HELP! Fire alarms going off!!

[jefflach]

We just finished up installing a Harman P35i insert in my fireplace. We ran a 4" flex liner to the top of the chimney and follow the instructions (as horrible as they were) very closely. We attached the pipe to stove using 2 sheet meta screws and sealed the joint with high temp silicone. I stuffed fiberglass insulation around the pipe where it passes through the existing fireplace damper. We lit the stove and after about 45 minutes to 1 hour the smoke alarms went off in my house. I waved a towel to get the to stop, then they went off again 2 minutes later. I shut down the stove and am waiting for it to cool. Here are my thoughts - any input??

1) When we first started the stove we were waiting for the flame to start. We got impatient and restarted the process, but it seemed like the auger went through an "extra" cycle and the burn pot became very full with pellets. I can't say for sure, but it's possible some unburned, or not completely burned pellets landed in the ash tray. I'm thinking and hoping this is the issue. Maybe?

2) I put a solid amount of insulation around the pipe in the damper opening, but I didn't go super crazy. Should I pack the hell out of it?

3) We had to shift the frame around a little bit to get everything aligned after installing the pipe. Could I have damaged the seal, and could I have a bad seal on the connection to the stove frame?

Any help would be appreciated. We're eager to shut off our electric heat, but want to make sure our stove is 100% safe before we fire it back up.

Thanks!!

 

[Bioburner]

Is it a new stove? Possible that its vaporizing off the some paint etc. stray particles in-on the exchangers. Not at all uncommon to have a fair amount of new startup smoke. Recommended usually for freestanding stoves to be preburned to prevent this

 

[Harman Lover 007]

Yup...don't panic yet. Could just be the paint burning off/ curing. Do you have a CO detector in service?

 

[Jigger]

You did not say if you smelled anything in the air or not. A lot of times if this is a brand new stove. The high temp paint they use at the factory has to burn in and will produce a small amount of smoke. Some manufactures suggest you start the stove outside for the first time because of this. It would take up to 45 minutes to an hour for the stove to get to temp. Smoke detectors do not see smoke. They pick up an elevated amount of hydrocarbons in the air.

 

[jefflach]

Yes it's brand new stove. It smelled very strongly of paint burning when we got it going. I let it cool, clean it out completely and am restarting it now. If the alarms go off again, I'll slide it out tomorrow and double check the joint, but I can't see that being an issue. Thanks for the quick response. My friend that helped install felt it was the "new" burning off, but like I said, I just don't want to screw around w/ fire/smoke in the house.

 

[jefflach]

I do have a CO detector. That did not go off.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Is it a new stove? Possible that its vaporizing off the some paint etc. stray particles in-on the exchangers. Not at all uncommon to have a fair amount of new startup smoke. Recommended usually for freestanding stoves to be preburned to prevent this

+1 and I bet you didn't light her up outside and burn off the new paint and oil on the internal parts..

Allow me to rephrase that...... how about pull the detectors while you are present, allow the unit to 'smoke off' and then reenergize the detectors. That way the air is clear, your detectors are operating properly and you are protected.

They all (stoves) will smoke off to a certain extent on first fire. I've always first fired mine in the driveway with a short length of venting attached. That way, the house don't get 'smoked up' and my hard wired detectors don't scream either.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

Yes it's brand new stove. It smelled very strongly of paint burning when we got it going. I let it cool, clean it out completely and am restarting it now. If the alarms go off again, I'll slide it out tomorrow and double check the joint, but I can't see that being an issue. Thanks for the quick response. My friend that helped install felt it was the "new" burning off, but like I said, I just don't want to screw around w/ fire/smoke in the house.

Sounds like a plan. Double check everything tomorrow.

 

[jefflach]

One last question...the two big bolts the attach to the side of the frame...what exactly are those supposed to do?

 

[begreen]

Open a window or two, maybe put a fan in one blowing out. Then run the stove on high heat for an hour. That should bake in the paint.

Also, was there any sealant used on the exhaust vent? If so, what material? This gets very hot and will bake regular silicone quickly and stinkly.

 

[alternativeheat]

We could smell the p61 when we fired it off, had two windows open and it still set off the smoke detectors. I put a fan in the window and that did it. The initial burn was right before supper, by the time we got done eating we could close the house up. The P35i is a steel stove too so I imagine the face of it gets pretty hot, hot enough to cause the paint burn in/curing off gas issue. We knew it was coming though, done a lot of burning over the years and touch up painting on the old coal stove.

Yes it's brand new stove. It smelled very strongly of paint burning when we got it going. I let it cool, clean it out completely and am restarting it now. If the alarms go off again, I'll slide it out tomorrow and double check the joint, but I can't see that being an issue. Thanks for the quick response. My friend that helped install felt it was the "new" burning off, but like I said, I just don't want to screw around w/ fire/smoke in the house.

It's the paint, especially on a steel stove like the P35i,.

 

[MarkF48]

Don't forget to get it inspected if you haven't had it done already .

 

[SidecarFlip]

Don't forget to get it inspected if you haven't had it done already .

You gotta be kidding me.... I never get anything 'inspected', but then, I do things right the first time.....

