We have a new Lopi Endeavor, professionally installed, and we're very satisfied with it. About 3 feet from it on a wall is a picture with a glass frame, and about 5 feet from it is a glass topped coffee table. When we spray and wipe them to clean, the cloth comes away with what appears to be black soot on it. Is it coming from the stove?
Soot in the house???
- Thread starter ezwryder
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
I would hope that the soot is not coming from the stove being that it was installed professionally. That being said, it is a possiblilty. It is a difficult thing to check. I would check all gaskets on doors and stove connection to the chimney. How is the stove installed? You chimney chould have been relined with a stainless steel chimney liner of some sort that would be connected directly to your insert. I would also make sure that you turn off the blower before you load it. It is possible that when you load the stove the blower may suck ashes and "soot" and blow it into the room. Hope that helps.
tcassavaugh
Minister of Fire
sometimes in loading the stove, small particulates of ash get jostled around and become airborne. if your stove has a blower over the top of the stove like mine, it has a tendency to draw some of that particulate out and blow it around like dust. most of the time you can't see it, but over time it accumulates on everything and needs to be wiped clean with regular dusting. if your stove smokes when loading, that may be part of the problem too. Heating with wood is not a white glove process. While the pluses of low cost, warm you to the bone heat are many, there are a few drawbacks and most of them are associated with neatness or messyness of the nature of the fuel source. Its a trade off i can certainly live with for a few months.
jmho
cass
jmho
cass
This is not an insert, but a free standing stove with a straight up chimney. It doesn't have a blower but seems to distribute the heat pretty well without it although we often run a ceiling fan in another part of the 800+ sq ft area in which it sits. The door seems to fit tightly and when I open it (and always slowly) it really sucks the air in. I try to burn hot. The wood is all 20% moisture or lower. But that sooty stuff has to be coming from SOMEWHERE!
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
That can be one sign that your wood is not as dry as you think it is. You can get it when reloading the stove, even though it seems impossible because of the sucking draft but it can happen. Also when cleaning ashes. For sure I'd suspect the wood and I would not put a lot of faith in a moisture meter. It is a guide, not an absolute. Personally, I've never owned one nor do I intend to do so. I'll simply leave my wood cut, split and stacked for a couple years before burning it. No soot or creosote problems here.
I've only been out here for 6 months and am admittedly a rank amateur at wood burning, having bought my stove last September. I figured that standing deadwood was the most logical choice to use for burning this winter, but wanted to be as certain as I could that it was dry wood, hence the moisture meter.......and there was some of that wood that measured in to the 30% range which was stacked for future use.
So far, I'm thinking that opening the door to feed the fire and emptying the ashes must be the sources of this black stuff. I'm going to pay extra attention to those two things and see what happens. Thanks all for your comments and suggestions.
So far, I'm thinking that opening the door to feed the fire and emptying the ashes must be the sources of this black stuff. I'm going to pay extra attention to those two things and see what happens. Thanks all for your comments and suggestions.
henkmeuzelaar
New Member
In case you fail to find a direct connection to opening the stove and/or any inside stove pipe connection leaks you may want to try and further trace the path the soot takes inside the house by wiping off additional vertical and horizontal surfaces.
If it is fairly widely spread you may have to consider the possibility that it comes from outside the house, e.g. when opening the front or back door or via the main outside air return routes.
Especially with very cold weather I have heard some people complain that fine ash and soot from their own chimney, or even their neighbor's chimneys, managed to find its way back into the house via doors, windows or vents.
This would seem particularly likely if your house is very well sealed, thus developing a relatively low pressure when burning.
Good luck with your detective work.
Henk
If it is fairly widely spread you may have to consider the possibility that it comes from outside the house, e.g. when opening the front or back door or via the main outside air return routes.
Especially with very cold weather I have heard some people complain that fine ash and soot from their own chimney, or even their neighbor's chimneys, managed to find its way back into the house via doors, windows or vents.
This would seem particularly likely if your house is very well sealed, thus developing a relatively low pressure when burning.
Good luck with your detective work.
Henk
- Status
Similar threads
