Campfire smell

[ARC]

They told me a "little smell is normal"

Not normal either installer is lazy or incompetent should be no wood smoke smell from a properly installed stove.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Still should be a seal plate that the liner goes through to stop drafts Without it you have 6,7 or 8 in.
hole right into your stove room from outside. Just like having a window open

The top of the chimney should be tight though right? They have to use a chimney cap by code?

 

[Ssyko]

Yes the chimney should be air tight n calked. With just the end of the liner through to a rain cap. They make them just for that purpose.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I don't have a masonry chimney... so they ran a liner inside the existing flue... and my home built in 1999 is the opposite of tight... hence the reason I even bought the stove.

I think I don't understand after re reading this. What is the "flue" made of? It must be masonry if they ran a liner up it. If it were not, they would need double wall pipe.

 

[Don2222]

Hello
Here is a pic in a masonry chimney of using 4” diameter Duravent cleanout T with flex adapter on top for the liner sealed with high temperature silicone and foil tape. This has a 3” diameter stove adapter to go right into the stove for low clearance. The cleanout cap just twists and pulls down for easy inside the home chimney cleaning with a good set of 4” pole rods and brush.
Click on pic to enlarge.

 

[Brewder]

It's a double wall pipe... I have a plywood chimney with an existing stainless steel flue from the old fireplace. They run a liner inside of it for the pellet stove. Pictures attached from when the house was built in 1999.

Update: The installers were back again yesterday. They are struggling to find the source of the leak... They see the smoke but cannot tell where it's coming from. They replaced a gasket and re-sealed the only two joints with high temp silicone and then wrapped those joints with high temp aluminum tape. They also lined the inside of the fireplace "cutout" with a bit more insulation as they did feel some draft. They were confident it was fixed.

I came home 3 hours later, turned on the stove, and videoed the smoke coming out again. It's odd, when I sit in front of the stove with a flashlight, I can see smoke in front of the stove AND behind it. I'm at wits end as I'm sure they are too.

We asked if the stove itself could simply be defective (like a cracked weld) and they felt for sure NOT.

EDIT: do you like how the fireplace/chimney is not centered? Yeah, the builder figured that out AFTER the fact and had to re-do the whole thing! idiots...

 

[Whitenuckler]

Thanks for all those pictures. I believe what you have now is a chimney chase with double wall pipe in it, with a liner in it. This is looking very bad. Almost to the point of removing the stove and running it in a garage/shop with a temporary stove pipe to make sure the stove is good.

 

[Brewder]

I tried to post an update but I think I failed... or I posted it in the wrong thread.

Installers came back last night. They

Thanks for all those pictures. I believe what you have now is a chimney chase with double wall pipe in it, with a liner in it. This is looking very bad. Almost to the point of removing the stove and running it in a garage/shop with a temporary stove pipe to make sure the stove is good.

That's exactly what I want to suggest to them.. Take it back to the store, and figure it out.

 

[Don2222]

That does not look like a Quadra-Fire CB120i?
If that is a wood fireplace you might get better help in the:
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces Forum?

 

[Whitenuckler]

I tried to post an update but I think I failed... or I posted it in the wrong thread.

Installers came back last night. They

That's exactly what I want to suggest to them.. Take it back to the store, and figure it out.

I am feeling your pain. The only good thing is you may have picked a good contractor/supplier. They are trying their best to solve the problem but like you say, it's time to divide the problem in half. I wonder if it would be possible to test that stove adapter/tee ect right up to the cap? If it is supposed to be airtight, then it should hold pressure.

 

[Whitenuckler]

If that is a wood fireplace you might get better help in the:
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces Forum?

New Quadra-Fire CB1200-i

 

[Brewder]

That does not look like a Quadra-Fire CB120i?
If that is a wood fireplace you might get better help in the:
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces Forum?

I think you missed some posts... That fireplace was removed, and a CB1200-i insert installed.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I think you missed some posts... That fireplace was removed, and a CB1200-i insert installed.

I just did a search and found this:

D

Thread 'Smoke from Quadrafire 1200 pellet stove'

Oct 6, 2009

Hello all,

I have Quadrafire 1200 pellet stove, upon startup the chamber fills with smoke then some leaks into the room,
(Enough to cause the smoke alarm above the stove to go off on occasion..)

After the pellets are burning in the fire pot it seems to be fine and the smoke smell dissipates after awhile.

The stove is running properly except for the above. I have cleaned the flue/flue clean-out, ash box, burn pot and
exhaust clean-out box. The smoke does not come from the stove door or from the flue (flue joints have been sealed
with metal tape. If I shine a bright light into...

• DougF
• Replies: 31
• Forum: The Pellet Mill - Pellet and Multifuel Stoves

If you keep searching you may find more

 

[ARC]

Click on pic to enlarge.

Good thing you used high temp silicone. Foil tape looks good, nice finished look but is hard to keep all the folds out off and smoke flows out from under tape.

 

[Don2222]

Good thing you used high temp silicone. Foil tape looks good, nice finished look but is hard to keep all the folds out off and smoke flows out from under tape.

