Testing for smoke

[briansol]

The past few days, i've 'smelled' my stove. Mostly on start up, but if i leave the house and come back I am also able to notice it again.

It started after I did a full cleaning including pipe and fans and flue vents.

I have a co detector and it still reads 0.


I don't see or feel any visible leaks of smoke. I did not disconnect my pipe-- just used the T-cut out.
Now, i'm not sure that it's actually smoke that i'm smelling.
It's not the pellets.... they have a 'wood' odor.

It's almost certainly a smokey odor but i can't tell what or where it's coming from.

I tried using a flashlight in the dark to try and highlight any smoke leaks, but saw nothing.

Does anyone have any tips?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

The past few days, i've 'smelled' my stove. Mostly on start up, but if i leave the house and come back I am also able to notice it again.

It started after I did a full cleaning including pipe and fans and flue vents.

I have a co detector and it still reads 0.


I don't see or feel any visible leaks of smoke. I did not disconnect my pipe-- just used the T-cut out.
Now, i'm not sure that it's actually smoke that i'm smelling.
It's not the pellets.... they have a 'wood' odor.

It's almost certainly a smokey odor but i can't tell what or where it's coming from.

I tried using a flashlight in the dark to try and highlight any smoke leaks, but saw nothing.

Does anyone have any tips?

It can be coming from a number of places, frequently it is the tee cap, those things are prone to leak since you open them up, sometimes folks don't get their combustion fans back on snugly.

 

[briansol]

hrm.

This was scrubbed down 3 days ago (approx 18 hours of low burn due to it being unseasonably warm).

Looks like a need a new door seal. Just popped it open to look while burning.

Which explains why its worse when its clean and cold--- there's no soot to stop the smoke.


Off to the dealer tomorrow.

 

[briansol]

http://www.pondscapesgardencenter.com/Door_Gasket_PI_PS40_7ft_H5904_p/h5904.htm

seems to be reasonably priced at about $30.


Do i need glue or something to install this? i've never done it before. Manual doesn't seem to say anything.

 

[dafollweiler]

Yup u will need glue made for the gasket. When I did mine I bought them together. I know home depot sells a kit. Pull the old one out clean the valley with a screw driver and razor blade. Make sure its dry apply glue and gasket. Should be good to go after it dries. I put my door back on and closed it to pinch it in place till glue dried. Don't know if that was right or wrong but it didn't seem to hurt it.

 

[imacman]

Looks like a need a new door seal. Just popped it open to look while burning.....

Just curious, but the door gasket looks VERY good to me, unless I'm missing something in that pic.

Have you done the "dollar bill test" all around the door?

And besides, the firebox is negative pressure....air goes IN, not out there.

 

[briansol]

Right, it does look to be ok, but it is a bit 'flat'. Perhaps it could be a bit fatter from use. This is the orig seal and i'm on 4 years of burning. And I open my door more than most as i don't have an ash tray (need to open the door to get to the ash).

The vac/negative pressure also explains a bit why i notice it more on start-up, before there's vacuum.


The dollar bill test isn't really possible on my stove. The exchanger louvers stick out too far making the bill go 'in' instead of 'down' from the entry angle.

 

[krooser]

Looks like a need a new door seal. Just popped it open to look while burning.....

Just curious, but the door gasket looks VERY good to me, unless I'm missing something in that pic.

Have you done the "dollar bill test" all around the door?

And besides, the firebox is negative pressure....air goes IN, not out there.

One of my ex's passed the "pencil test".....