Smelling smoke from my enviro m55 cast

[kykel]

I just installed stove last knight. First, the dealer pre burned for two hours. I burned for two hours last knight and shut down due to the smell. The smell is coming from the heattubes. and only the left side. the first two on the left maybe. Definetly the first one. If you put your nose up to the right tube and breathe in no smell. If you put your nose up to the left tube you smell it, My daughter said the same thing so its not just me. How can smoke be in the tube unless there is a breach in the tube?I started it tonight and the same thing. I know they smoke when first lit but the smell is constant. I went up stairs and showered and when I came out I could smell it up stairs. Any help would be appreciated especially since my wife wasn't 100 percent about buying a new stove

 

[flynfrfun]

That's great the dealer did a pre-burn. But it took my stove about a week (burning about 4-6hrs daily) to get the paint completely burned in. You need to run it on heat level 5 with the windows open and fans a blowing for a few hrs. Then dial it back to 3 or so. Do this daily until it goes away.

If your wife is like most, she will very quickly start loving the stove.

At this point (new stove) it's hard to diagnose a true exhaust leak until the stove is fully burned in. If you are really nervous about it and truly think it's an exhaust leak, start looking around the exhaust joints with a flashlight during the startup phase while it's smoking.

 

[PJPellet]

That's great the dealer did a pre-burn. But it took my stove about a week (burning about 4-6hrs daily) to get the paint completely burned in. You need to run it on heat level 5 with the windows open and fans a blowing for a few hrs. Then dial it back to 3 or so. Do this daily until it goes away.

If your wife is like most, she will very quickly start loving the stove.

At this point (new stove) it's hard to diagnose a true exhaust leak until the stove is fully burned in. If you are really nervous about it and truly think it's an exhaust leak, start looking around the exhaust joints with a flashlight during the startup phase while it's smoking.

I totally agree^^^^^^^^ don't sweat it right now and give the stove time to completely burn in.

 

[Bkins]

I guess the next question would be are you sure its smoke your smelling? Could very well be a defect in the stove but I agree with the others that you need to turn it all the way up for a period of time with the windows open and put some more burn time on it before getting to worried. Have you asked the dealer about it?

 

[kykel]

Whats troubling me is the smell is coming directly out of the far left burn tube. if you sniff all around the stove that is the only place you smell it. And it smells like smoke from a fire rather than a paint burn. Hope you guys are right. Ill talk to the dealer tomorrow.

 

[jtakeman]

If you think it has a leak turn off the lights in the room with a bright light in the stove(cold stove please!) Cover the door glass with a dark towel. If it has a defect you might see light coming from the inside tube. I am pretty sure unless the stove was damaged in shipping there shouldn't be a leak in the tube or chassis. Very thoroughly inspected before the final assemble.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Whats troubling me is the smell is coming directly out of the far left burn tube. if you sniff all around the stove that is the only place you smell it. And it smells like smoke from a fire rather than a paint burn. Hope you guys are right. Ill talk to the dealer tomorrow.

If you have a small leak at the stove adapter or tee it is possible that when the convection system kicks in it will draw the smoke into the heat exchanger and blow it or its smell into room via that path.

The two most likely places to have a leak in the venting is at the adapter and at the tee, the tee has a tendency to leak at the saddle and clean out cap, the adapter usually where you can't see it.

 

[flynfrfun]

Another thing, the far left heat exchange tube gets the hottest of all the tubes on the M55. The middle tubes are the coolest (most airflow). The fire tends to lean left an therefore the left most tube gets the hottest since it has less airflow and the fire is heating it more than the righternmost tubes. So, my take is that your left tube is just burning in at a higher temp than the others and smoking more than the others.

Also, FYI...another new M55 member was posting the same thing...smoke from left side of stove during his burn in. Get'er hot and let us know in a few days what happens. At least you haven't pulled all your exhaust apart like I did when I did my burn in. I didn't realize there was such a thing as burn in. The first time I fired her up, the house was all smoky and my heart was in my throat thinking the worst. Shut it down, took all the piping apart, resealed, and lit it off again. SAME PROBLEM. I then realized what was happening and opened the windows and let it go. In a few days, all was normal.

 

[kykel]

Well thanks again guys. I think Im going to take a half day tomorrow and fire up the stove, open some windows and let this stove cook. hopefully the smell will dissapear.

 

[Eatonpcat]

Also a new M55 cast owner (about 5 bags thru it)...I think I smell a wood burning scent when I burn on the lowest setting (one). It seems to go away when I turn it up to two. Gonna have a service tech make sure my damper and such are set correctly. Good luck with your issue, I hope it goes away after you give her a good cook!!

 

[nailed_nailer]

Another smoke detection method that works for me is to fire up the stove normally.

Then turn out all the lights.

Using a bright flashlight shine it across all of the possible leaking areas. Vent joints, adapter joints, ash pan seals, door gasket, etc. If it is allowing smoke to escape yoiu might be able to see it with the light.

Don't forget to check the internals of the stove where the combustion blower exits to the exhaust adapter.

You may have to momentarily slow down or shut off your convection fan to see smoke that is coming from the convection system.

At least this way you will know if it it is a leak or paint burn-off.

It doesn't take much smoke to escape to have a smell.

Good Luck,
---Nailer---

 

[Millsk]

I've noticed a wood smell when i start mine up, it tends to go away after it warms up.