No inspector in their right mind would come in my home anyway. Everyone around these parts knows I'm half nits and gun crazy....

It's a great deterrent for would be theives and burglars. No one has the cajonies to come here uninvited...and thats all well and good as far as I'm concerned.

 

[kniffin50]

One last question...the two big bolts the attach to the side of the frame...what exactly are those supposed to do?

I think those are to level up the stove

 

[BrotherBart]

+1 and I bet you didn't light her up outside and burn off the new paint and oil on the internal parts.. Pull the smoke detectors and let your nose be your guide. Reinstall in a day or two, all will be just peachy.

Now there is a great idea. Take out the smoke detectors to burn a new wood burning appliance in your house for the first couple of days.

No way.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Now there is a great idea. Take out the smoke detectors to burn a new wood burning appliance in your house for the first couple of days.

No way.

I rephrased my comment to make it more generically correct...excuse my ignorance. What I would do and what someone should do are two entirely different things. I digress.

 

[Hdhogger]

Don't stop the initial burn. The exterior of your stove has never been at the temperature it will get to at this time. You're going to be smelling all kinds of nasty odors. You will have to open windows to vent them out. Keep it burning until the odors dissipate.

 

[dhall28]

1) When we first started the stove we were waiting for the flame to start. We got impatient and restarted the process, but it seemed like the auger went through an "extra" cycle and the burn pot became very full with pellets. I can't say for sure, but it's possible some unburned, or not completely burned pellets landed in the ash tray. I'm thinking and hoping this is the issue. Maybe?
2) I put a solid amount of insulation around the pipe in the damper opening, but I didn't go super crazy. Should I pack the hell out of it?
3) We had to shift the frame around a little bit to get everything aligned after installing the pipe. Could I have damaged the seal, and could I have a bad seal on the connection to the stove frame?

1) There is a start up program for the stove to start, it can take 3 to 8 minutes for your harman to light or possibly longer if things are ideal. when you reset it you did rese the program and it went through a whole new feed charge increase the amount of pellets and causing a even slower harder start than before, if there isn't enogh pellets in the pot 8 min after the pellets initially feed in it will feed in another 30 seconds worth of pellets and do that again another 2 times after that.

2)What type of insulation? if it isn't a high temp non-combustible insulation than you have a safety hazard, if by fibreglass insulation you mean the stuff that normally goes in walls that doesn't meet code...

3) by shift things around do you mean the entire frame and stove together to get it nicely sitting flush against the hearth? You later asked about the large bolts/all thread pieces which are there to hold the surround in place where you want it to be....

.....these are all questions that are answered in your manual, everyone of them that you asked on here, we are happy to answer them, but this isn't like an appliance such as a toaster or garbage disposal or something simple, I HIGHLY recommend reading/rereading the install/owners manual especially since you did a self install it sounds like.....

Harmans are a great stove, just from the questions you asked and being a self install I worry you will have problems in the future.

 

[begreen]

You gotta be kidding me.... I never get anything 'inspected', but then, I do things right the first time.....

No inspector in their right mind would come in my home anyway. Everyone around these parts knows I'm half nits and gun crazy....

It's a great deterrent for would be theives and burglars. No one has the cajonies to come here uninvited...and thats all well and good as far as I'm concerned.

Hopefully this is a minority viewpoint. Having a disinterested set of eyes verifying safety is a good thing IMO.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Hopefully this is a minority viewpoint. Having a disinterested set of eyes verifying safety is a good thing IMO.

Could very well be.

 

[MuchoBueno]

Hey I have the same exact stove but I had mine installed. The first thing the tech mentioned when he started the stove's first burn was that the smoke alarms WILL go off because the stoves paint will be curing and like clockwork after the stove got hot all the smoke alarms went off We opened all the windows because the smell of paint n resin was very strong. After a few hrs the smell went away and the smoke alarms never went off because of the stove again.

 

[CaptSpiff]

I'll x2 the thinking that you should open the windows a bit during the burnoff.

And I definitely question the "stuff more insulation around the damper area" comment. Any product that directly touches the vent pipe or flex pipe should be non-combustible. That means definitely no fiberglass insulation material. They sell special insulation for the damper area. You need to only use that above the damper close-off plate, and/or touching the flex vent.

 

[gfreek]

This is common. Why won't more stove shops do a "pre- burn" before delivery. It cures the paint and the operation of the stove

 

[TimfromMA]

You gotta be kidding me.... I never get anything 'inspected', but then, I do things right the first time.....

No inspector in their right mind would come in my home anyway. Everyone around these parts knows I'm half nits and gun crazy....

It's a great deterrent for would be theives and burglars. No one has the cajonies to come here uninvited...and thats all well and good as far as I'm concerned.

Good luck getting an insurance payout if something goes wrong.

 

[MarkF48]

This is common. Why won't more stove shops do a "pre- burn" before delivery. It cures the paint and the operation of the stove

Then I'd ask for a discount on a "used" stove

I usually touchup the black paint on my old coal stove every season. During the first seasons burn windows are usually cracked open a bit to vent out the odor and slight smoke that burns off.