Help for a new BK Chinook 30 owner please...

[Burninator007]

Brand new here, so please pardon my ignorance.

Recently had a new Blaze King Chinook 30 installed at my home with a fresh air intake and blower fan. Since the initial installation I have struggled with smoke and smell issues and am hoping for a little insight from experienced owners. For the record, I have contacted the installer and Blaze King. I'll try to keep it reasonable length.

First issue - Inability to run the stove on any setting lower than medium on the thermostat without getting a loot of smoke smell and sometimes actual smoke inside the home. Enough to trip smoke alarms. According to installer and BK support I shouldn't really even be smelling smoke except maybe a tad when reloading. Determined initial chimney (single story straight out the ceiling with no bends) was to short at 14' and not creating enough draft. Installer came out and added a 3 foot extension and now we are at 17' from top of stove to cap and so far draft is better. Smoke smell is probably 90% better, but still there. No spillage to speak of when opening to reload. I still notice smoke or creosote smell around the top of the stove when trying to burn on lower settings even when the needle is in active zone.

Question - Is it normal to get smoke smell when using a BK stove on most settings? I know the obvious answer should be duh, you are burning wood and therefore it is logical to expect smell related to it. However, both BK and installer pretty much said that with proper draft this thing is so efficient, you shouldn't notice any smoke smells at all. What say the experienced folks? FYI I am in the Northwest and burning Alder and Maple with moisture content around 15%.

Second issue- Smoke smell any time I run the blower / fan to circulate the heat. Is this normal? Both BK and installer say no, but we have taken heat shields off to inspect welds, looked over the whole stove and can't see anything obvious. I notice the smell coming right out of the top of the stove vents and I also smell it here when the fan is off and right around the flue where it connects into the chimney on top of the stove. Nothing is obviously wrong by sight, but it is very noticeable anywhere in the general area of the living room. Not to the point of needing to go outside, but just enough to make me question if I should be smelling it at all.

Sorry for the ramble, but I really like this stove aesthetically and it puts out great heat. I just don't like the smoke smell and want to make sure nothing is out of the ordinary here. I appreciate your time to read this and respond if you have any ideas.

 

[Highbeam]

So is it safe to say that you're concerned about the smoke smell from your 30 box stove? Sometimes it is resolved with a thicker door gasket from BK or with chimney improvements.

My princess has been great and no smoke smell in the room burning the same PNW species. If I put my nose right over the hot door I can get a slight wiff of creosote like smell but I think that is just the smell of a hot gasket that has actual smoke on the other side and not an actual leak. Like the difference between smelling a dog fart and actually going up and sniffing the dogs cornhole.

It has been warm in the PNW. Highs in the 50s, lows in the 30s. That's no excuse, it shouldn't stink. I recommend that you continue to work with BK and your dealer to eliminate the smoke stink problem.

 

[MissMac]

Inability to run the stove on any setting lower than medium on the thermostat without getting a loot of smoke smell and sometimes actual smoke inside the home.

Don't let this make you feel like something is wrong with your stove. This is part of learning your stove. Sounds like with the min. length of chimney, you just found the threshold for your dial. Don't let that dial fool you - everyone's "low" burn will occur at a different point on that dial, depending on all of the different factors that come together in their set up. For example, my minimum burn spot on my dial is right around 3 o'clock. Part of your learning your new stove is to find out where your low actually is. You can put little pencil ticks next to certain places on the dial as you start to figure it out (e.g. mark the 12 hr burn spot etc.). Sounds like marginal draft was part of your issue.

Keep experimenting and see what happens. You're not the only person who has had creo smell issues.

 

[Highbeam]

Don't let this make you feel like something is wrong with your stove. This is part of learning your stove.

I will agree that stalling a cat due to a too low thermostat setting is a pretty typical learning mistake but that shouldn't cause wood smoke to spew out of the stove. Did that happen to you MissMac?

