very frustrated with napoleon 1100

[makoda]

So as a lot of you know I have had problems with smoke coming back in when opening door. Checked the cap and chimney, adjusted the baffles, and nothing seems to work. And this is back smoking all the time. Even when its a raging inferno in the box.

Would adding more height to the chimney help that much?

I am starting to think this is a design problem because the smoke has to come around the baffle in the front right next to the door opening, so it is very easy for it to let some slip out the door and into the room.

Any other advice besides a new stove which is not in the cards at the moment.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

How high up are you and how tall is your chimney? What temp is it outside when you are having this issue?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Looking through your past posts, have you solved the wood issue?

One thing that might help a bit is to let the fire burn down more. If you only have some coals in the bottom there won't be anything smoking so nothing will go into the house. Opening the door slowly will the air fully open will help too.

 

[begreen]

I'm going to assume this is not the stove. It sounds like the cap is continually plugging due to the poor wood that is being burned.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/your-thoughts.120041/#post-1606944

 

[makoda]

How high up are you and how tall is your chimney? What temp is it outside when you are having this issue?

6000 ft. In elevation. Chimney is about 15 to 16 feet.

I have tried about everything that you can easily do. I was wondering if adding some pipe would help get more draft. I have changed to a little bit of better wood which helps a little but the problem is still there. After looking through past posts on this it seems to me to be a problem with others who have this stove too. Now that being said I really doubt they are all that way so that's why I think there is something not right with ours.

Other than this smoke issue I really like the stove so just need to get it figured out.

 

[makoda]

Here is a pic from the side of the air flow design.

 

[jqgs214]

Seems like a short stack for that elevation. How tight is the house? Any other appliances running at the same time? Bathroom vent fan or maybe a drier? Kitchen exhaust fan? Probably a draft issue.

 

[begreen]

6000 ft. In elevation. Chimney is about 15 to 16 feet.

I have tried about everything that you can easily do. I was wondering if adding some pipe would help get more draft. I have changed to a little bit of better wood which helps a little but the problem is still there. After looking through past posts on this it seems to me to be a problem with others who have this stove too. Now that being said I really doubt they are all that way so that's why I think there is something not right with ours.

Other than this smoke issue I really like the stove so just need to get it figured out.

If the stack and cap are clean, definitely try adding some pipe to compensate for the altitude. I would at least temporarily add a 4 ft length to the chimney.

 

[Heatsource]

After looking through past posts on this it seems to me to be a problem with others who have this stove too..

never had an issue w/Napoleon stoves drafting (and we've sold many,many of them)
the design is fine, sounds like your draft is not fine.

for low drafting systems, just dont open the door when there is smoking material in the firebox.
build a large fire to start- including tinder, kindling, starter wood and a couple of large splits.
then dont open the door again until it has burned all down to coals. when you re-load to it quickly and fill the firebox for another 4-6hr cycle

 

[makoda]

okay so I think I just figured it out, but I need some help from others. I need to know where the baffles go. When our stove was installed the baffles rested on the outsides and on the bottom piece of angle iron on the back of the stove. But I am looking at it and guessing it goes up on the next lip that runs the length from from to back just above the secondaries. Because that allows the baffles to be pushed back further. Well let me know.

 

[jqgs214]

I don't own this stove but would be the baffle needs to be above the secondary burns tubes. Are you saying it was below them before?

 

[makoda]

The baffle doesn't line up below them just right next to them, Which still allows them to work. The part that got me wondering was a notch out of the angle above the baffles towards the front. I don't see any purpose for it but when the baffle are put up where I think they go the notch lines up with the front of the baffles perfectly. Otherwise when the baffle sits on the bottom angle if comes almost right to the front of the secondaries bar.

Also note when on the lower angle the baffles sit angled and not flat on top. But when put up they sit flat (level with the floor)

 

[begreen]

Definitely.

According to the manual you want to pull the front left and right #3 bricks. Then
Carefully pivot the fibre baffle up onto the top of the side brick. Slide it over onto the flange of the manifold.
Ensure that the top baffles are pushed all the way to the rear of the firebox, leaving a minimum of a 1”
gap along the front. This will allow the flue gases to escape the firebox.

 

[makoda]

Definitely.

According to the manual you want to pull the front left and right #3 bricks. Then
Carefully pivot the fibre baffle up onto the top of the side brick. Slide it over onto the flange of the manifold.
Ensure that the top baffles are pushed all the way to the rear of the firebox, leaving a minimum of a 1”
gap along the front. This will allow the flue gases to escape the firebox.

Yep I am pretty sure then that is how it is suppose to be. If any napoleon users could let me know where theirs sit that would be great. so now that I am going to have a gap in the front now instead of a crack the smoke should be drawn up better. Awesome, problem solved I think. My next question though is if I essentially had a dampening effect from the baffles being in the wrong position are my fires going to burn hotter with it where it should be. I ask cause last night I got a 13 hr. burn and had coals still hot enough to light splits this morning. This was with the air control shut down all the way. So am I gonna loose my ability to get such long burn times?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

With the stove functioning correctly you will probably lose some burn time, but you will gain heat from the stove. Your chimney should stay cleaner also.

 

[mepellet]

My baffles are resting on to of the manifold shield. I think the lower angle is used primarily to keep the top bricks in position. Perhaps the notch is approximately where the front of the baffles should be. I check once in a while to make sure that the baffles are pushed all the way to the back.

 

[begreen]

The main question is, will this help with the smoke spillage issue? I think so, but am waiting for results from makoda.

 

[mepellet]

If the baffles were on the lower bracket then i would certainly think so

 

[makoda]

Sweet........problem solved. Just started a fire and it is a different stove completely. Well I guess we will see how it does as far as burn time but I think I am gonna loose a little on that. Hopefully not too much?!?! I have quite enjoyed coals being there in the morning.

 

[begreen]

You have a good stove. Set up correctly it should be able to do an 8-10 hr burn and still have coals left over.

 

[makoda]

Oh I don't know about this now. It is great for pulling the smoke up but the heat is not coming out of it like it used to. I think its all going up the pipe. So if I put in a pipe damper would that give me the same effect as before adjusting the baffles?

I am also getting a lot of coals building up in the bottom that never happens. This thing is going to eat wood like crazy I am afraid. And I also used to get a lot of secondaries which I am not getting as many now.

So If I am right a pipe damper would essentially get me good air flow when refilling but would extend burn times and keep heat in the stove longer, right?

The wife is saying just put it back how it was so we can heat the house up and don't use so much wood. I give up!

 

[begreen]

Do you have a dealer that you can have reconfigure this stove to factory spec?

 

[makoda]

What do you mean? Other than me moving the baffles everything else is factory set?

 

[begreen]

The stove should be running better with the baffle in factory correct position. Yet now the complaint is not enough heat. That shouldn't be the case. Something needs adjustment here. Either the stove or the burning technique.

 

[makoda]

Well after messing with it for a day. It actually put heat out faster before, but as for getting hot I just needed to wait a bit. The box is slower to warm up but when it does this thing is like a fire breathing dragon. Now I have to re-learn how to use this stove again. But it works and all is good. And because I am not fighting smoke start up this morning was a breeze with just the few coals still burning. Perfect! Thanks everyone for the help.