Smoke Help

[wolfe]

Purchased a Atrim European Boiler a few months ago. I am plumbed into an 8 inch ss flue, 6 inch to, 8 inch ok. Everytime I open the door smoke, what the heck? I have a 24 ft chimney insulated. However I have a down draft problem, it is tough to fire up when cold. When it is fired up it burns ok 160 to 180 degees operating temp 300 on the flue. I cant believe all that money and time, smoke. Would a differant cap help? Anyone?

 

[Thomask9590]

Quite smoking......:cheese: is there a danper to open, if so...open the damper before you open the door.

 

[wolfe]

No it is not a damper issue, I dont know if a draft regulator would help or not. The boiler burns at a low rate for some reason. Once the chimney is warm it burns ok I just cant open the door without a blast of smoke. When the boiler is cold it stinks like creosote in the house, like a down draft issue. I hate to pull it out I just spent a ton getting it going..

 

[dougcarlo]

How far above the roof ridge is it? Maybe you need another section of stove pipe? I know pipe is expensive but that is what my brother in law ended up doing and it drafts good now. Doug

 

[wolfe]

It is equal, thanks for the tip. Do you know what height above ridge should be 2ft 3ft?

 

[la boucheron]

Take your cap off all together and see what that does. I did that and my draft improved drastically!

 

[corn4myheat]

It seems to me 3 feet above the ridge line is whats needed..

 

[wolfe]

Will do, makes perfect sense, our addition went on the house 3 years ago. This is the first time I fired up the new chimney. I am setting out tomorrow to get a section of pipe, I will give the results first of week. Thanks again..

 

[wolfe]

Ok put on the 3 ft extension with a new cap, now above the line. Still have down draft issue. Smokes....Best 100 bucks Ive spent in a long time. Now what do I do?

 

[Eric Johnson]

You might want to call a chimney sweep to try to diagnose the problem with your chimney, if any. On the other hand, it may be a problem with the boiler design or installation. Some boilers will emit smoke when you open the loading door at the wrong time. Most of the wood-fired boilers I've owned have smoked at times. But the creosote smell in the house does suggest a draft problem. It's possible that going from 6" at the boiler opening up to 8" might be part of the problem. You might want to consider adding a draft induction fan in the chimney, though I can understand why you might not want to spend any more money without know exactly what the problem is. Which I guess gets back to my first suggestion.

 

[wolfe]

So you think a guy like that may have an answer? I am running out of ideas and money..

 

[Dredknot]

Chimney needs to be 2 ft higher than anything with in ten feet of it. According to NFPA 211.. With a minimum of three feet above the roof termination.

 

[Eric Johnson]

What I'd do first, wolfe, is start a thread in the Hearth Room forum. Chimney draft is a common problem with all kinds of woodburning appliances, and there's plenty of really knowledgeable and helpful people there who might have some good ideas. Most of us in the Boiler Room have gasifiers, and draft isn't a big issue in most cases. People with stoves, on the other hand, are a lot more experienced with draft issues. And if you decide to go the chimney sweep route (I'm guessing a house call would be less than $100 in most places), they can give you some pointers on how to choose the best one.

Does your boiler have a draft fan or is it a natural draft setup?

 

[Dredknot]

Is the clean out sealed properly? Do yo have a draft gauge.. It should read -.04 - -.07 inches of water column.

 

[wolfe]

OK we are 3 ft or so above the ridge, the boiler has a adjustable draft controlled by a chain, controled by pressure in operation. The doors are sealed doors, the draft door is loose and yes the stinch comes in that door due to downdraft. I do not have a draft gauge, where would one purchase a draft gauge? I have burned wood for 30 years in conventional stoves and never had an issue like this also just got rid of a 15 year old Ashley forced air furnace. The only reason I put the boiler in was to accomodate the floor heat gas boiler and lessen the cost burden. Perhaps this boiler is junk. Tell me why the smoke exhaust has to go down through 2 chambers to get out, this seems like it is causing an issue as well. Only fired it up twice, afraid to fire it up, ya know?