Harman Accentra smell of smoke at low burn

[itjustfigures]

New Harman Accentra free standing stove in 08. direct vent, self installed. (Stove is actually an 06 delivered new from the truck with many many others.) Had a bad gasket at the stove pipe adapter, replaced by dealer. Had the hopper resealed due to whistling in right rear upper corner under the stove top. Had a wonderful experience with the SIMPSON DURAVENT crappy stove pipe, where it leaked combustion gases into the outer wall of the pipe from my clean out T and then into my house from the clean out cap. Sealed every joint, union, and rivet with high temp RTV. No more smoke, works great .............except at low burn. (Feed rate of 1 on stove temp or when temp is met on room temp and stove goes to a low burn) There is a smell of smoke in the area of the stove, specifically the back of the stove when the stove is in low burn. I have already resealed the pipe joints (every one including the stove adapter), and have visually inspected the stove with a flashlight and can find nothing from the venting. The service covers were removed and I can not find any trace of smoke, nor odor of smoke by the blower, auger motor/chain assembly. No smell of smoke in the pellet hopper, or on the pellets.

The smell is not over powering, but everyone who enters my home can notice the smell without being prompted. Again no visual smoke, no CO problems either.

How can smoke be exiting the stove only on low burn? Or am I missing something?

Added-
The stove has already had a burn off period, and the smell is no where comparable to the paint curing. The smell now is similar to wood smoldering.

 

[toastyinri]

If it was a brand new stove it might be paint curing. Try running the stove at a higher temp and feed rating for a couple of hours so it gets a good cure.

 

[millerag]

I am having the same issues right now. Do not know what to say. But it is incredibly annoying.

 

[camdids]

Did any of you guys get the problem solved. My New Accentra Insert has the same smoky smell. Nothing is visibly leaking. cant get any more RTV on the Pipe connection. used almost the whole tube now. Dealer told me to give it a week as this was normal. Not a paint curing. Havent really upped the temp yet. Only ran a couple of days as temps have been mild.

 

[GVA]

Draft tested????????????????
exhaust near leaky windows?
Use of outside air?

Did you seal around the pipe and thimble on the outside?

 

[Stevie]

I'm new to this forum as well as heating with wood pellets. I had to reply to the origional post since I too have been experiencing the "smoke smell" from my Accentra free standing stove. It is also an '06 model that I bought in July,. but didn't get it installed till Oct. 1, 2008. (dealer installed) I started using it in "stove mode" and had only small hints of the smoke smell when I first lit it off and when it was shut down. This seemed tolerable. Then I wanted to utilize the room temp mode. When it idled down the feedrate and temp., the flame was low and the smell was way too much to handle. I have since pulled the appliance adapter and sealed the flanges with high temp sealer and taped up the vent joint s. The smell seems to be greatly reduced , but I haven't tried room mode yet.
There have been a lot of great posts and suggestions here, and I will continue to check back with any thing that I find that can be of help.
Thanks to all

 

[sydney1963]

I get that same faint wood burning smell too from time to time. No leaks from what I can see.

 

[pelletwood]

We also have a new (2006) Harman Accentra FS installed this summer.
The smoke smell was strong at first, checked the piping and could not find any leaks.
As we burned more bags of pellets the smell was much less .
Now after about 13 bags of pellets burned we have no smell at all.
If we did have any leaks in the piping, maybe the dust has plugged them.

 

[donkarlos]

that is what I think must happen -the dust ends up plgging up the fiberglass seals