 

[spudman99]

I would also consider the possibility of residual smoke particules remaining on the stove and pipe that are now off gassing. Smoke will stick to the metal surfaces to due static electricity and then release when they get excited and warm. When you said the smell was 90% better with the longer flue, that is a clear draft issue (don't know why the installer allowed a 14' pipe when the manual specifies a minimum 15' from box top to chimney cap.). Blaze Kings are know to need good draft give the low burn rates.

 

[Tron]

I had my Chinook 30 installed yesterday. I don't know how recent your install is and how often you have run it, but I was told that the first time you run a new stove residue from the manufacturing process burns off and the paint cures. Resulting in our smoke alarms going off, too. It definitively wasn't smoke from the fire, though.
I have no idea how often you'd have to run the stove to completely get rid of that, I'll probably see towards the weekend when I have run it a couple times.

 

[Highbeam]

I would also consider the possibility of residual smoke particules remaining on the stove and pipe that are now off gassing. Smoke will stick to the metal surfaces to due static electricity and then release when they get excited and warm. When you said the smell was 90% better with the longer flue, that is a clear draft issue (don't know why the installer allowed a 14' pipe when the manual specifies a minimum 15' from box top to chimney cap.). Blaze Kings are know to need good draft give the low burn rates.

Check it out

https://www.blazeking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/OM-CK30-E.pdf

The 15' is now a "recommendation". It says in at least 5 different places now that height requirements are now "recommended" and only a "guideline". I couldn't find the draft strength requirement though, only a broken reference to the measured strength with a manometer.

 

[Tron]

I have not gotten the installation invoice so I don't know exactly how long our chimney is, but I'd estimate about 25-30'.

 

[Highbeam]

I have not gotten the installation invoice so I don't know exactly how long our chimney is, but I'd estimate about 25-30'.

In that case you might want to consider that there is a maximum draft strength specification too. It used to be specified but there are some problems that can be caused by too much draft. @Ashful has experience with measuring high draft and remedying these excessive draft related symptoms.

 

[Ashful]

Yes! My 30' pipe pulled about 0.18"WC, roughly 3x the allowable maximum for the BK 30's, and nearly 4x what they'd call optimum. The solution was very simple, a key damper in the pipe about 3' above the stove, and measurement device (I used a Magnehelic) installed between key damper and stove. This has made a enormous difference in my ability to run at higher settings without stirring up so much fly ash that I'm constantly plugging the steel combustor.

 

[MissMac]

I will agree that stalling a cat due to a too low thermostat setting is a pretty typical learning mistake but that shouldn't cause wood smoke to spew out of the stove. Did that happen to you MissMac?

no - that was an oversight on my part - that's not normal for sure. maybe paint curing?

 

[Burninator007]

So is it safe to say that you're concerned about the smoke smell from your 30 box stove? Sometimes it is resolved with a thicker door gasket from BK or with chimney improvements.

My princess has been great and no smoke smell in the room burning the same PNW species. If I put my nose right over the hot door I can get a slight wiff of creosote like smell but I think that is just the smell of a hot gasket that has actual smoke on the other side and not an actual leak. Like the difference between smelling a dog fart and actually going up and sniffing the dogs cornhole.

It has been warm in the PNW. Highs in the 50s, lows in the 30s. That's no excuse, it shouldn't stink. I recommend that you continue to work with BK and your dealer to eliminate the smoke stink problem.

Yes, I am concerned. I just realized though that there must be a difference between smoke smell and creosote smell. Regardless I guess I'm trying to confirm whether or not I should smell anything when burning whether on high or low setting with or without the fan on. I will continue to try and figure it out with the dealer, BK and hopefully people on here who have more practical experience on it than I do.

Thanks for your reply

 

[Burninator007]

Don't let this make you feel like something is wrong with your stove. This is part of learning your stove. Sounds like with the min. length of chimney, you just found the threshold for your dial. Don't let that dial fool you - everyone's "low" burn will occur at a different point on that dial, depending on all of the different factors that come together in their set up. For example, my minimum burn spot on my dial is right around 3 o'clock. Part of your learning your new stove is to find out where your low actually is. You can put little pencil ticks next to certain places on the dial as you start to figure it out (e.g. mark the 12 hr burn spot etc.). Sounds like marginal draft was part of your issue.

