Smoke Issue with insert

[tpm1952]

I just had a Regency model I3100L inset installed last fall. I have noticed some smoke smell in the room which seems to manifest itself when I have it running at hi temp. The install used a flue liner (not insulated) in an existing masonry chimney(approx 24 foot). The orig FP was a metal heatolater. I watched the install and the liner was a straight shot down the flue once they opened up the smoke shelf to pass it through.
I have an appt set up with the installer later this week but was hoping to get some feedback from this post prior to him getting here if there are any things Iam not aware of.

I paid good money for a prof install so Iam hoping this can be resolved.

Any advice would be appreciated ...

Thanks

 

[bholler]

I just had a Regency model I3100L inset installed last fall. I have noticed some smoke smell in the room which seems to manifest itself when I have it running at hi temp. The install used a flue liner (not insulated) in an existing masonry chimney(approx 24 foot). The orig FP was a metal heatolater. I watched the install and the liner was a straight shot down the flue once they opened up the smoke shelf to pass it through.
I have an appt set up with the installer later this week but was hoping to get some feedback from this post prior to him getting here if there are any things Iam not aware of.

I paid good money for a prof install so Iam hoping this can be resolved.

Any advice would be appreciated ...

Thanks

Dod they clean the flue and smoke chamber before installing? What does the smoke smell like?

 

[tpm1952]

Yes I had the chimney cleaned prior to the install but I know they did not do a good job on the smoke shelf. The smell is like burning wood. Doesnt seem bad though when the stove is not fired up with full load of wood.

 

[bholler]

Yes I had the chimney cleaned prior to the install but I know they did not do a good job on the smoke shelf. The smell is like burning wood. Doesnt seem bad though when the stove is not fired up with full load of wood.

Ok that rules out paint curing. Can you tell where the smell is coming from?

 

[tpm1952]

Seems like it is coming from around the top of the surround panel where it meets the brick facia of the FP. Also the 2 vents on each side (from the old hetolater) emit the smell quite strongly when its acting up (on high burn). I just taped both of those vents up with masking tape for now but when not taped they both emitted the smoke oder Iam referring to.

 

[HomeinPA]

Uninsulated liner resting against debris and creosote laying on the old smoke shelf??? The liner gets hot and is causing the debris to slow burn maybe

 

[bfowler02]

Is this a new problem or been going on since last fall ? In my opinion if you can establish a good hot fire then your draft is good and there is no way the smoke is coming from your insert/liner as it should if anything be sucking air in due to the strong draft. Sounds to me like something back there behind the firebox or on smoke shelf is being heated up enough to begin smoking/smelling and you know what comes right after smoke.........fire! . I would not burn with that unit again until the surround is pulled off and an inspection has been done.

 

[tpm1952]

Yes, it has been happening since the orig install in fall. Thanks for all your replies. I have an appt with the installer Fri. Hopefully he will show up ??

In the past day I have noticed it stopped smelling but I have placed a cover on the heatolator input vent on the side of the FP. (as well as the 2 output vents on the face of the FP.I attached a couple pics. One shows the 2 vents tapped over on front. The other is a bit hard to see but it is the side intake vent.

 

[bfowler02]

I also wonder if it could be a sealant or some type of sealing cement the installers used that isn't quite rated for those high temps and occasionally when you get to those temps its starts the early stages of ignition. I'll be interested to find out the cause, good luck!

 

[moresnow]

Best of luck getting this figured out. Really nice looking install by the way.

One more noteworthy recommendation. Pull the box of match's off the upper left hand corner of your surround Mostly considering you have a pile of seasoned splits sitting directly underneath them! Haaaa. Just noticed that and thought it a wise comment. Hope I am not out of line. No offense by any means. Just sayin......

 

[tpm1952]

Ya, bad by me.

Thanks Tom

 

[tpm1952]

Uninsulated liner resting against debris and creosote laying on the old smoke shelf??? The liner gets hot and is causing the debris to slow burn maybe

That's what Iam thinking. If that is true would an insulated liner alleviate that ?

I ran it hot on Saturday to test it again and had the same smoke smell issues. Almost had to leave the house.

I called the installer and he said he would pull it and re-inspect it. Still waiting for call back.

 

[yooper08]

Debris in/on the smoke shelf or the air gap that the heatilator had to move air around the steel firebox. So it could even be behind those walls, but even then that might be getting far from a heat source hot enough to cause smoke.

Did installer have to cut the heatilator form?

 

[tpm1952]

Yes he did cut thru the heatolator metal to get the liner thru.

 

[tpm1952]

Uninsulated liner resting against debris and creosote laying on the old smoke shelf??? The liner gets hot and is causing the debris to slow burn maybe

When I pulled the face plate off I found a bunch of crusty charcoal like creosote laying on top of the fireplace top (filled 3 inches of a 5 gal bucket bottom with creosote). This was the burning smell I was experiencing. I cleaned all of it off the top of the stove. I think it must have come crumbling down when the stove was burning hot. Iam hoping that the area that the liner leans against has burned off most of the creosote. In the meantime I will keep an eye on it to see if more of the debris falls down.

Iam wondering if an INSULATED liner would have avoided this issue ?

Also, is there a way to CLEAN stage 3 creosote off flue?

 

[begreen]

When I pulled the face plate off I found a bunch of crusty charcoal like creosote laying on top of the fireplace top (filled 3 inches of a 5 gal bucket bottom with creosote). This was the burning smell I was experiencing. I cleaned all of it off the top of the stove. I think it must have come crumbling down when the stove was burning hot. Iam hoping that the area that the liner leans against has burned off most of the creosote. In the meantime I will keep an eye on it to see if more of the debris falls down.

Iam wondering if an INSULATED liner would have avoided this issue ?

Also, is there a way to CLEAN stage 3 creosote off flue?

You are lucky. That's a lot of sote. This indicates to me that the chimney was not fully and properly cleaned before installing the liner. The consequences if this combustible creosote ignited could have been serious. I don't an insulated liner would have prevented the flaking off of the chimney interior, but would provide a higher margin of safety. The liner needs to be pulled and the chimney properly cleaned.

There are ways to clean stage 3. It takes some skill and experience. I would hire a csia certified sweep to do this.

 

[HomeinPA]

There are ways to clean stage 3. It takes some skill and experience. I would hire a csia certified sweep to do this.

Sorry, but a competent sweep does not need to be certified by CSIA or any other organization. I've known plenty of "certified sweeps" that wouldn't know a code book if you hit them in the head with it. I dropped certification years ago because they don't police their organization for frauds.

Do a little research in your area, check references and find someone who knows what they're doing.

 

[begreen]

As when hiring any contractor one should ask for and check out references. Many people don't know where to start. The CSIA listings can provide a starting list to be checked out.