Napoleon NZ3000 smoke backup

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Laldybug

New Member
Mar 9, 2016
2
Canada
Hi, we have installed a NZ3000 last summer and have had all winter to test, test and test some more. Here is the problem.
We keep getting smoke backup in the house. Doesn't matter if the fire is hot or not.
When starting the fire we open the door or window (not necessary but speeds up the process) in the room and leave the doors of the fire place cracked open to get a good draft going and presto, fire is burning... Now the problem and what we have tried.
Once the fire is hot and drawing very well we open the doors and put the screen on. We don't see any smoke coming out but withing 15 minutes our eyes are burning and we can't stand it any longer and end up closing the doors. We have tried this with different size fires, very hot fires and not so hot fires. Key open, key closed and key partially closed/open. All with the same results.
When the doors are closed and fire needs to be stoked we can open the right door and we get no smoke, when we open the left door smoke comes out. WHEN the left door is closed we can see the smoke coming out next to the right door but its being sucked right back in...
No smoke when doors are cracked or completely closed tight.
One last bit of information, we have a regular fireplace before the installation of the NZ3000, it was not a high efficiency box, a simple fire box and the smoke went out a chimney. The old fireplace was almost always burned with the doors open. They get closed just before turning in. Never did we have smoke.
Can anyone out there in the Hearth room explain what might be going on?
Thank you very much.
 
Welcome to hearth.com. Does the NZ3000 have an outside air supply connected to it? How tall is the chimney on this fireplace?
 
The fact that opening a window or door improves the fire makes me wonder if they are obstructed in some way. When a fire is going and the fireplace doors are closed you could temporarily take a sheet of paper to test if there is suction (air going in to the fireplace) at these outside air traps.
 
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Underneath there is a shutoff for outside air so it will use room air, make sure that control is in the open position. You have to take off the lower grate to check it.
 
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We had a similiar issue with this unit. The original installer used 6" pipe instead of 8" that is required. We were able to change out the flue and the problem is solved.
Edit: I was reffering to a nz6000. Yours will use a 7" flue rather than 8".
Any chance this is the case?
 
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Laldybug, I am having the same issue with my NZ600 that was installed 2months ago. It is driving me crazy. I have another fireplace, not a stove in the other living room without doors, and I get no smoke at all. Also, is it me, or doesn't it seem to throw off a lot more heat with the doors open? I also don't like how the new units don't allow you to control they are intake.
 
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