Black floor?

Hi All. New here. Very happy to find a place to help me solve our wood stove issues.

My first question has to do with the area around our Woodstock. The floor behind it is covered with black stuff. And the wall behind it is covered in black specks. What is causing this? And how do we fix it?

Thanks,
Laura

Could you post some pictures? My first thought is that of health concerns.

Should not be any black stuff????? Pics?

I will post pictures tomorrow. What sorts of health concerns are you imagining?

Carbon monoxide.

Worse case is that, however the stove is vented/connected, is blowing back to some degree and the black stuff is ash and creosote.

Is it powdery black stuff or does it look like it's dripping ? if it looks like it's dripping, you've got more than one problem. You have a leaky flue pipe, plus you are burning wood that is not seasoned.

We have carbon monoxide detectors. That shouldn't be a problem. The ventilation sounds more likely. Is there a secret formula to making sure the pipe is such that the flow stays headed out?

It is powdery, not drippy.

And likely the stove connector is put together backwards.....otherwise no creosote can drip anywhere but down the connector and into the stove.

you're exactly right, chief! I bet all her inside pipe is on backwards. Easy fix, if that's the case. But still, she's burning wet wood by the sound of it...

Hope not, but it doesn't sound good. Get us some pics for sure.

The only black stuff I've ever had with my insert was when I cleaned the chimney liner. Ashes are grey but some of the buildup in the chimney liner came down as a very thin black powder. Either way you shouldn't be getting it in the house.

Also, how is the flue. Horizontal out the back or with an elbow then up?

+1
its very common for the connector at the ceiling box to be upside down-even if all the rest is correct.

Upside down to us may be right side up to others. Since technically the ceiling box connector is the opposite way of the rest of the chimney connects. So someone just piecing parts together may not realize you have to reverse the way the chimney connector goes in.

I am not sure I understand what you are saying. The class A has its own system of connecting together depending on the brand. The entire chimney connector from the Class A to the stove goes together with crimped ends down and inside the section below it, including the ceiling box connector, which is the first piece in the chimney connector.