Argh, smoked out the house!

[nate379]

Has been hot here the last few days, mid 30s even so minimal use of the stove, 2-3 splits in the evening and that's all that's needed to keep the house warm.

Got home, fell asleep while taking my boots off pretty much. Woke up it was around 8PM. Was a bit chilly in the house (65ish), outside temp was dropping. Threw some wood in the stove, was a bit of embers in there so it would start at some point.
Went in the bathroom for a few mins, had the fan running and started to smell smoke. Had smoke coming out of the stove and living room/kitchen was smokey

Have had this happen when it's warm out... tightly sealed house so it pulls air from the stove even with an OAK. ("air tight" isn't exactly true.. it wouldn't be remotely close to water tight, never mind air!). I usually leave the window by the stove cracked open a bit just in case if it's in the 30s out. Not normally an issue if just one fan is on, but if the dryer is running as well or if both fans are on it sometimes will do it (not always though)

Dunno what it's issue was this go around, 15* out.

 

[James02]

Dang pine burners!....

 

[Hogwildz]

Even though cold out, my guess is reverse draft.
Or if you have a cap screen, you may want to check that.
Did the smoke problem stop after the fire got going and warmed up the flue more?

 

[nate379]

Yeah it was fine once the fire was burning.

 

[begreen]

I second the vote for checking the cap and pipe for clogging.

 

[Swedishchef]

That seems to happen to us all at some point in the winter....

Air tight houses don't help either!

Andrew

 

[corey21]

Having had the Mag since 2010 it has never happened to me yet.

 

[Hogwildz]

If it was fine once the fire got going, then I stick by the theory of reversed draft.
Keep that puppy burning.

 

[nate379]

I think really weak draft and the bath fan made enough neg pressure in the house that it reversed the draft.

I had to create some air leaks in the house, I have a vent in one of the interior walls that runs into the attic and allows air to get pulled in. Before that if a fan was on or the dryer it would be tough to close the door... opening it, it would about hit you in teh face.

If it was fine once the fire got going, then I stick by the theory of reversed draft.
Keep that puppy burning.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Cold chimney with nil draft, and rapidly rising barometric pressure outside trying to equalize the house pressure.
If you have a barometer check it next time that happens, you'll see it will likely rising.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

cold air slug in the top of the flue, just a few coals may not have provided enough heat to allow a fast "catch" so smoke overran the flue and there ya go. of course if the dryer were running along with a bathroom exhaust fan you could reduce interior pressure especially with the dryer and a cool flue. do you have any issues with cold starts?(no embers)