Keep experimenting and see what happens. You're not the only person who has had creo smell issues.

Thanks, I will keep trying different settings and see if I come up with a "happy place"

 

[Burninator007]

I would also consider the possibility of residual smoke particules remaining on the stove and pipe that are now off gassing. Smoke will stick to the metal surfaces to due static electricity and then release when they get excited and warm. When you said the smell was 90% better with the longer flue, that is a clear draft issue (don't know why the installer allowed a 14' pipe when the manual specifies a minimum 15' from box top to chimney cap.). Blaze Kings are know to need good draft give the low burn rates.

I'm quite certain after talking with the dealer that they don't really know much about the stoves. The installers they have work with several brands and I didn't get the feeling that my installer was a seasoned expert. Nice enough guy, but just didn't seem to know anything about this particular stove.

 

[Burninator007]

I had my Chinook 30 installed yesterday. I don't know how recent your install is and how often you have run it, but I was told that the first time you run a new stove residue from the manufacturing process burns off and the paint cures. Resulting in our smoke alarms going off, too. It definitively wasn't smoke from the fire, though.
I have no idea how often you'd have to run the stove to completely get rid of that, I'll probably see towards the weekend when I have run it a couple times.

I'm way beyond that initial burn and the paint fumes - that was the first thing both the dealer and BK asked me about. We are 2 months out from initial install and been burning regularly while trying to figure things out, so they both agreed it was not initial off gassing. Things are greatly improved after increasing the chimney length, but I'm not convinced we are 100% there yet.

 

[Burninator007]

Yes! My 30' pipe pulled about 0.18"WC, roughly 3x the allowable maximum for the BK 30's, and nearly 4x what they'd call optimum. The solution was very simple, a key damper in the pipe about 3' above the stove, and measurement device (I used a Magnehelic) installed between key damper and stove. This has made a enormous difference in my ability to run at higher settings without stirring up so much fly ash that I'm constantly plugging the steel combustor.

How does one measure the amount of draft to make sure that they are within manufacturer specifications? Seems like this should be part of installing a stove - making sure that everything operates properly. They literally installed it, handed me the manual and told me it would smell the first few times I burned it. Other than that they knew nothing. I tried finding other dealers before purchasing, but the next closest was 300 miles away!

 

[TWilk117]

Not familiar with cat stoves.
Could he be shutting it down to soon?
Mine doesn’t like that.
Spits smoke at me sometimes.

 

[Tron]

In that case you might want to consider that there is a maximum draft strength specification too.

I'll look into it. Currently on my 2nd burn and I have not observed that ash is being pulled up, it all stays nicely down.

 

[bholler]

I'll look into it. Currently on my 2nd burn and I have not observed that ash is being pulled up, it all stays nicely down.

You won't see it being pulled up. But it can clog a cat quickly

 

[Tron]

I'll check the length. Surely not 30', it's not that high. Hard to judge, I guess I need to check the invoice on the components used.

 

[Rickb]

I don't have the 30 series, and I have a 20' chimney with around 6' of DVL but I dont have really any smell even on a reload. I also can turn mine all the way down, and do on almost every fire.

I turn it all the way up and open the bypass. Load wood and light it off. Let it burn till its active then turn it all the way down and close the bypass. I do get some smell when its burned out the next day sometimes if the temps are just right. This seems to happen more if my wood itsnt great and didnt burn down to ash, but again its from a slight reverse draft.

 

[Woody Stover]

Not familiar with cat stoves.

It's a known issue with the BK 30-box.

 

[snaple4]

Like the difference between smelling a dog fart and actually going up and sniffing the dogs cornhole.

Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, wait..., What?


Funny stuff.

 

[Woody Stover]

Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, wait..., What?

Yeah, I'd like to see this cornhole-playing dog. Sounds like an urban myth. Or a deepfake.

 

[BKVP]

OP, when you visually observed smoke, where was it originating from? Back of stove, around flue, around front loading door?