wind... and hopper smoke

[sickss]

Well...from the sound of the other posts I am not the only one having trouble with hopper smoke. I contacted Englander for some insight as to a solution to the problem and was told basically that I am crazy. Other then not
running the stove when we get these strange wind storms (which I might add...this is the first time I have had a problem) any other suggestions?

The stove in question is a summers heat 55shp-10 (IE. PVDC-25) but in all reality I am sure this would affect any stove.

 

[defield]

Needsmoheat,

We needsmoinformation on your stove's venting and orientation.

regards,

Ranger

 

[sickss]

as far as orientation... I'm pretty sure it is hetero... but you never can tell these days!

I am using a duravent 3" kit. Cleanout Tee / 4' of rise / 90 degree elbow / horizontal cap.

 

[maglite67]

put a tee outside with 2 rodent screens

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

A few more questions.

1: Was your vent into the wind during the storm?
2: Do you have an OAK installed?
3: Did you verify that the hopper lid gasket was good?
4: Was your hopper lid closed and latched?

 

[sickss]

A few more questions.

1: Was your vent into the wind during the storm?
2: Do you have an OAK installed?
3: Did you verify that the hopper lid gasket was good?
4: Was your hopper lid closed and latched?

1. The last 24 hours have been...well... intersting. I'm not sure what direction the wind is coming from. EVERYWHERE would be a good start though..
2. Yes...of course.
3. Yes.
4. Yes. obviously you can faintly smell something that resembles smoke...when you open the lid...walla...KISS concert!

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Please post a picture of the vent on the outside.

If the hopper was closed, latched, and the gaskets were good, you should not have had any smoke smell before opening the the lid.

Even if the hopper lid was open (switch bypassed) I wouldn't expect to smell smoke coming from the hopper or see smoke in the hopper unless you had a net negative air situation in the house.

If you want to pursue that as a possibility, then we need a list of all air moving devices that were on or able to cycle on while the stove was running. I am also interested in any venting such as a fireplace chimney.

I isn't nice for a company to call one of their customers crazy. To get the attention of the proper parties please edit the thread title to include ESW 55SHP-10. That should get the head of technical support to read the thread.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

I have 45 degree down caps with bird/rodent screens in them.

The wind can blow all it wants to and not really do anything to the flow.

getting smoke up into the hopper seems rather strange.

The exhaust fan should be keeping the firebox at a lower pressure than the room.

When was the vent and such including the exhaust fan area cleaned last??

Looking over the manual (online) for the stove, I see that there is a hopper safety switch ??

If this is so, then the lid must have a gasket seal ??

This is also it seems a compound feed stove with two augers, one to feed from the hopper and then the other that feeds the fuel into the bottom of the fire pot.

I can see that if there is a loss of exhaust/draft fan due to either mechanical issues or from sever winds blowing against the vent terminus that a back smoke could occur.

Can you install a "vacuum break" type cover that will allow the wind to actually help extract the smoke rather than force it back into the pipe ??

Snowy


Snowy

 

[save$]

My stove exhaust is facing Northwest and is very near an inside corner. (near an attached solar greenhouse) About 25 feet away are trees and an uphill grade that goes much higher than the house. So my stove exhaust never is exposed to high winds and the OAK is never having air forced on it. Both the exhaust and the OAK have a about a 3 foot lift from the stove with the OAK a little less. When I didn't have OAK, if my stove went out either because of power outage or running out of pellets, then I used to get a smokey smell. But with the installation of the OAK, no smell of smoke. What I don't know is with the OAK, is the smoke being drafted out the exhaust, the OAK or both? If some of it is going out the OAK, is that the "back-venting" that is the given reason for OAK not to have PVC in any part of it? What I have learned from this forum is to keep your stove clean, not to get "creative", and to follow the stove's manual. With that, my home is comfortable, I am saving money, and I put my head on my pillow at night without worry that I a risky heating situation.