.

Note: so long as you don't let the stove cool you should be safe from it returning

usually light my stove by heating flue with newspaper,one day tried to light with kindling smoke poured out of every crevice heat up flue no problems.

CI-Borg said:

Thanks for the replies. I read up on starting a draft. I'm mainly concerned about the smoke escaping out the closed door. Wouldn't this signify air was getting in during normal operation?

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No it happens even with a good gasket. Do a dollar bill test but unless the stoves several years old, not to worry.

As said it's a draft issue. But if it's a new thing that you didn't have before it could be a plugged screen.

Air does get in during normal operation. These stoves do not close air tight. There is always at least a small amount of intake air being supplied. Unless the intake is modified by the end user.

Grisu is right on