1991 quadrafire 4100 freestanding smoke issue

[Nikkers]

The other nite, with full bed of coals and wood. Smoke starting burping into my house. Pipe has been cleaned today. Firebox cleaned and vacuumed . Vent is open. Cant get to where pipe comes out of stove til tomorrow.
Pipe is open . The handle is vertical. I hear it when I turn horizontal so I know it's open when vertical.
All my test fires go out when door is closed. Like it had no air. Vent open. If I crack door all smoke pours into house. I look outside at chimney and not even a poof of smoke.
How does this stove work? What in it could cause a blockage of chimney/pipe? Does it have a catalyst thingy?
Tomorrow I plan on pulling pipe and looking in stove through that hole. It's the 1 area I can not see.
I see tubes and cleaned them . I scrubbed inside of firebox with scrub brush. Vacuumed everything . Nothing is plugged that I can tell. I did my best on cleaning. I probably have cleanest stove in Idaho. Lol
Started when pipe was hot. So I doubt it's a draft thing. In 20s at nite. Running house heater. Opened vent and door 15 min .prior to lighting fire. I dont know what else to do.
Any suggestions? I cant find a manual for just the 4100. I found 4100i .
I am guessing since no smoke out chimney means no air into firebox.... ?
Never had a problem til other nite. .
I dont smell any dead animals . Like I said it started with hot pipe. Did something finally give way after so many years of use? Or is it me? Did I miss something ? I recently lost my husband and this was always his area . So it's a crash course for me.lol I know nothing about these things, how to properly use them etc. I appreciate any help . Thanks

 

[begreen]

Well, there are a few possibilities. The flue damper could be jammed and just the handle is turning. Or the wood could be poorly seasoned and wet inside. Or there is a kaowool ceramic blanket that should be laying flat on top of the baffle. If that blanket gets pushed to the rear of the stove it ca bunch up and block the flue outlet. There are some other possibilities, but those are worth checking first.

PS: The manual can be downloaded here:

https://downloads.hearthnhome.com/installManuals/2100_3100_4100.pdf

 

[Nikkers]

Might have found my issue. I moved that smoke plate thingy, a bucket full of creo... fell out . I guess when the chimney was swept it just fell down pipe and filled up the place where pipe meets stove. Have not tried it yet. As I was cleaning it I kind of moved pipe from ceiling thingy. I also noticed the crimp of pipe is pointed upward. I read it should be down towards stove. Is that correct? . How do I turn pipe around or shove back up in ceiling thingy? There are no collars that hold it up there on outside of square box in ceiling . Should there be? Should that smoke plate be as far back as possible or can it be forward some ? It feels like it should be forward but I am clueless . I'm freezing buttocks off lol I have house heater on to keep pipes from freezing but really miss my woodstove .lol .

 

[Nikkers]

Well, there are a few possibilities. The flue damper could be jammed and just the handle is turning. Or the wood could be poorly seasoned and wet inside. Or there is a kaowool ceramic blanket that should be laying flat on top of the baffle. If that blanket gets pushed to the rear of the stove it ca bunch up and block the flue outlet. There are some other possibilities, but those are worth checking first.

PS: The manual can be downloaded here:

https://downloads.hearthnhome.com/installManuals/2100_3100_4100.pdf

Thank you very much

 

[begreen]

Yes, a pile of creosote can block the flue outlet. The stove pipe should be screwed in place. If it's loose, that is wrong. Can you post some pictures of the stove pipe and stove and the stove connection to the chimney?

 

[begreen]

You are correct that the crimped end points down to the stove but in some cases the top piece of the stove pipe may be crimped on both ends. Are the other crimps below it pointing to the stove?

 

[Nikkers]

Ok this is what I did . I got the bright idea to shake pipe , turn it to get that stuff out . My end result is this lol.

 

[begreen]

Well, that's not going to work. How about the rest of the stove pipe. Is it all crimp pointing up, or just that elbow?

 

[Nikkers]

This is the rest of it. It was screwed together but not screwed to ceiling or stove. No collars on either end. That was my husband, cheap lol. I took screws out and am putting back now. But I stopped . If I need to flip pipe , I dont want to pull screws back out. I could only find a thing that hooks to drill and the drill is way out in shop. There's snow and to be honest I didn't want to go get it. So I used channel locks to turn the thingy on screw . Lol
Anyway this is it. It wont let me post pic. So I'm attaching.

 

[Nikkers]

Well, that's not going to work. How about the rest of the stove pipe. Is it all crimp pointing up, or just that elbow?

Yeah I had serious doubts on it working ! Lol
No clue which way. That part stayed together through my shaking and turning . Lol I can attempt to look . Yet ..... best as I can tell . It looks like crimp is up on middle of pipe

 

[begreen]

Not a proper installation. Looks like that lower crimp is wrong too and the stovepipe should have been 6" round with the increaser going into the ceiling support. The good news is that you have discovered this now and not when there was a raging fire in the stove.

 

[Nikkers]

Not a proper installation. Looks like that lower crimp is wrong too and the stovepipe should have been 6" round with the increaser going into the ceiling support.

Well that's not good . Lol what's worse is I have no understanding of what that means. I apologize. This is not my area of expertise . I can how ever take your explanation to store with me. In Hope's they would know.

 

[begreen]

The bottom fitting that goes into the stove is the increaser. It is going from the 6" flue collar to 8" stove pipe. Instead, it should be fitted into the chimney support at the ceiling. Then, below it, with crimps pointing down toward the stove, there should be 6" round stove pipe all the way to the stove flue collar. Each section of the stove pipe should have 3 screws and the stovepipe should be screwed to the stove flue collar.

 

[Nikkers]

Thank you very much. I'm going to turn up house heater. Climb under down blanket. Warm up and try to get the right stuff to do it right tomorrow. I appreciate your help.

 

[moresnow]

Not a bad place to spend some money and have some professional help if you are at all unsure in your knowledge and or ability to fix this. Its got to be correct. You will sleep better! Error on caution. Just my opinion. Good luck.

 

[begreen]

Hope all goes well today. This is a simple system and once the problem is cleared up it shouldn't smoke anymore.