New issue with Nashua stove, no draw, zero!

[rippinryno]

Hey guys, first off i want to say thanks for the help along the way.

I got home from work today and fired up the Nashua stove like i usually do when it's cold. Today it was 50 and windy. I've burned the stove about 20 times this year without an issue, windy, cold, etc. Today was a different story....

I stacked my kindling and put a little fire starter in there and let it start going, when i looked at it about 5 minutes later i saw smoke rolling out the door and the knobs on the front, the fire was going. I opened the door and put some more kindling on to see if i could get a draw, still no go, smoke was rolling bad. I opened all the windows and doors to ventilate so that i could shovel out the coals and wood that had begun to burn. Once i got everything shoveled out into my metal bucket and outside i began to inspect the pipes. I pulled the chimney cap and everything look good, i pulled the T cap and look up the pipe and it's all good. I pulled the stove pipe off of the back of the stove and made sure that was clear all the way through the wall. Then i inspected the stove itself to make sure there were not obstructions. Everything looks good. I will note that on the outside of my building I only have 2 sections after the T. MY install goes up inside the building about 5-6ft, into an elbow, through the wall, and to a T where it then goes up 2 sections. As i mentioned I have never had an issue with draw before today.

Any ideas what could cause this? Do i need to run another vertical section outside in order to prevent this?

No matter what i did, i could not get the stove to draw and burn, it was just a smoking like a chimney, except not out the chimney!

 

[saskwoodburner]

I'll let someone else address the pipe issue (if any), but mild temperatures and wind can both play havock on your stoves draft. An east wind in mild weather is really hard for me to fight through to establish draft. Maybe you have such a problem?

 

[rippinryno]

we definitely have an east wind, and the pressures are really low, it's unseasonably warm here with extra humidity, but dang! I'm gonna go ahead and buy another section of pipe just to ease my mind, i need a new cap anyway so might as well try.

 

[BrotherBart]

So that folks know what we are working with here, from what I gather from this and other threads you have 5-6' of single wall pipe into a 90 degree elbow to single wall pipe through the wall to a tee with eight feet of single wall stovepipe exterior chimney. Right?

 

[rippinryno]

So that folks know what we are working with here, from what I gather from this and other threads you have 5-6' of single wall pipe into a 90 degree elbow to single wall pipe through the wall to a tee with eight feet of single wall stovepipe exterior chimney. Right?

That is incorrect. I'm using class A through the wall.

Any info on my original question as to why I am not getting any draw anymore? I'm new to stoves and as mentioned this is an all the sudden problem for me. I've done some searching and most people are saying that mild temperatures and pressures can do this, I'm just glad it wasn't in my house or else I would have slept with the windows open!

 

[rippinryno]

 

[saskwoodburner]

we definitely have an east wind, and the pressures are really low, it's unseasonably warm here with extra humidity, but dang! I'm gonna go ahead and buy another section of pipe just to ease my mind, i need a new cap anyway so might as well try.

Just to clarify, an east wind may neither help nor hinder your own situation. I was speaking to my location specifically.

 

[rippinryno]

I understand, just trying to gather some causes for the sudden issue I experienced. Thanks.

 

[rippinryno]

Well, i think i figured out the problem fellas. I lit the stove this morning, not a single issue. I believe that yesterday with the humidity and warmer temps in the building, the air was just too dang dense. This morning it fired up, immediately started a draw and burned fine, it's burning normal right now and we're up to 70 degrees in the building. I learned this the hard way but will from now on pay attention to humidity, outside temp, and pressures. I am surprised only one person was able to pin point that, but am glad he mentioned it. The good thing is, i've got a clean stove now that i took the shop vac to every nook and crany where ash would settle. I believe with this particular stove that the flu draft may be harder to obtain since it does not simply burn straight up into a chimney, it burns up a at an angle and then has to make a hairpin turn directly to the back where the stove vents. that might be something that caused the difficulty of getting it going so it's slightly more picky than others. the lesson learned is don't light the stove if it's above 45 degrees and humid as hell!

 

[DougA]

I've read on the forum that two 90 deg elbows is equal to losing 3' off the top of your chimney in terms of draft effectiveness. Your experience on one occasion will probably be repeated again. Adding more chimney will help. Putting more volatile items in your kindling when you have bad draft will also help. That does not mean gas, just more paper and more thin, dry kindling that burns faster/hotter. Getting a fast, hot fire is the difference.

 

[rippinryno]

I'm going to put the new section and new cap on when it cools down. It's not a bull section but will add a couple ft. I also spent an hour this morning preparing several rubbermaids of dry kindling....yes i cheated and used the log splitter lol.

