Trying to help a friend with smoke spilling from a new NC-30

[NH_Wood]

Hi everyone,

A good friend needed a new, inexpensive stove and I suggested the NC-30. He installed the stove about 3 weeks ago. Seems to be burning well - it's his first EPA stove, so I'm sure he's learning the ropes. I just got off the phone with him because he had a question about his stove. He has indicated that each time he opens the stove door, even after hours of burning, he has serious smoke exiting the firebox and entering into the room. He is opening the primary full and opening the door slowly - still a lot of smoke spilling. Not sure how good the wood is that he's burning - I believe that what he's burning now is a delivery from the spring, but not sure if oak, etc. He indicated the wood is not hissing, etc. and burning well (easy startups, etc.; I think I'll bring a him a load of well seasoned wood from my stacks to be sure it's not the wood). We talked about most of the normal issues. He did indicate that it seemed to spill less smoke when temps were colder, so I thought it might be sluggish draft. The smoke continues to spill even after hours of burning, so figured that might not explain it. He checked all possible areas of obstruction - everything seems clear. New flue, straight shot through the roof (triple wall) install in a cathedral layout room - about 20' total. My last suggestion was to increase the flue height to see if he could get a little boost to the draft. I'm heading to his house on Friday to add a temporary 3' section of pipe to the outside stack (he has an extra 3' section of old triple wall) and I have a few 2' sections of single wall stove pipe I thought we might marry to the triple wall to temporarily (just for an hour or two) see if the stronger draft fixes the problem. So.......anything I'm missing here? I'd like to try to solve this for him on Friday if possible, so any suggestion would be great - thanks! Cheers!

 

[pen]

If it's 20 foot straight up, and this isn't some sort of air cooled chimney pipe that he used, them I'd start by blaming the wood or his loading for putting wood into the stove.

My chimney is less than 20 feet and has 2, 90's. It was 55 degrees tonight when I started the stove and the stove top hit 625 on a 1/2 to 5/8 load. If I don't have smoke issues, then there is no way that he should.

What sort of stove top temps he is seeing would help also.

pen

 

[NH_Wood]

If it's 20 foot straight up, and this isn't some sort of air cooled chimney pipe that he used, them I'd start by blaming the wood or his loading for putting wood into the stove.

pen

Pen - yep, I'll bring some good wood to test this out. What do you mean by his 'loading' - what might he be doing wrong? Cheers!

 

[pen]

If you try and light a fire in this thing by laying 3 pieces of wood across the bottom, god help you.

The wood needs to either fill the fire box to the brick top or be loaded into an A sort of pattern if only a few splits are being used. Some folks on here have been finding success w/ E-W loading in this stove but I haven't yet. I'd say if his old stove was an E-W loader and he's trying that now w/ less than perfect wood and a new-to-him stove, then he's going to have problems.

pen

 

[NH_Wood]

If you try and light a fire in this thing by laying 3 pieces of wood across the bottom, god help you.

The wood needs to either fill the fire box to the brick top or be loaded into an A sort of pattern if only a few splits are being used. Some folks on here have been finding success w/ E-W loading in this stove but I haven't yet. I'd say if his old stove was an E-W loader and he's trying that now w/ less than perfect wood and a new-to-him stove, then he's going to have problems.

pen

Pen - never thought about if he might be burning E/W, rather than N/S - I'll ask him that tomorrow - E/W loading makes a big difference in my Manny and I can get more spoke than normal exiting the firebox. Thanks. Cheers!

 

[wkpoor]

Not sure if I understand what quality of wood or how its loaded has to do with draft. If there is any fire at all whether it be 5 mins or 5 hrs he should have draft. If the draft is proper he should be able to open the door and leave it open with no smoke exiting into the room especially after hrs of burning. Quality of wood and loading techniques effect stove temps and burns times but not draft. I wonder if where the chimney exits the roof its not high enough and is somehow creating a down draft.

 

[NH_Wood]

Not sure if I understand what quality of wood or how its loaded has to do with draft. If there is any fire at all whether it be 5 mins or 5 hrs he should have draft. If the draft is proper he should be able to open the door and leave it open with no smoke exiting into the room especially after hrs of burning. Quality of wood and loading techniques effect stove temps and burns times but not draft. I wonder if where the chimney exits the roof its not high enough and is somehow creating a down draft.

I agree - I was thinking about the smoke spilling in the early part of the burn being due to loading E/W, but you are right, I think that after he has a good fire, the smoke spill should be much less if the draft is established. So......at this point, I see how he loads, use good fuel, and if the smoke continues, hit the chimney with the extra 3-6' and see if the height solves the draft problem. Thanks - Cheers

 

[pen]

Not sure if I understand what quality of wood or how its loaded has to do with draft. If there is any fire at all whether it be 5 mins or 5 hrs he should have draft. If the draft is proper he should be able to open the door and leave it open with no smoke exiting into the room especially after hrs of burning. Quality of wood and loading techniques effect stove temps and burns times but not draft. I wonder if where the chimney exits the roof its not high enough and is somehow creating a down draft.

Stop by the house, ask my wife to load the stove, she'll show you.

ETA: If the chimney is to short above the roof and doesn't follow the 10-3-2 rule, many times it'll burn fine if it's 20 feet tall and straight up. Not always. I agree to check that first, however, I've tried burning this stove w/ different fuels and in different configs of loading, it isn't as simple as the pre-epa things I replaced. Also, just because a fire was going for a few hours, doesn't mean a GOOD draft was established. This brings back my question of what the stove top temps are he is seeing.

pen

 

[learnin to burn]

Where is the stove located in the house, Basement, 1st floor... Did he have a new heater or other appliance put in recently? Is there a window open somewhere in the house besides next to the stove? If he opens a window next to the stove does it stop letting smoke in the room? Is there an exhaust fan running in the bathroom or kitchen etc.. Also check to make sure the flue is not blocked above the baffle or the cap (if he has one) is not clogged up.

It really sounds more like depressurization or a blockage issue.

 

[NH_Wood]

Where is the stove located in the house, Basement, 1st floor... Did he have a new heater or other appliance put in recently? Is there a window open somewhere in the house besides next to the stove? If he opens a window next to the stove does it stop letting smoke in the room? Is there an exhaust fan running in the bathroom or kitchen etc.. Also check to make sure the flue is not blocked above the baffle or the cap (if he has one) is not clogged up.

It really sounds more like depressurization or a blockage issue.

Stove is first floor. No new heater. Opens window near stove and smoke spills. No exhaust, ceiling fans off. Brand new flue and unblocked. Cheers!

 

[pen]

Stove top temps along w/ your personal observations of what he has are going to make the difference here NH. Lucky to have a friend looking out for him and willing to make a visit.

pen

 

[NH_Wood]

Stove top temps along w/ your personal observations of what he has are going to make the difference here NH. Lucky to have a friend looking out for him and willing to make a visit.

pen

Thanks Pen - he's always willing to do the same - good guy! Cheers!