One other thing to think about is the door gasket. If combustion air is leaking from the door gasket it would move right into the convection air flow and may lead you to believe the tubes are leaking rather than the door.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I've noticed a wood smell when i start mine up, it tends to go away after it warms up.

One other thing to think about is the door gasket. If combustion air is leaking from the door gasket it would move right into the convection air flow and may lead you to believe the tubes are leaking rather than the door.

Due to the combustion fan doing its thing it is highly unlikely (although not impossible) that smoke would exit the stove that way. Door gasket issues generally cause other problems.

 

[JBiBBs5]

Hey Chunk, welcome to the forum. I'm a fairly new member myself.

I've also purchased the same exact stove and have been having the same issue except the dealer never even pre-burned mine so when he first fired it up the house filled with smoke. All of my fire alarms went off and it smelled horrible.

At this point I have burned through three bags and have made quite a few posts on here expressing my concerns. Some recommended taping and sealing seams that I thought might be causing the problem so I tried that. The room doesn't fill with smoke or anything like that and I do have a carbon monoxide detector right next to the stove, which always displays a zero.

I think I'm starting to agree with what some others are saying about the curing phase because the smell seems to be weakening during each use. Keep us posted on your progress and I will do the same.

In my opinion, the best part about this forum is that no matter what kind of problem you are having there is always a bunch of people who can relate.

 

[kykel]

Thanks for chiming inn. Its good to know other people are having the same problem. Makes me feel like its a burn in issue rather than a defect. I also notice the problem is with the steel as well as the cast. Lets hope all works out for all of us. will keep in touch with my progress

 

[kykel]

Smokey, I think you hit the nail on the head. I lit the stove this afternoon and smelled smoke at the adapter. sealed it up and ran on setting 5 for 2 hrs. the only smell was the paint curing and not that bad. However when I turned the stove down to #1 the smell started to come back. I Might have to pull stove out to really seal the adapter.after pulling the covers off and getting a better look at the back of the stove I see how the convection blower is close to the exaust fan and can pull the smoke into the exhaust tubes.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Smokey, I think you hit the nail on the head. I lit the stove this afternoon and smelled smoke at the adapter. sealed it up and ran on setting 5 for 2 hrs. the only smell was the paint curing and not that bad. However when I turned the stove down to #1 the smell started to come back. I Might have to pull stove out to really seal the adapter.after pulling the covers off and getting a better look at the back of the stove I see how the convection blower is close to the exaust fan and can pull the smoke into the exhaust tubes.

If the convection fan is strong enough it is even possible for it to pull smoke out of the air intake on low firing rates or under other conditions.

I always recommend that if there is a wood smoke smell to start looking for a leak. All kinds of ways for what shouldn't get into the room to get there.

Sometimes just opening the damper a small amount (really should set the draft on that unit with a mag.) if there is no sealed OAK will take care of the matter. I personally prefer a functioning sealed OAK, but that is my druthers.

 

[stoveguy13]

the most likely cause for the wood smoke smell is from a bad seal or a leak in the venting the smell will come threw the heat exchanger tube because the convection fan is picking it up and sending it threw the tubes check the seal to the back of the stove as J said turn off the lights in the room and use a flash light to check the piping and the connection at the back of the stove not real likely that the smoke is leaking from the body of the stove because it is under negative pressure

 

[kykel]

Spoke too soon. Just lit the stove and house smells like smoke. Guess im pulling the stove out and resealing the adapter.

 

[PJPellet]

Spoke too soon. Just lit the stove and house smells like smoke. Guess im pulling the stove out and resealing the adapter.

Good idea. That's where I had a problem too. My installer LOADED the adapter with silicon and mine still leaked until I put even more around the joints.

 

[kykel]

Finally Fixed the smoke smell. Pulled the stove out and removed the exhaust adapter. Was unable to remove the actual adapter from the stove flange(due to silicone) but the stove has a nice design to remove the flang from the stove. One bolt and it comes off. Scraped off the silicone on the outside and examined the adapter. Looking on the inside of the adapter I could see a seal completely around the exhaust flange. Started doubting that this was the problem. Anyway I sealed inside again and sealed outside of adapter including the space between the inner and outer wall. I used the rutland 2000 Degree black stove and fireplace cement. When I reinstalled the adapter and flange to the blower flange I noticed that where the blower flange and blower housing meet there is a black silicone sealing the two together, and there was a piece of silicone missing on the top half. I believe this was the problem all along. Well the stove has been running for an hour now and no smell what so ever.

Ready to start burning full time.

 

[flynfrfun]

Any chance we could get a pic of the spot that was missing the sealant?

 

[jtakeman]

Any chance we could get a pic of the spot that was missing the sealant?

X2 Good show and tell for the others.

 

[kykel]

I would love to send pics bit im having trouble with sizing. Ive tride a few suggestions with no luck. Ill keep trying

 

[DexterDay]

Using the 2000* furnace cement is a good way to fix things. But I can assure you now, that it will be a PITA to get off come Spring when you do your Spring Cleaning..

Normally the standard 500* or 750* silicone is all thats needed. Stays nice and pliable and if the beed is thick enough, can be pulled off like a string. The cement on the other hand gets hard like, well cement..

Glad you got it fixed, but just a heads up for the next time you seal it up.

Those M-55's are a fantastic unit. Something you will enjoy for years!