Enviro Empress FS Smoke Smell

  • 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.

alfador

Member
Oct 18, 2014
6
MA
Hi there,

I have a 7 year old Enviro Empress FS with an OAK that's given me very little difficulty over the years.

I follow the maintenance guide for regular cleanings and once a season (I typically burn just under a ton) pull out the parts in the fire box, clean those parts and the ports on the bottom of both sides. I brush out the chimney pipe at the end of the season and, even though there is almost never any build up on it, I brush the combustion blower and replace its gasket.

This season after my first couple of burns I am noticing a lot more of a fire, smokey or ashy smell when the unit is cold and not running. This would happen occasionally before (usually it was only pronounced if it was a rainy day and not running or it ran out of pellets mid burn.) I've actually noticed a little more when running now too. I have the black duravent piping that I have sealed all the seams with that black foil tape.

I think I've tracked the odor down to the front of the unit. Air seems to passively be coming in and out the top of the door. It's very hard to tell if it's the: door gasket, the airwash holes or the heat exchange rod that you pull to clean the tubes (I know there isn't much I can do about the last one since it always has a little space to accommodate the movement of the rod.) I definitely feel a little air coming through the airwash holes when off, but I could also pull a dollar bill through the top of the door gasket so I'm thinking of starting there. Has anyone else ran into this issue? When do you need to replace the glass gasket? I was thinking of doingit and the door at the same time. Sorry for the long post! I figured I would be thorough!
 
Sounds like a backdraft. Is your house well sealed? If it is some other appliance that uses air
is drawing air from the house and the air wash holes and cleaning rod hole is supplying
that air Maybe a gas-fired water heater, bathroom exhaust fan, Kitchen exhaust fan
Try cracking a window to help supply makeup air