Ambience Elegance fireplace is smoky.

[AlexVanBC]

Mod edit: @AlexVanBC, moved posts. This needs it's own thread.

Hey - as someone with an ambience elegance as well, have you had issues with smoke filtration on reload? I cannot seem to consistently get no smoke. I wait until it's all down to embers, slowly open the door, turn off fan but if the wood has burnt inconsistently (i.e., down to embers / completely burnt out with one bit, maybe a knot, smoldering) i get smoke blowback. It's driving me nuts.

 

[Caw]

Looks great!

I grew up in CT. Looking to eventually move to SE CT.

You're leaving us for CT??? 🧐

 

[vbu]

Hey - as someone with an ambience elegance as well, have you had issues with smoke filtration on reload? I cannot seem to consistently get no smoke. I wait until it's all down to embers, slowly open the door, turn off fan but if the wood has burnt inconsistently (i.e., down to embers / completely burnt out with one bit, maybe a knot, smoldering) i get smoke blowback. It's driving me nuts.

Sounds like a wood issue, not a stove issue. If all your wood is down to coals but a knot is still smoldering your wood is too wet to burn

 

[AlexVanBC]

Sounds like a wood issue, not a stove issue. If all your wood is down to coals but a knot is still smoldering your wood is too wet to burn

All my wood is well below 20% MC. The stuff with the knots in (cedar) is dry as a bone. It’s perhaps because it’s not hot enough to burn through the knot, but I can’t reload as I’ll get smoke.

 

[AlexVanBC]

All my wood is well below 20% MC. The stuff with the knots in (cedar) is dry as a bone. It’s perhaps because it’s not hot enough to burn through the knot, but I can’t reload as I’ll get smoke.

 

[DeeBC]

Hey - as someone with an ambience elegance as well, have you had issues with smoke filtration on reload? I cannot seem to consistently get no smoke. I wait until it's all down to embers, slowly open the door, turn off fan but if the wood has burnt inconsistently (i.e., down to embers / completely burnt out with one bit, maybe a knot, smoldering) i get smoke blowback. It's driving me nuts.

Hey AlexVanBC, we have had nothing but issues with the Elegance 36 Ambiance as well. Smoke comes into the house all the time and is causing health issues. This is our 6th home with a fireplace so we know how to light a fireplace properly with correct dryness of wood etc super frustrating.

 

[begreen]

All my wood is well below 20% MC. The stuff with the knots in (cedar) is dry as a bone. It’s perhaps because it’s not hot enough to burn through the knot, but I can’t reload as I’ll get smoke.View attachment 319748

This is not how to test wood moisture content. Wood dries from the outside in so surface readings are an incorrect indicator of seasoning. The firewood needs to be resplit in half, then tested in the middle of the freshly exposed face of the wood. This should be done with room temperature wood.

Questions:

• How tall is the chimney on the fireplace?
• Has it always had this issue?
• Does the fireplace have an outside air connection?
• If you open a nearby window or door 1/2" before opening the fireplace door, does that help reduce the smoke spillage?

 

[begreen]

Hey AlexVanBC, we have had nothing but issues with the Elegance 36 Ambiance as well. Smoke comes into the house all the time and is causing health issues. This is our 6th home with a fireplace so we know how to light a fireplace properly with correct dryness of wood etc super frustrating.

DeeBC, same questions asked of Alex. Additionally, what is the outdoor temperature?