Smoke

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

dhungy

Feeling the Heat
Jan 7, 2010
304
Fingerlakes
So after installing my englander as my back up.. I have done 2 test burns and each time there is a smoke smell. My astoria (professional install) has never had a smoke smell. There are only two joints on the inside that could be leaking. The adapter that connects the stove to the duravent and where the 45 degree meets the 3' straight pipe out the wall. I suppose it could be my door I did not replace the door gasket. Is there anyway to narrow down where the leak is?

Thanks,
 
dhungy said:
.....I suppose it could be my door I did not replace the door gasket. Is there anyway to narrow down where the leak is?

Thanks,

The door will probably not be the problem. Most pellet stoves run negative pressure in the firebox, so smoke would be pulled AWAY from the door.

To find leaks, shut the stove off, and allow to cool off. Start the stove, and as soon as smoke starts building in the firebox, turn off the lights (best to do this at night). Use a flashlight and shine the beam around the pipes and the stove in general....the flashlight beam should illuminate the smoke pretty easily.

BTW, do the dollar bill test on the door gasket just to check it.
 
Flashlight on startup works well. I used it last season to find a few leaks after install.

Even with Excel pipe, I had leaks that I could not get rid of. happened only upon startup and would go away after that. I finally just used metal tape on the joints. Not a problem since.
 
AFter reading some posts and thinking, I am wondering if the adapter is not all the way on the stove exhaust. I remember it coming up just a lil short of being all the way on and thinking to myself that it seems close enough. Apparently there might not be a proper seal if I didn't bring it all they way on. Could that be my problem? shouldn't the silicone have sealed it anyway?
 
Startup is when you probably have the leak as once the stove and pipe are warm enough you will get a natural draft. Indoor versus outdoor delta temp is a big factor in drafting. The colder it is outside versus inside the more likely you are to get a leak.

Use a flashlight on startup with lights out. Check every seam, even the seams that run the length of the pipe. A small puff of smoke is all it takes. If we are talking infamous Duravent Pelletvent pipe it could be anywhere and may take a fair amount of foil tape to seal since as you tape one spot it will leak in another like a game of whack-a-mole.
 
I did the test last night and found that at least one leak us coming from a gap in silicone at the thimble . This confused me because there are no joints in the thimble. But there is one right at the exit of the thimble on the outside. It must be leaking back into the wall.
 
When I had so much trouble with the Duravent Pelletvent I called the company. An honest tech explained to me the limitations of that pipe.

The inner pipe is the combustion pipe. The outer pipe a simple heat shield that cannot seal in smoke. The rope is worthless. Any leak from the inner pipe can travel anywhere.

IMHO you should get a roll of foil tape and tape every joint you can on the inside pipe.
 
so after adding some more gobs of silicone I did the test again. still leaking from almost every joint. I am buying the metal tape tomorrow.. but do i need to remove all of that silicone before i tape it up? or can i tape over silicone?
 
I really don't know why a dealer would sell you pipe that leaks. Sure you can spend money buying tape and silicone to stop the leak but why not return it and get a better brand of pipe? I got stuck with the same leaky pipe once but after that switched to a different brand of pipe.
I would guess if every customer brought that leaky pipe back and demanded either a full refund or replacement with something that doesn't leak things would change fast. There is a huge profit in selling pipe and when a person is spending full price they shouldn't have to put up with a inferior product.
 
My pipe exept for the adapter and the 45 were used and included when i bought the stove off of craigslist.
 
dhungy said:
so after adding some more gobs of silicone I did the test again. still leaking from almost every joint. I am buying the metal tape tomorrow.. but do i need to remove all of that silicone before i tape it up? or can i tape over silicone?

No. Tape over the silicone. You could make things worse, if you can get it apart at all.

The tape is malleable enough to go over and around odd shapes.
 
My head is sore from banging it on the wall for the exact same problem. I siliconed the outside of the duravent and it helped everywhere. The only real issue I have is the adapter. I siliconed it on and it still smoked like a forest fire. Since then every night I'm hanging out with my flashlight looking for leaks. I think I may have it under control, I can't find any smoke even with the flashlight but I still smell a wiff.......Guess what I'm doing tonight.
 
Selkirt makes a good pipe and has its own seals which seems to do a very good job. I know a few people that bought it just to avoid the smoke leak problem and I never heard of a complaint.
It is more expensive but by the time you buy the high temp clear silicone, the metal tape, and go through the general frustration of having to fix leaks that should not be there plus knowing you will go through the same thing if you have to take the system apart it becomes affordable fast.
 
Clarksfan1 said:
My head is sore from banging it on the wall for the exact same problem. I siliconed the outside of the duravent and it helped everywhere. The only real issue I have is the adapter. I siliconed it on and it still smoked like a forest fire. Since then every night I'm hanging out with my flashlight looking for leaks. I think I may have it under control, I can't find any smoke even with the flashlight but I still smell a wiff.......Guess what I'm doing tonight.

I'll bet its the t-cap. Use a piece of aluminum tape on that joint. Easier than silicone to remove. If not check the lateral joints on the pipes and elbow. They leak too! I just gooped every stinking seem I could see!
 
j-takeman said:
Clarksfan1 said:
My head is sore from banging it on the wall for the exact same problem. I siliconed the outside of the duravent and it helped everywhere. The only real issue I have is the adapter. I siliconed it on and it still smoked like a forest fire. Since then every night I'm hanging out with my flashlight looking for leaks. I think I may have it under control, I can't find any smoke even with the flashlight but I still smell a wiff.......Guess what I'm doing tonight.

I'll bet its the t-cap. Use a piece of aluminum tape on that joint. Easier than silicone to remove. If not check the lateral joints on the pipes and elbow. They leak too! I just gooped every stinking seem I could see!

