Smoke coming out the door

[skinnykid]

last night and today whenever I ope the door to add more wood, I am getting alot of smoke coming into the house. Never has this happened this much before.

I am loading it the same and we are not getting wind.

I watched the stack while the stove is firing up and it seems to be exiting the stack just fine.

any input?

 

[oconnor]

You are having a draft problem - Has it been warmer in NH? Is the stove heating up/lighting as it used to? Was the flue warmed up well, or had it cooled off? Was your clothers dryer or bath fan running? You mention good output from the chimney, so I assume you are already thinking about creosote - any chance you got into some wetter wood (I've found a few in my pile this week).

A few thoughts for you, hope they help.

 

[skinnykid]

wet wood could be it, we got a wicked rain storm but I believe I am burning stuff that was in the house before that.

it is a bit warmer today than it has been but not by much.

No to the cloths dryer or bath fan. I was hoping my chimney ain't plugged!

 

[drewboy]

I'd probably guess it's the weather, it warmed up pretty good today up by the lake (not that it's a summer day)
I just got home and I can smell the downdraft from the chimney. My stove is in the basement with ext. chimney
so it may be a different set up than yours but I noticed the smell as soon as I walked in. As you can guess, my
stove isn't going right now... I'm skeptical of my wood supply come March.

Rob

 

[skinnykid]

well I found a problem, not sure it would cause a draft problem but.

I was inspecting everything with my flash light and noticed some smoke leaking past one of the joints in the pipe from the stove to the wall. I shut er down as soon as I saw this cause I have 2 little ones in the house.

I already got a call into my chimney guy!

 

[oconnor]

I see your creosote plugged flue, and raise you one wire brushing.....

 

[skinnykid]

I see your creosote plugged flue, and raise you one wire brushing.....

HUH?


Not sure if the chimney is plugged but I noticed when I put the pipe together, when putting the metal screws in, the pipe bent inward a bit. that is the leaking point.

 

[oconnor]

Just a guess, but if there was an easier path for the smoke to flow to, it would flow there. I'm guessing you have a flow restriction in the flue, and when the hot gases rise and meet it, they have to go out somewhere. You may also have a leak, but if the flue wasn't blocked, the flue would draft well, and any leak would be moving fresh air into the flue, as opposed to flue gases exiting the flue.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[skinnykid]

gonna go outside and pull the trap door on the stack and take a looksie up there!

 

[skinnykid]

what does a plugged stack look like? I do have some build up on the sides

 

[oconnor]

Never had one, but I'd look at the cap - if you have some sort of screen it wouldn't take much creosote to plug it. If you have some on the sides that you can se, it would build up on top.

What is your system set up - sound like you have an external flue?

 

[skinnykid]

I took off the trap door outside and tons of crap fell out of it. I looked up the chimney and there is lots of black nasty stuff all around the pipe. I can see all the way up to the screen and top so it ain't all the way plugged.

but there is some nasty stuff!!

 

[oconnor]

If you have a ladder climb up and look at the cap. You may have light, but you could still have a flow restriction. Sometimes, even a pic with your digital camera can be zoomed in to take a good look. If the crap is building on the walls of the chimney, it will definitively build up on the cap/screen. You can block a lot of the screen and still get enough light thru to see up from the bottom.

 

[skinnykid]

I think I will leave it to the pro's. I am the only one home other than 2 little ones, if I fall I am screwed. Plus I don't have a ladder big enough!

 

[oconnor]

let us know what you find. I'd love to see a pic if you can.

 

[skinnykid]

if I can get one in the daylight before the chimney guy comes then I will. But I have to work the next couple of days so we will see.