Help for a new BK Chinook 30 owner please...

[Tron]

Maybe it's a leaky door gasket for whatever reason. I yesterday decided to check on the fire while coasting and briefly opened the door. Won't be making that mistake again, it was only a whiff of smoke coming out but you could smell it for hours...

 

[Burninator007]

OP, when you visually observed smoke, where was it originating from? Back of stove, around flue, around front loading door?

It was visible at the top of the door whenever the door was opened, even after following all the steps to equalize air pressure before opening. Now with the chimney extension that occurrence is less frequent and the VISUAL smoke has subsided to a point where there is no obvious place where I can see it coming out. However, the SMELL is 100% coming from the left upper corner of the stove just where the door closes and the vent for the fan air exit is as well as at the top middle of the stove where the pipes come out. This morning it was strong enough to smell up the whole bottom floor o the house (1500SF) even though the indicator was still well into the active zone. Enough to cause itchy red eyes and lots of discomfort.

 

[Burninator007]

Maybe it's a leaky door gasket for whatever reason. I yesterday decided to check on the fire while coasting and briefly opened the door. Won't be making that mistake again, it was only a whiff of smoke coming out but you could smell it for hours...

I have checked the door gasket a few times with the dollar bill test and all is good. It's got to be something, just not sure, but I can't keep using the stove with it doing what it is, which is a massive and expensive disappointment. I'm hoping to keep eliminating possibilities with the help of BK and anyone who has the experience I lack.

Thanks.

 

[Burninator007]

It's a known issue with the BK 30-box.

What is a known issue with the BK 30 box? Are there any threads that offer solutions (I didn't find any specific to my situation)

 

[Tron]

What is a known issue with the BK 30 box?

Seconded, I'd like to know that, too.

I did our 2nd burn yesterday and the off-gassing of the paint is almost nonexistent now, and no smoke is coming from any corners, either. So you may have to have an expert or someone from BK have a look at it.

 

[Highbeam]

What is a known issue with the BK 30 box? Are there any threads that offer solutions (I didn't find any specific to my situation)

Good question. Part of the problem with the huge catch all BK performance threads is that you have hundreds of pages of info to sift through before finding useful information. Your skills in using the search function will need to be good.

 

[Ashful]

I guess I'm trying to confirm whether or not I should smell anything when burning whether on high or low setting with or without the fan on.

You should smell paint fumes when it’s new, and the smell of roasting wood any time you leave swarf Or wood debris sitting in the ledge below the door opening, but other than that the only smell you should ever get from an operating wood stove is hot metal or dust, the same as an electric heater.

How does one measure the amount of draft to make sure that they are within manufacturer specifications?

Drill a small hole in an inconspicuous location in your stove pipe, a foot or three above the stove. Insert a tube connected to a Magnehelic, or any other relative barometer, then plug the hole with a screw when you’re done. I have one permanently plumbed into my chimney, but I’m a gear head .

It's a known issue with the BK 30-box.

It would be more accurate to say a few people have experienced this problem with the BK 30’s, than with BK’s other models. We’ve still only seen a handful of these cases, for the thousands of 30 boxes BK states they have sold. They’re definitely more prone to this issue than some other stoves, but I wouldn’t go so far to say it’s common.

Good question. Part of the problem with the huge catch all BK performance threads is that you have hundreds of pages of info to sift through before finding useful information. Your skills in using the search function will need to be good.

There were two threads on “BK smoke smell issue” or “Ashford smoke smell issue” last year, where most of those involved ended up. You could start your reading there, but I’d be more apt to just start with BK support or BKVP. With the exception of two individuals who were too frustrated to deal with it, I believe they resolved all of the prior cases.

 

[Woody Stover]

What is a known issue with the BK 30 box? Are there any threads that offer solutions (I didn't find any specific to my situation)

Click on the magnifying glass at the top of the page, and search 'bk ashford smoke smell.' There are several approaches, when the problem has arisen, that have had varying degrees of success.

 

[weatherguy]

Im sure BKVP could help you out with this problem, I thought he said he was travelling but he checks in quite often so hopefully he sees this thread.

 

[Burninator007]

Im sure BKVP could help you out with this problem, I thought he said he was travelling but he checks in quite often so hopefully he sees this thread.