According to Duravent, the outside pipe is simply a heat shield not intended to seal the pipe. So if you are gooping the outside pipe I am not sure it will do the trick. On the other hand you may not be able to get it apart, so gooping and taping is probably all you have. Ugh!
 
rona said:
It is more expensive but by the time you buy the high temp clear silicone, the metal tape, and go through the general frustration of having to fix leaks that should not be there plus knowing you will go through the same thing if you have to take the system apart it becomes affordable fast.

I went the Excel path AFTER going through all this on my basement install. Yes it is more expensive but I sleep well knowing I am likely to not have a problem. Plus I can and have taken it apart eaily and can replace just the seal. As an added bonus I can go to a multifuel stove, which I would like to, without replacing the pipe since it is rated for that as well.
 
Using the selkirk pipe with built-in seals here. Siliconed the adaptor to the stove and snapped the pipes together and never had a leak ! :coolhmm:
 
dac122 said:
j-takeman said:
Clarksfan1 said:
My head is sore from banging it on the wall for the exact same problem. I siliconed the outside of the duravent and it helped everywhere. The only real issue I have is the adapter. I siliconed it on and it still smoked like a forest fire. Since then every night I'm hanging out with my flashlight looking for leaks. I think I may have it under control, I can't find any smoke even with the flashlight but I still smell a wiff.......Guess what I'm doing tonight.

I'll bet its the t-cap. Use a piece of aluminum tape on that joint. Easier than silicone to remove. If not check the lateral joints on the pipes and elbow. They leak too! I just gooped every stinking seem I could see!

According to Duravent, the outside pipe is simply a heat shield not intended to seal the pipe. So if you are gooping the outside pipe I am not sure it will do the trick. On the other hand you may not be able to get it apart, so gooping and taping is probably all you have. Ugh!

Yeah, Duravent says blah blah blah! There pipe leaks peroid! Even the latest Duravent Pro with the silicon seals LEAK! It is better than the old stuff though.

From an owner and one who has installed just a few of these duravent setups. I seal the joints on the inside. Most of the time you have to seal all the outside joints and seams as well or They leak! If you need to take them apart just cut the outside sealer and use 2 strap wrenches.

No dealer for ICC or Selkirk in my area. Duravent is what most popular around my neck of the woods.
 
j-takeman said:
Yeah, Duravent says blah blah blah! There pipe leaks peroid! Even the latest Duravent Pro with the silicon seals LEAK! It is better than the old stuff though.

From an owner and one who has installed just a few of these duravent setups. I seal the joints on the inside. Most of the time you have to seal all the outside joints and seams as well or They leak! If you need to take them apart just cut the outside sealer and use 2 strap wrenches.

No dealer for ICC or Selkirk in my area. Duravent is what most popular around my neck of the woods.

I was trying to be nice about their product because some have had good luck with it, but I gotta be honest - it is JUNK! As far as getting the pipe apart, I broke two strap wrenches and then mangled the pipe using oil filter wrenches.

I only have one dealer for the Excel in my area and they are very good. Unfortunately, Excel does not sell over the internet.

If I had neither in my area I'd buy Selkirk. Having been through the frustation it is a no-brainer for me.
 
j-takeman said:
dac122 said:
j-takeman said:
Clarksfan1 said:
My head is sore from banging it on the wall for the exact same problem. I siliconed the outside of the duravent and it helped everywhere. The only real issue I have is the adapter. I siliconed it on and it still smoked like a forest fire. Since then every night I'm hanging out with my flashlight looking for leaks. I think I may have it under control, I can't find any smoke even with the flashlight but I still smell a wiff.......Guess what I'm doing tonight.

I'll bet its the t-cap. Use a piece of aluminum tape on that joint. Easier than silicone to remove. If not check the lateral joints on the pipes and elbow. They leak too! I just gooped every stinking seem I could see!

According to Duravent, the outside pipe is simply a heat shield not intended to seal the pipe. So if you are gooping the outside pipe I am not sure it will do the trick. On the other hand you may not be able to get it apart, so gooping and taping is probably all you have. Ugh!

Yeah, Duravent says blah blah blah! There pipe leaks peroid! Even the latest Duravent Pro with the silicon seals LEAK! It is better than the old stuff though.

From an owner and one who has installed just a few of these duravent setups. I seal the joints on the inside. Most of the time you have to seal all the outside joints and seams as well or They leak! If you need to take them apart just cut the outside sealer and use 2 strap wrenches.

No dealer for ICC or Selkirk in my area. Duravent is what most popular around my neck of the woods.
Found mine on ebay after talking to krooser about his. Bought an up and out kit, two lengths of pipe for around $330 shipped to my door. Here is a picture of my set up.
 

Attachments

  • pellet stove 2-17-10 009.jpg
    pellet stove 2-17-10 009.jpg
    52.2 KB · Views: 311
Seller was DJs heating and cooling out of albertville,mn They also have a website you can check out.
 
woodsman23 said:
aluminum tape aluminum tape aluminum tape
X2 X2 X2
 
Went through this last year with the DuraVent as well. Used aluminum tape and for the most part no more smoke. Get a little whiff on start up and then it goes away. Will buy Selkirk to replace sometime this season.
 
The only pieces of vent I have in the house are the adapter----to a 45-----to a piece outside the wall. My biggest issue with putting silicone on the inside is that I'm not sure if i'm leaving it on the main floor or moving it to the basement. If I move it to the basement it will completely change the set up of the dura-crap. But if after this year I decide to keep it where it is, I will be taking the time to silicone the inside of the dura-crap.

BTW no one sells anything around me exept dura-crap.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.