Smoky odor with top loader

[ControlFreak]

I think I figured out why my Avalon Arbor sometimes leaves a smoky odor when it's running. I was thinking that the top cover gasket was leaking, because I could smell the odor coming from that area. But now I think that when loading from the top, sometimes debris from the wood will fall around the top cover gasket. When the stove heats up, this debris outgasses a smoky odor. Today when I fired up the Avalon Arbor, I was careful to blow any dust from the gasket area and it seems much better.

Anybody else have this issue?

I get zero smoke odor in the house from the Napoleon 1401.

 

[Fsappo]

I have had exactly what you described happen on a Encore and firelight top loader. Gotta keep the gasket track clean from debris.

 

[stoveguy13]

top load in a basement could have some smell just from it being in the basement lowest part of the house and an easy place to get some smoke spillage on a top load may have more to do with your draft then something you are doing wrong

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Yes, for sure with a top loader you need to check every time you load wood.