BKVP did reach out to me which I really appreciate. I took several photos an sent them to him and unfortunately I have a bigger issue than I thought. The installers didn't follow appropriate set-backs from the wall so the unit will need to be moved. That is now keeping me from being able to use the stove any longer. Once we adjust it to spec, then I will continue to try and work through the smoke and smell issue. The installers wanted to move it and use elbows to keep the same hole in the ceiling, but since I already have a potential issue with draft I really don't want to do that.

I was surprised to get someone from BK to reach out to me so quickly. Customer service is hard to come by these days. I'm crossing my finger that there is a solution because I really like the stove.

 

[AlbergSteve]

It's worth sitting down with your favorite tipple (single malt works for me)and a note pad and skimming the 2017/18 and 2018/19 BK performance threads. There is a LOT of good information in there. Besides, it's only 9137 posts.

 

[Tron]

Hmm, did you trust the installers blindly and didn't check the required clearances? I have to admit that I built the alcove it sits in myself, along with the hole in the ceiling and the bracing for the support box, so a mistake there would be my fault. But if the installers violated the clearances, that would have to be covered by them, right?

So you have less than 16.375"/416 mm between the wall and the center of the stove pipe?
(I played it safe when measuring the pipe position and went with 18")

 

[Burninator007]

Hmm, did you trust the installers blindly and didn't check the required clearances? I have to admit that I built the alcove it sits in myself, along with the hole in the ceiling and the bracing for the support box, so a mistake there would be my fault. But if the installers violated the clearances, that would have to be covered by them, right?

So you have less than 16.375"/416 mm between the wall and the center of the stove pipe?
(I played it safe when measuring the pipe position and went with 18")

Not exactly. I asked them several times about the clearance as they were installing, because it looked awfully close to the wall. I was shown the manual, but they were looking at the setback of the hearthpad and not the stove itself, so I suppose you could say it was an honest error. I certainly would have expected more out of an experienced installer for sure, but this is my first tie with a wood stove. They also said the clearances were reduced to basically zero because I added the fan which has some sort of additional heat shield. Now I am painfully aware that this is all bogus!

Just for fun I went and measured and my clearance from the wall to the center of the stove pipe is right on 12". Maybe I'm lucky my house didn't burn down.

As for being covered, it is certainly my expectation that they either correct it or put my house back to 100% the way it was before they came and refund my money. I really like the stove though and my priority will be to find a way to make it work.

 

[Tron]

12" is a bit tight. It all depends on what the wall is made of, the clearance is usually to combustible material. Drywall counts as combustible, but if you happen to have a brick wall there, that would not.

I have drywall, and with the 18" clearance and the required heat shields (because technically it sits in an alcove) it gets to up to 120F warm. Which is not an issue for wood/drywall or whatever.

 

[Ashful]

It's worth sitting down with your favorite tipple (single malt works for me)and a note pad and skimming the 2017/18 and 2018/19 BK performance threads. There is a LOT of good information in there. Besides, it's only 9137 posts.

The mods like to corral the BK fanboys into this enormous single thread, to keep us from taking over the entire forum with BK talk. I do remember a time before the BK Performance threads, when it seemed darn near half the forum threads were about BK. So much so that I had to go out and buy a pair for myself, to see if the hype was true.

 

[Woody Stover]

I do remember a time before the BK Performance threads, when it seemed darn near half the forum threads were about BK.

I don't recall it being that bad. Now, after the other guys left, the BK drivel did get worse.

I had to go out and buy a pair for myself, to see if the hype was true.

Yep, there's one born every minute.

 

[bholler]

The mods like to corral the BK fanboys into this enormous single thread, to keep us from taking over the entire forum with BK talk. I do remember a time before the BK Performance threads, when it seemed darn near half the forum threads were about BK. So much so that I had to go out and buy a pair for myself, to see if the hype was true.

To be fair you were burning some horrible stoves before the bks. Just about anything would have been a massive step up. Lol

 

[Ashful]

To be fair you were burning some horrible stoves before the bks. Just about anything would have been a massive step up. Lol

Yeah... everyone knows how bad Jotul is.

Those stoves aren’t as good as what I own today, but I have trouble trusting your opinion when you claim Jotul made some of the worst stoves in the market for an entire decade.

 

[bholler]

Yeah... everyone knows how bad Jotul is.

Those stoves aren’t as good as what I own today, but I have trouble trusting your opinion when you claim Jotul made some of the worst stoves in the market for an entire decade.

No most jotuls are good. They really only have made a couple bad stoves. And you bought the worst of them.

 

[Ashful]

No most jotuls are good. They really only have made a couple bad stoves. And you bought the worst of them.

