Creosote?

[jmb1954]

We have a large house and are operating 3 pellet stoves in different areas. An Enviro Insert, an American Harvest 6039, and a Vogelzang slimline. All three are running the SAME pellets.Okanagan Platinum. The Enviro is exhausted into a 3" or 4" liner through the fireplace chimney. It gets its fresh air from the room. The American Harvest is exhausted directly from 6" pipe into the lower level chimney. It also gets its fresh air from the room. The Vogelzang is exhausted into 4" double walled pipe directly outside. It was getting its fresh air from the room but we recently changed it to get fresh air from outside. (it had an E3POF error and smouldered sending smoke out the fresh air intake filling the house). The Vogelzang is forming a sort of shiny substance almost like varnish in the inside of the stove. I assume it is creosote. Neither of the other stoves has this. Should I be concerned about this? Is there something I should be doing to correct the problem? Since the "smoke" problem I have lost confidence in this stove.

 

[Lake Girl]

Yes, it is creosote and yes, you need to be concerned as something is not running right. What is the Vogelzang's exhaust set-up? Straight out or up and out? Shouldn't be getting smoke out the OAK line... Have you checked to see if there is an air intake control (flapper in line) and that it moves?

How old is the stove? Wondering if your exhaust blower is running up to speed or if your feed rate is too high...

 

[jmb1954]

Thanks for answering. The stove is new this year. I guess the best way to describe its exhaust is out and up. A double wall pipe comes out the back of the stove and through the wall. It then goes into a clean out tee and up the back of the house 4 feet. According to the paperwork provided it is installed correctly.
This was a very inexpensive stove and I think it is made cheaply. We have never had any trouble with our other stoves. We got this stove because there is no way for the heat from the other stove to circulate to this room.

I don't know what you mean by flapper. There is a damper lever that adjusts the air intake but if you are talking about something like a check valve I don't know if it has one

 

[alternativeheat]

Thanks for answering. The stove is new this year. I guess the best way to describe its exhaust is out and up. A double wall pipe comes out the back of the stove and through the wall. It then goes into a clean out tee and up the back of the house 4 feet. According to the paperwork provided it is installed correctly.
This was a very inexpensive stove and I think it is made cheaply. We have never had any trouble with our other stoves. We got this stove because there is no way for the heat from the other stove to circulate to this room.

I don't know what you mean by flapper. There is a damper lever that adjusts the air intake but if you are talking about something like a check valve I don't know if it has one

Pretty sure she means the damper. That needs to be properly set up so the stove gets enough air and ultimately burns with a hot enough fire to not cause creosote..

Creosote is bad and has been the cause of many types of stove fires from simple to complex, hopper fires, even whole house loss. You most assuredly need to correct what ever is wrong.

 

[doghouse]

That's a pretty big house to need 3 pellet stoves.

 

[twodogs02]

Creosote is created when the flue gases contact a cool surface or there is not enough air supply or burning unseasoned wood. Since you are venting straight out then up it's not the chimney area being too large. Like lakegirl said, I would look at the damper, it needs to be open enough to allow the flue gases to escape before it forms creosote. I would also check for obstructions in the vent, never heard of smoke backing up like you described.