Last January (2020) we purchased a Green Mountain 40 . We live in Central Texas where we are lucky to have more than 20 days a year when we can fire up the stove. We have been in the same home for 36 years and for the last 30 we have had a Vermont Castings Seneca stove which worked 100% all of the time. Never failed to start a roaring fire quickly, never smoked. When we decided to buy a new stove, we merely removed the old stove and installed the new one—same chimney, same size everything, same location—just new stove.
From day 1 we could not get the stove to light and burn. No draft and when the fuel was lit smoke poured out of the front of the stove requiring the fast closing of the door which promptly put out the fire. The seller had no answer. I found out that there was a recall on the stove, as it was brand new, so I called the seller who promptly ordered the new part and we installed it. It was a revised air inlet. However, no change at all, still cannot get stove started without filling the house with smoke no matter what.
What have we done to deal with the issue?
• 100% assured that we have perfectly dry and excellent quality Oak wood; also tried Fat Wood (burns wildly until door is closed)
• Attempted to start the stove using the “teepee” method
• Assured NO chimney blockage and NO creosote build up
• Opened all doors and windows when attempting to start the stove
• Provided a powerful fan pointing directly at the air intake of the stove when attempting to start a fire (failure)
• Checked the specs on the chimney height: Verified 37” ABOVE the peak of the roof—total length is 22'
• Tried “heating’ the chimney pipe by burning a large amount of paper—does not work because once door is closed, the fire is snuffed
Upon startup the stove begins to smoke immediately and one has to close the door extremely fast, but smoke still escapes.
But even worse is that when the door is closed, it snuffs the fire out EVERY TIME. This is even when using fat wood or fire starters
Then if I open the door even the width of a sheet of paper, the flame will begin, but SMOKE will exit and fill the room. Close the door to stop the smoke and the fire is SNUFFED.
Yesterday I went to the top of the chimney and removed the cap. I then ran a professional chimney pipe cleaner brush which loosened ash from the pipe—minute, minuscule particles. I made sure that the bypass door of the stove was wide open and the air control wide open. Doors of the house were also opened. I then shined a very powerful LED light down the pipe. NO AIR was moving in the pipe which was verified by seeing the loosened ash particles just floating in the pipe, when they should have been hauling-butt out the top of the pipe.
Can anyone come up with an idea on what is wrong? I have been using wood stoves for over 60 years and have never encountered such an issue.
From day 1 we could not get the stove to light and burn. No draft and when the fuel was lit smoke poured out of the front of the stove requiring the fast closing of the door which promptly put out the fire. The seller had no answer. I found out that there was a recall on the stove, as it was brand new, so I called the seller who promptly ordered the new part and we installed it. It was a revised air inlet. However, no change at all, still cannot get stove started without filling the house with smoke no matter what.
What have we done to deal with the issue?
• 100% assured that we have perfectly dry and excellent quality Oak wood; also tried Fat Wood (burns wildly until door is closed)
• Attempted to start the stove using the “teepee” method
• Assured NO chimney blockage and NO creosote build up
• Opened all doors and windows when attempting to start the stove
• Provided a powerful fan pointing directly at the air intake of the stove when attempting to start a fire (failure)
• Checked the specs on the chimney height: Verified 37” ABOVE the peak of the roof—total length is 22'
• Tried “heating’ the chimney pipe by burning a large amount of paper—does not work because once door is closed, the fire is snuffed
Upon startup the stove begins to smoke immediately and one has to close the door extremely fast, but smoke still escapes.
But even worse is that when the door is closed, it snuffs the fire out EVERY TIME. This is even when using fat wood or fire starters
Then if I open the door even the width of a sheet of paper, the flame will begin, but SMOKE will exit and fill the room. Close the door to stop the smoke and the fire is SNUFFED.
Yesterday I went to the top of the chimney and removed the cap. I then ran a professional chimney pipe cleaner brush which loosened ash from the pipe—minute, minuscule particles. I made sure that the bypass door of the stove was wide open and the air control wide open. Doors of the house were also opened. I then shined a very powerful LED light down the pipe. NO AIR was moving in the pipe which was verified by seeing the loosened ash particles just floating in the pipe, when they should have been hauling-butt out the top of the pipe.
Can anyone come up with an idea on what is wrong? I have been using wood stoves for over 60 years and have never encountered such an issue.