Lol... I have always been a man of extremes!

 

[Poindexter]

A30 owner here. Sorry about the clearances, that sucks big donkey parts.

Once you are up and running, I have two ideas.

1. What happens of you disconnect the Outside Air Kit and pull your makeup air out of the living space? I am just asking. I am not saying you should ditch it, I am asking what happens when you disconnect it. I'll come back to this.

2. Look at your stove collar to exhaust pipe connection real real close; pretend you work for the IRS and your stove paid $300 in federal tax on a quarter million of income last year. Watering eyes in 1500 sqft is not some silly microscopic weeping around a door gasket. One thing you could try, with the stove running, light a stick of incense and hold it near the stove/ chimney connection. Does the incense smoke get sucked into the inside of the chimney pipe?

My A30 box is not built for reloading. Mine is built for running hours and hours and hours. It is like switching a mammal back and forth between fetal and independent circulation. I let mine run in bypass with the throttle at full swoosh for a good nine minutes, hen have the door open for about a minute to put fuel in.

I don' have a manometer on my flue. With a pretty good draft, an audible sucking sound with the loading door cracked, I can get a new load lit off pretty quick, less than a minute, close the loading door, get the combustor engaged and get on with my life. Come back in 30 minutes, turn it down to cruise, come back in 12 hours.

Mine settles into sealed up burn mode pretty nicely, but is a bit of a bugger to get re-arranged to open the loading door without smoke roll out. My gut feeling is these were designed to run on living space air. I suspect ( I am a biologist, not a mechanical engineer) having an extended air intake requires a bit more draft from the chimney to keep everything moving - and I will not be surprised to hear someday using an OAK (outside air kit) changes airflow in the firebox.

I am very interested to know how yours runs with the outside air kit disconnected - but I have a good understanding of the benefits of using outside air for combustion

 

[Ashful]

I am a biologist, not a mechanical engineer

geez... now I need to take back nearly everything I’ve ever said about biologists.

 

[charger4406]

geez... now I need to take back nearly everything I’ve ever said about biologists

Are you Sheldon?..........BAZINGA

 

[Ashful]

Are you Sheldon?..........BAZINGA

My wife once accused the writers of having cameras in our house.

 

[Burninator007]

A30 owner here. Sorry about the clearances, that sucks big donkey parts.

Once you are up and running, I have two ideas.

1. What happens of you disconnect the Outside Air Kit and pull your makeup air out of the living space? I am just asking. I am not saying you should ditch it, I am asking what happens when you disconnect it. I'll come back to this.

2. Look at your stove collar to exhaust pipe connection real real close; pretend you work for the IRS and your stove paid $300 in federal tax on a quarter million of income last year. Watering eyes in 1500 sqft is not some silly microscopic weeping around a door gasket. One thing you could try, with the stove running, light a stick of incense and hold it near the stove/ chimney connection. Does the incense smoke get sucked into the inside of the chimney pipe?

My A30 box is not built for reloading. Mine is built for running hours and hours and hours. It is like switching a mammal back and forth between fetal and independent circulation. I let mine run in bypass with the throttle at full swoosh for a good nine minutes, hen have the door open for about a minute to put fuel in.

I don' have a manometer on my flue. With a pretty good draft, an audible sucking sound with the loading door cracked, I can get a new load lit off pretty quick, less than a minute, close the loading door, get the combustor engaged and get on with my life. Come back in 30 minutes, turn it down to cruise, come back in 12 hours.

Mine settles into sealed up burn mode pretty nicely, but is a bit of a bugger to get re-arranged to open the loading door without smoke roll out. My gut feeling is these were designed to run on living space air. I suspect ( I am a biologist, not a mechanical engineer) having an extended air intake requires a bit more draft from the chimney to keep everything moving - and I will not be surprised to hear someday using an OAK (outside air kit) changes airflow in the firebox.

I am very interested to know how yours runs with the outside air kit disconnected - but I have a good understanding of the benefits of using outside air for combustion

Right now I am unable to use the stove due to the clearance issue. I'm hoping that the installation guys will be out here beginning of the week to relocate the stove and then I will try running it again. Before the clean air kit and chimney extension I was not getting enough draft to get a complete burn and ended up with a lot of ash build up. According to BKVP having my stove so close to the wall can make the thermometer spring get false readings which could impact how the stove operates. Certainly noticed less ash with the chimney extension and air intake, but not sure which made the most impact.

I'll chime in again once it's relocated and up and running again.