Encountered first problem-smoke smell in house after turn off

[johnnh]

All,

Last night I shut off my stove (M55), heard the of the shut down cycle start, then went to bed. This was at 9:30. I woke up to smoke smell around 11:15. I turned the stove back on to test it, let it run for 15 minutes, then shut it down. This time I watched it all the way through. Nothing eventful happened. Seemed fine. Any idea what may have happened? I don't think there was a power glitch. Maybe some smoldering pellets made it through the cycle, and kept going after the blower shut off? Thanks,

John

 

[vinny11950]

Interesting. What type of venting for the exhaust do you have? Outside air is installed?

Even if pellets smoldered in the ash box, they would have to really be smoldering (almost fire) for you to smell it outside the stove. And then there is a good chance the natural draft in the exhaust would take it outside. Unless, the exhaust vent was getting wind pressure from the outside winds and driving the smoke inside.

I would check the exhaust pipes to see how dirty they are, maybe that caused the smoke to back up.

Also, are you sure you didn't have a hopper fire?

 

[johnnh]

Interesting. What type of venting for the exhaust do you have? Outside air is installed?

Even if pellets smoldered in the ash box, they would have to really be smoldering (almost fire) for you to smell it outside the stove. And then there is a good chance the natural draft in the exhaust would take it outside. Unless, the exhaust vent was getting wind pressure from the outside winds and driving the smoke inside.

I would check the exhaust pipes to see how dirty they are, maybe that caused the smoke to back up.

Also, are you sure you didn't have a hopper fire?

A four foot vertical extension was installed by the dealer with end cap - supposedly to help with the draft situation of losing power. OAK is installed. I did the leafblower about 30 bags ago.

You mention the hopper - I will say that I always keep the pellet hopper filled to the brim- except this time. I let it go to approx 1/2 bag because I didn't want to have to take them all out at the end of the year. Yesterday could possibly be the last day I use it. I used my hand to mix around the pellets in the hopper. I didn't see any discolor.

 

[vinny11950]

I would run it again for a few hours, same setting as when it happened, keep an eye on it, and shut it down, paying close attention to the shut down process to the end.

I would also do this at night, so I could turn off all the lights on startup, shine an LED flashlight at the exhaust pipes coming off the back, looking for wisps of smoke at the pipe joints and the stove adapter collar. You may have a leak there and you finally smelled it.

If you don't find anything unusual, then the wind could have just pushed the smoke smell back into the house when the exhaust motor shut off.

 

[vinny11950]

Don't rule out the neighbors either.

For the longest I would smell smoke in the house when I opened the front door. I thought it was the exhaust drafting back inside from the door being open. Then one day it happened with the pellet stove off. I look around at the neighbors and the house in the back had a ton of smoke coming from their wood stove pipe.

 

[alternativeheat]

I can second the neighbor thought. I thought I had an exhaust leak in my stove when run on low. I'd get this smoke odor but not a sign of it with lights etc. Then I got it one day with the stove shut completely off and stone cold. The neighbor since sold his property and the new owners have not used the wood stove as yet. Plus I sealed the window that is right behind my living room chair I sit in next to the stove. Anyway, they burned wood next door from time to time, I haven't smelled it since they moved out.

We also in a SW wind get a second source from a house down at the next road from us, his stack outlet doesn't clear the banking back there and the smoke odor just filters through the woods to our property. But no mistaking that one for my own pellet stove , he must burn a bunch of these Locus trees we have around here cause that stuff stinks. It makes heat but stinks.

 

[johnnh]

All,

For an update, I did a top to bottom cleaning along with leaf blower trick. Filled the hopper to the brim with new pellets, and everything seems normal. Running perfectly. I don't know what to say. The stove is always clean and in tip top shape, though. Don't know what happened. Thanks,
John