Dutchwest cat stove smoke smell

[lillyrat]

Last night I loaded my stove for the night and let it burn about 20 minutes and get going good. I then closed the air controls in halfway and waited about 5 minutes and then shut them down to about 1 turn open. House got really smokey. outside temp was 34 degrees. I turned out the lights and used a flashlight and couldn't see where the smoke was coming from. I could get a good whiff of smokey smell from just in front of the stove where the top plate sits on the combustor. I replaced this gasket last year and this year it looked fine when I cleaned the combustor. Am I possibly shutting down the air too much on a hot fire therefore causing this. I hate to put the top plate off and replace the gasket unless I really need to. I have been burning for 2 years and thought I was getting the art down and then this happend. I don't get a smoke smell when I am burning with alot of air.

Thanks

 

[FireWalker]

I had the same problem with mine. I'll guess that the problem you had that night was low outdoor air pressure and somewhat warm outdoor temp. causing a slugish draft. Search backpuffing and you will find others who have delt with this. Solution, on nights like you had last night go with a hotter primary air setting, avoid low fire. Some times based on weather conditions I would skip the cat and just keep the bypass damper open and throttle the fire back to low air setting. The smoke is being blown backwards out the main air damper passages when hot gasses in the firebox ignite and have no where else to go.

 

[lillyrat]

Thanks for the reply. I didn't have the combustor going at the time. I forgot to add that. Also, I have turned down the air when it has been warmer out and not had the smell like I had last night.

 

[Todd]

Could be you shut the air down to fast and engaged the cat with a raging fire going causing the stove to gasp for air through the chimney causing the stove to burp out some smoke?

 

[lillyrat]

I didn't engage the cat though. Even though I probably could have, it was above 500 degrees. I like for it to be below 32 to engage the cat or I do have some backpuffing issues.

Thanks,

 

[Hanko]

I have the DW with the never burn thing. I started smelling smoke late last year, and found that the ever burn tubes had creosote that had fallin down into them. Checked the manual at it showed where you need to clean them out. Shows to go ya, read the directions. dont know if this helps you or not