Oh Yes that is why I always use both with lots of high temperature silicone to fill in first and then test. It never fails this way

 

[Brewder]

Latest update from my installer... they are coming back onsite next week and will deep deeper into the issue with the manufacturer on the phone. I told the installation manager that it's "odd" that after all the work they have done on the vent piping, nothing has changed the smoke/volume/pattern/location AT ALL. To me that says the leak is coming from somewhere else. It sounds like they agree, and said they now need the mfg. involved to dig deeper.

So we will see! Next update sometime after April 2.

//Brew

 

[Brewder]

Update: 4/2

It seems the smoke is escaping the between some of the adapters, gasket, and flex vent pipe on the stove that runs up through the chimney. The gasket was replaced, and the "joints" between the various vent pipe connections all resealed with high temp silicone and high temp tape. The leak I would say is 90% gone.... However, I still see some smoke coming out it appears where the flex pipe actually attaches to the stove (exhaust adapter assembly part 510-5330 I believe is the actual part). The installers now think there must be some sort of gap in how the gasket seats to that part.

I'm not 100% sure but I think they will replace the exhaust adapter assembly, gasket (again), and the exhaust transition assembly (510-5340).

The connection between Part 5 & Part 6 *I* believe is where I see the smoke come from.

 

[Whitenuckler]

That's great news. At least now you/they have it narrowed down. You have a great company there to work with.

 

[ARC]

Good news. Some of the premade adapter gaskets do not seal well, even the venting pipe that comes with silicone gaskets can leak. Adding some High temp silicone gasket maker can seal the gap they are guessing is the problem.

 

[Brewder]

Well they replaced part 5 & 6 (to me it looks like a single piece, but the diagram lists two).............and it still leaks in what appears to be the exact same location... Part 6 has a cleanout door with a gasket but everything is brand new... he doesn't think the gasket is leaking, he thinks it's faulty welding of the piece itself. All I know is I'm at wits end with the CB1200i.... I guess the only good news is the installers were recording video this time and could actually see the smoke themselves. Maybe they'll need to engage the mfg on this nightmare... right now the techs are speaking with their management to figure out next steps.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Well they replaced part 5 & 6 (to me it looks like a single piece, but the diagram lists two).............and it still leaks in what appears to be the exact same location... Part 6 has a cleanout door with a gasket but everything is brand new... he doesn't think the gasket is leaking, he thinks it's faulty welding of the piece itself. All I know is I'm at wits end with the CB1200i.... I guess the only good news is the installers were recording video this time and could actually see the smoke themselves. Maybe they'll need to engage the mfg on this nightmare... right now the techs are speaking with their management to figure out next steps.

Bad luck. I guess it can happen. If it happened all the time, then it would get fixed or redesigned. No one does proper quality control anymore as that would cost more than the part. Let us know how you make out.

 

[Brewder]

I'll keep updating this thread until resolution just for historical purposes. The installers have actually given up. After 5 visits, stacks of gaskets, parts swaps, and high temp silicone, they simply cannot stop the smoke from leaking into the house. Supposedly I will be offered three options:
1. Rip it all out and return to a fireplace setup -> No thanks.
2. Replace the CB1200i with another brand new one -> not sure this would really fix anything.
3. Upgrade to something else. -> I'm interested.

When I asked the installer what he would do if this was HIS house... he hesitated a bit, then began to tell me that although they do replace a lot of parts on the Quads, they are good units and they have never seen anything like what's happening with mine. He also said, the Harman's are basically top of the line and they almost never have problems with them. I'm going to be pissed to spend even more money after this fiasco, but that aside, I can't seem to find a Harman insert that will throw the kinda BTU that my Quad throws. The Quad is rated at 48,500 BTU... (but is a bit loud on high fan mode).

Suggestions?

 

[Whitenuckler]

I'll keep updating this thread until resolution just for historical purposes. The installers have actually given up. After 5 visits, stacks of gaskets, parts swaps, and high temp silicone, they simply cannot stop the smoke from leaking into the house. Supposedly I will be offered three options:
1. Rip it all out and return to a fireplace setup -> No thanks.
2. Replace the CB1200i with another brand new one -> not sure this would really fix anything.
3. Upgrade to something else. -> I'm interested.

When I asked the installer what he would do if this was HIS house... he hesitated a bit, then began to tell me that although they do replace a lot of parts on the Quads, they are good units and they have never seen anything like what's happening with mine. He also said, the Harman's are basically top of the line and they almost never have problems with them. I'm going to be pissed to spend even more money after this fiasco, but that aside, I can't seem to find a Harman insert that will throw the kinda BTU that my Quad throws. The Quad is rated at 48,500 BTU... (but is a bit loud on high fan mode).

Suggestions?

Probably the max BTU output would only come into play from a cold start. Once it's been running for 8 hours you probably won't need to run it wide open. Do you think you need 48.5kbtu?
I would make as many changes going forward as possible.

 

[Washed-Up]

I think you’re in a “One Off” situation, if it were my house, I’d either go Harman (I’m pro Harman) or have another Quad installed. Having more BTU than you need is always a smart move.

 

[johneh]

I am an Envrio man have 2 never in problems other than maintenance
and 2 combustion fans in 22 years one for each of my two stoves
Here is what they offer

Enviro - Catalogue