Recently bought a house with a Drolet Escape 1400-I wood burning stove (insert with blower). Our first fire failed because soot or creosote had fallen off the stainless steel liner throughout the summer and was sitting on top of the baffle and insulation. I took it all apart and cleaned the firebox all out (although i did not sweep the chimney) Since the beginning of the heating season the stove has been running perfect since the cleanout and i could leave the door wide open and not one drop of smoke came into the room. Recently smoke has been coming into the room every time we open the door and this never happened before. Could this be happening because the chimney is becoming coated with creosote or maybe so bad as being partially clogged? Or... I just happened to replace a worn door sweep on my back door which we were getting a bad draft from... Could the fact that I have closed up this draft be the cause of the smoke coming in? Its not like my house is 100% airtight, other rooms do have slight airflow coming from the edges of the window and the back door draft was made better but there is still a decent draft from the door. Or is this more common when the chimney becomes clogged (although the fire does not smother when i shut the door like it did the very first fire when the chimney was actually clogged).
And FYI because I know someone is going to yell and say I should have the chimney cleaned... I just ordered the brush and rods and will be cleaning it as soon as they arrive.
And FYI because I know someone is going to yell and say I should have the chimney cleaned... I just ordered the brush and rods and will be cleaning it as soon as they arrive.