Burning plastic smell?

[rexrules]

Just replaced regular Dura Vent Pellet Vent with Pellet Vent Pro on my 25-PDVC. Is it normal to be getting a burning plastic smell in the house after installing new pipe?

Vent setup is: Stove Adapter - 45 Elbow - 24" Horizontal through the wall - Cleanout Tee - 36" Vertical - 90 Degree and then vent cap.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

It is normal to get a chemical smell when the oils burn off of various metals used in stove systems or the paint actually heat cures, it is known as the burn in smell. It is acrid and nasty stuff.

As long as it doesn't have a smoke smell and that you have both a working CO detector and a working smoke detector.

 

[rexrules]

No green supreme here, stove chow for now (177/ton).

It is not a smoke smell, thats the reason I replaced the regular duravent with the pro. It is more of a plastic smell, stove has been running on 7 for about five hours now and the smell is still there. CO and smoke detectors on every floor an additional CO in the room where the stove is with an lcd readout which is still reading zero.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Can the room be opened to allow the odor to leave the building, you have likely done a pretty good job of curing things by now if 7 is as high as the unit ever gets operated at.

 

[rexrules]

So maybe this isn't as simple as I thought. The smell is still there, even only a couple minutes after start up. Stove has about twenty hours since replacing the pipe. I removed the back panel of the stove and it smells like it is coming from the stove itself. Ran the stove all last year with no problems, just the leaky Duravent on start up.

When I replaced the pipe I gave the stove a good cleaning and did the LBT. I really don't know how to describe the smell, but it isn't the normal sweet wood smell. Maybe the LBT damaged the gaskets in some way and I should try replacing them next??

CO detectors are not going off and the one in the stove room still reads 0. This is making me crazy.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Check to see if things like the vacuum tube and wiring aren't against the exhaust.system.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

So maybe this isn't as simple as I thought. The smell is still there, even only a couple minutes after start up. Stove has about twenty hours since replacing the pipe. I removed the back panel of the stove and it smells like it is coming from the stove itself. Ran the stove all last year with no problems, just the leaky Duravent on start up.

When I replaced the pipe I gave the stove a good cleaning and did the LBT. I really don't know how to describe the smell, but it isn't the normal sweet wood smell. Maybe the LBT damaged the gaskets in some way and I should try replacing them next??

CO detectors are not going off and the one in the stove room still reads 0. This is making me crazy.

If the gaskets were damaged you'd be smelling wood smoke, unless you were burning plastic or construction debris..

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

He supposedly replaced his bad section.

 

[rexrules]

I replaced the old duravent that was leaking with pellet vent pro.

Could this really be the rtv still curing? I know what smoke from the stove chow smells like thanks to the old duravent that was replaced. It is definatley a plastic smell.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

That rtv should have setup fairly fast and be cured by now.

Exactly how strong is it now compared to yesterday?

And did you check to see if something was against the exhaust system. Some of that wiring can take a beating and still work but it will emit vapors.

 

[rexrules]

The smell is only a little bit less than yesterday. The only thing that come close to the exhaust is one of the vacuum tubes, but that has always been like that and this problem just started when I replaced the venting. I have tried finding smoke on start up, but I don't see any. The smell actually starts when the stove has warmed up a little bit.

CO detector in the room is still reading 0. I wish I could figure out if this is a stove issue or venting issue. I could call englander if it is the stove. I think I am just going to give it a couple more hours and see if it gets any better.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

No body stuck a toy into the convection side of the stove did they, there have been cases of crayons and small plastic cars being found in room air sides of stoves.

 

[rexrules]

I found out what is causing the smell. There is a sticky brown/red liquid inside the connections of the pipes. Hoping this is just oil used when making the pipe. If so I can't believe it hasn't burned off yet.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

I found out what is causing the smell. There is a sticky brown/red liquid inside the connections of the pipes. Hoping this is just oil used when making the pipe. If so I can't believe it hasn't burned off yet.

damn, thats strange, i'll try to remember to forward this thread to a friend who works at duravent see if i can get a comment. i cant imagine the stove dumping enough heat into the pipe to cause this. interesting.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

What's worse is you shouldn't be smelling anything from inside the vent.

