Smoke from the bottom area of woodstove

[Wolves-Lower]

1st time I have ever witnessed this and I can't figure it out.
After cleaning my wood stove box out yesterday I started a fresh fire.
As a note, the stove was stone cold when I started up the kindling fire.
After ignition the start up smoke came from down under the stove for a period of like 30 seconds, and promptly drafted in the box and up the stack.
Like I said it quit smoking in like 30 seconds.
I tried to figure out where the smoke was comming from to no avail.
Anybody else get this?

 

[RonB]

Don't really know the airways in your stove but it was likely smoke exiting out the air intakes. My Quad did this once under the same circumstances as yours. That's why it is good to preheat the flue with newspaper burns to get the draft rising.

 

[Robbie]

I had mine do this once or twice and realized it was just smoke escaping from the damper intake area in the bottom of my stove.
I did not allow draft to start properly by opening my door in my living room...........since then (2 years ago) I always open the door and have not had one smoke problem since.


Robbie

 

[mtcox]

I have the same experience when lighting a cold stove. It alarmed me at first but now I know it will quickly disappear.

 

[savageactor7]

Well thanks to you guy at least I wont panic when I start my cold stove on one of those cold April mornings.

 

[webbie]

Typical flow reversal or reversing chimney. If possible, put a balled up sheet of newspaper up high in the stove - above baffle, and light it before lighting the load. Make sure it gets sucked up, then light the main wood.

Chimneys often reverse (cold air falls, or house "stack" effect) when not in use.

 

[Wolves-Lower]

Thanks Guys!
I figured it had to be because of the cold stove and backdrafting.
I repeated what I did the other day and it occured again.
It is such a small amount, and it gets drafted into the box and up right away, so I don't think it is much a concern.