Adding pipe for more draft..

[Dustin]

Dudes,

I have a quad 4100i, it drafts "ok" but still blows some smoke out on a door opening. I have tried all the open the air, open the door for a bit tricks.

I have a 20 foot SS liner, I have a 4 foot chunk of ridged SS pipe laying around from my second stove install. Would adding 4 feet make any difference?

 

[begreen]

20 ft should be enough unless the placement is being affected by the flue locaiton. Is this happening all the time or just now in mild weather? Is the pipe well cleaned, especially the flue cap?

 

[Dustin]

It happens even when it's 30 out... I have ran across some other posts where guys think it may be a 4100i design issue... My house is very old, and very leaky. I just fired it up for a small break in, it's 60 outside and 66 inside, (I know why a fire? I couldn't wait) and its drafting great with the door closed

 

[Dustin]

And I recently cleaned the chimney, I'm very anal about that, I clean it once a month needed or not.

 

[begreen]

How is the stove vented? Is this 20 ft straight up or is this an exterior flue that has a T and thimble that the stove ties into? It might be chimney location is compounding the problem. Can you post a picture of the exterior part of the chimney?

 

[Dustin]

 

[Dustin]

Direct vent SS flex liner.. Don't mind the massive antenna in the background

 

[begreen]

Doh, missed that this was an insert. Seems like that should work ok, unless the tree barrier behind the house is causing squirrely wind currents. What direction are we looking in the exterior shot? North?

 

[Dustin]

South, ish. We usually get west wind blowing right up the Columbia. I could throw a rock and hit your state

I have a feeling some of the smoke may have been crap wood supply... This will be my first year with actually wood seasoned the way it should be

 

[WellSeasoned]

The warm temps can hurt draft as green said. If you haven't already, try opening the door VERY SLOWLY. This may help

 

[mellow]

Do you have room in that chimney to insulate the liner?

 

[begreen]

Seems like it should draft ok, especially once temps drop into the 30's. Maybe there are some odd winds affecting draft or maybe just the poor wood? Dry wood is the way to go in an EPA stove.

 

[corey21]

I think most of your problems is your wood.These EPA stoves do not handle wet or green wood very well at all i know that for sure. Or like begreen said it could be the wind but it sound like the wood supply to me. A 20 foot chimney should do the job.

 

[granpajohn]

Typical QF 4100i burn picture...door cracked open for air.
I only have the minimum required chimney height here, and it's exterior.
The one in question seems to be an interior chimney; so it doesn't seem like it would help much to insulate.
I thought that a 20' chimney would be OK.

I have read some tales of woe from other 4100 owners about a certain plate that must be altered for an OAK. They say this has choked off air supply if not properly set. However, after seeing this plate, and reading the manual, I don't understand how this can be it; but might be worth looking at.

One last thing...I once went through a period of unusually well behaved smoking. Turned out the baffle board had got loose a bit, basically making it an old smoke dragon. This may point to a burn design issue more than a drafting weakness...not sure.