Pellet Stove blowing smoke into room

I have an Meridian pellet stove, about 7 years old. In the summer I had the chimney and pellet stove cleaned.

As soon as I turned it on in the fall, I noticed there was blue smoke coming into the room. I've had someone come around and take a look if there was a leak and he caulked everything he could think of, but the problem is ongoing. Every time I start the pellet stove up it spits out smoke.

In the meantime, I've put a piece of paper in the door to see if it could slide out (in case the seal was loose) but it was fine. I also checked the top of the chimney when the pellet stove is running and everything appears normal.

I'd really appreciate some advice *cough *cough - it's smells like a campsite here.

Do you know where the smoke is coming from? Can you see it coming from stove or just seeing it in the room.

How well was it cleaned? Did they remove the exhaust blower and clean the exhaust pipe leading to the outside?

Eliminate the door gasket. It would be highly unlikely because its a negative pressure firebox. It would suck air in through the gasket.

I would take a very bright flashlight and turn off the lights. Check on start up, but be quick, once flame is established, you wont see smoke anymore.

Is this an insert and did it get pulled out to be cleaned?

If so they likely didn't get things back together correctly.

The smoke is definitely coming from the stove. They didn't remove the exhaust blower, just emptied the clean out tee, and caulked it the next day when I noticed that smoke is still coming out. Should I remove the exhaust blower and vacuum it?

It was pulled out for sure and there is nothing obviously loose or disconnected that I can see. Should I take some pictures?

Sure.

I definitely see and smell smoke. The smell of smoke is really strong. I have to open the door to let some of it out - it's that bad.

will try to take some tomorrow when the light is better.

My first thought is that I hope you have a CO detector hooked up. My second thought is perhaps if you have to open the door to let the smoke out perhaps you shouldn't be useing it till you solve the problem.

The CO detector reads 0, so I'll be around. After the initial smoking when I turn on the stove it seems to work fine. I haven't been using it as much as I'd like too for that reason.

Probably a leak at the exhaust. Adapter is probably got knocked loose. Have you started stove when you could look behind? Should be easy to find.

Where do I find the adapter? I looked in the manual to see what you're referring to and it's not listed. I started the stove and looked behind with a flashlight and a lot of smoke seems to coming out from the back end, towards the right hand side (facing the stove).

Is this the Enviro that needed a door replacement?

Here are some pictures of the back end of the pellet stove. As you can see the tech caulked up the exhaust area quite a lot.

I think now that there's something wrong with something on the right hand side of the machine (where the control panel is). When I pulled the machine back there was a lot of smoke behind there.

Not sure. The model is Meridian. How can I find out if there was a recall?

call your local dealer the was issues with the door on that model depending on who you talk to some say recall and replace some say no. there are threads here on the topic

throwing a handful or 2 of pellets into the pot before start up will make it smoke alot and most cases easier to see the leaking smoke

The problem is there is so much smoke that you can hardly see what you're looking at - the last thing I need is more smoke..

wow thats not good at all, but if there is so much, why cant you see where its coming from, by the pics you have it very visible

Doesn't look like there is an adapter on that puppy either, straight to the tee, have you checked the joint at the tee where the flex is attached?

Where was the venting disconnected when the unit was cleaned?

Looks like a single wall SS tee. I don't think they have adapters for them. Looks like lots of goop all over the place. Hard to tell where it could leak. But I don't see a clamp on the flex connection, I'd say if he was shoving a brush up it it might have made it leak there too.

Gee old man it just needs about 5 gallons of goop to cover everything.

I had to get my sherlock magnifier out. Glad you sent me one old timer!