 

[DougA]

i cheated and used the log splitter lol

That may actually be your problem. For really great kindling, I have to use a small hatchet and then you get stuff that burns instantly. It's a great idea to keep some containers of this ready when needed. Even though I burn 24/7, it just has not been cold enough yet to do that and I'm burning in the evenings only. I'm going through more kindling than ever right now. My dogs are telling me it's too hot in the house. Ya, I've got strange dogs.

 

[rippinryno]

I'm with you, I had several boxes full of kindling, but have used it all already!

 

[jb6l6gc]

Well, i think i figured out the problem fellas. I lit the stove this morning, not a single issue. I believe that yesterday with the humidity and warmer temps in the building, the air was just too dang dense. This morning it fired up, immediately started a draw and burned fine, it's burning normal right now and we're up to 70 degrees in the building. I learned this the hard way but will from now on pay attention to humidity, outside temp, and pressures. I am surprised only one person was able to pin point that, but am glad he mentioned it. The good thing is, i've got a clean stove now that i took the shop vac to every nook and crany where ash would settle. I believe with this particular stove that the flu draft may be harder to obtain since it does not simply burn straight up into a chimney, it burns up a at an angle and then has to make a hairpin turn directly to the back where the stove vents. that might be something that caused the difficulty of getting it going so it's slightly more picky than others. the lesson learned is don't light the stove if it's above 45 degrees and humid as hell!

Ya draft reversal sometimes isn't fun. Keep an eye out on warmer days. When you open stove you may feel it. I know when mine does I know before I
Light it. Try holding a long piece of
Paper like a torch inside stove toward flue to warm it
Up first ad reverse draft 9
Times outta 10 works for me!

 

[rippinryno]

Thanks guys appreciate the help! Sounds like I need to buy a good hatchet any recommendations?

 

[DougA]

The ones I bought on sale for 5 bucks work just fine.

 

[bholler]

So to sum it up it was bad environmental conditions that made your really really bad setup even worse. You are going to have problems with that setup till you fix it. Or until it burns your garage down.

 

[jb6l6gc]

totally didn't realize this was the garage setup single wall stove pipe chimney guy from the creosote blockage thread ! LMAO

 

[rippinryno]

So to sum it up it was bad environmental conditions that made your really really bad setup even worse. You are going to have problems with that setup till you fix it. Or until it burns your garage down.

What problems? This is the only issue I have had and I think I found out why. Otherwise everything is working great so why do you say I'm going to have problems and burn it down?

 

[bholler]

What problems? This is the only issue I have had and I think I found out why. Otherwise everything is working great so why do you say I'm going to have problems and burn it down?

short chimney is going to have tempermental draft. Uninsulated outside pipe has allot of potential for creosote buildup and make the draft issues worse. Which leads to potential chimney fires. which due to the unsafe installation of stove pipe not chimney could very well lead to a structure fire. It is pretty straight forward and why we have fire and building codes that dissallow things like this.

 

[rippinryno]

I've lengthened the chimney so it's nearly 15ft outside now. While my outside pipe has potential for creosote buildup.....so far there is none. I am watching things and often pop open the tee for inspection. I do appreciate the concern though.

While single wall is not up to code and not a professional job, I plan to use it this winter. I will update this here thread with photos of the pipe when the winter is done. If it gets bad I will post photos of that as well. I tend to pull the T cap at least once a week and look up the pipe, if at any point i see an absurd amount of creosote, or even a little, i will update. This is not to recommend anybody use this method, it's to simply give results of using black pipe outside, something that has been done for decades prior to strict code and regulation. Again, I will use my thread here to show the effects it has on my setup, postive or negative, I will share.

 

[rippinryno]

here it is in action.

 

[jb6l6gc]

Nice looking unit!

 

[begreen]

I've lengthened the chimney so it's nearly 15ft outside now. While my outside pipe has potential for creosote buildup.....so far there is none. I am watching things and often pop open the tee for inspection. I do appreciate the concern though.

While single wall is not up to code and not a professional job, I plan to use it this winter. I will update this here thread with photos of the pipe when the winter is done. If it gets bad I will post photos of that as well. I tend to pull the T cap at least once a week and look up the pipe, if at any point i see an absurd amount of creosote, or even a little, i will update. This is not to recommend anybody use this method, it's to simply give results of using black pipe outside, something that has been done for decades prior to strict code and regulation. Again, I will use my thread here to show the effects it has on my setup, postive or negative, I will share.

People had wooden chimneys at one point too, for decades. That didn't make them safe or correct. It's been a long time since single-wall indoor stove pipe was allowed for an exterior chimney. The problem with broadcasting an illegal install is that a fool is sure to follow. It may have been ok for great grandpa but it is not ok now.

 

[rippinryno]

As I said I am not recommending it and don't call me a fool. Great Grandpa? Try about 5 people in their 30s some of which live in town! It's more common than you think I'm afraid....does that make it up to code? No. Do I condone it? No. Can it work yup