What did that area look like when you installed the vent?

If that is a cooked seal the temperatures were way out of line or the seals were way out of spec.

 

[rexrules]

The picture is of the 45 elbow that connects to the stove adapter. The connection to the 24" Horizontal section that goes through the wall looks the same. Tomorrow I will try to see what the connections that are outside the house look like.

The seal on the other end of the pipes looks like they are still in good shape. If I remember correctly I think there was a bunch of clear/white grease on that part of the pipes.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

The picture is of the 45 elbow that connects to the stove adapter. The connection to the 24" Horizontal section that goes through the wall looks the same. Tomorrow I will try to see what the connections that are outside the house look like.

The seal on the other end of the pipes looks like they are still in good shape. If I remember correctly I think there was a bunch of clear/white grease on that part of the pipes.

i could see white grease doing that wonder why it was in there? especially that much

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Clear/white grease ?????

500 or better sealant or 600 silicone rubber seals.

Anything below 475 would be toast , vaporized or flame off. The wrong stuff actually flares. I've seen it right Bill? Leaves a mess.

 

[rexrules]

i could see white grease doing that wonder why it was in there? especially that much

Think it will eventually burn off? For the first two hours of burning after installing the new pipe there was no smell then it started. Been about 20 hours since the smell started and it hasn't changed at all.

 

[rexrules]

Clear/white grease ?????

500 or better sealant or 600 silicone rubber seals.

Anything below 475 would be toast , vaporized or flame off. The wrong stuff actually flares. I've seen it right Bill? Leaves a mess.

I didn't put the grease there. It came like that.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

temps in a pellet exhaust stream exiting the coupler will be <500F+ambient intake temp. this is part of safety test, this is air temps in the pipe maxed out (figure 570F) its not likely that the temps in the OP's pipe reached that temp , heck the exhaust blower thermal kick out is 475F so im doubting he hit that much temp.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

temps in a pellet exhaust stream exiting the coupler will be <500F+ambient intake temp. this is part of safety test, this is air temps in the pipe maxed out (figure 570F) its not likely that the temps in the OP's pipe reached that temp , heck the exhaust blower thermal kick out is 475F so im doubting he hit that much temp.

Assuming normal circumstances I'd agree. Nothing in the stack should fail in any manner even if the exhaust blower starts the failure and shut down cascade. The vent stack is your last hope.

Here you have melting in the stack and off gassing into the room the stove is in. Both are not good, there is also what looks like charing as well. What does the other end towards the combustion blower look like?

 

[rexrules]

Assuming normal circumstances I'd agree. Nothing in the stack should fail in any manner even if the exhaust blower starts the failure and shut down cascade. The vent stack is your last hope.

Here you have melting in the stack and off gassing into the room the stove is in. Both are not good, there is also what looks like charing as well. What does the other end towards the combustion blower look like?

I will go take a picture of the other end of the pipes.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I'm out of here it is late and my eyes have had enough. But I will be looking at any and all pictures.

Mike I'm not arguing with you on what is supposed to be there I just never take it for granted that coulda, woulda, shouda is what actually has happened. Call me paranoid when it comes to stove issues.

 

[rexrules]

Here are some more pictures. Don't mind the rtv on the outside of the pipes, I was sealing all of the joints to make sure they weren't leaking (after I noticed the smell). You can't see them behind the stove anyway. The ash inside of the pipe is a nice light grey and wipes off easily from the inner stainless pipe.

End of the 45 that attaches to the stove adapter. The Stove Adapter has the same brown/red sticky residue on it as the first picture I posted.2

This is the cleanout tee that is outside of the house. Whatever the grease (?) is it is, still on this portion of the pipe and has only started to burn, turn brown/red a little bit.