Help w/ Post Fire Carbon Monoxide

[Ludlow]

Is there a return air register for the central heating system in close proximity to the stove?

Edit: I just saw where you said you had a boiler. Check the combustion air supply for the boiler. Could be plugged, undersized etc.

 

[Highbeam]

Wow, every stinking time the co alarm trips the fire department and the propane people show up. Holy smokes.

I’m glad you definitively ruled out the only fossil fuel burner in the home. That’s a big step.

Do you ever smell smoke in the house? Does the chimney smoke out of the cap during a burn?

 

[spacemanspiff]

If it's just for a test, get a 3-4' piece of 6" light gauge warm air duct like Highbeam suggests. On a calm couple days, remove the cap and push the crimped edge of the duct into the top of the liner. Try it out during the day with a smaller fire so that you can observe the full burn cycle. You might also want to alert the fire dept that you are conducting these tests and to call first if they are receiving an alarm. (Or can the phone connection to the dept. be temporarily cut off?) If this makes little difference, then I'm with peakbagger with installing an HRV to put a slight positive pressure in the space. If it makes a notable difference then a proper, permanent chimney extension is the answer.

Can you post an exterior full house (and hillside) picture of the chimney?

I can disconnect the phone like! Good call.

Here’s some exterior shots.



In this one I’m barely up the hillside. It’s goes much higher. But it’s hard to see in the photos because it’s so wooded.

 

[spacemanspiff]

 

[spacemanspiff]

Wow, every stinking time the co alarm trips the fire department and the propane people show up. Holy smokes.

I’m glad you definitively ruled out the only fossil fuel burner in the home. That’s a big step.

Do you ever smell smoke in the house? Does the chimney smoke out of the cap during a burn?

The chimney smokes happily during the burn.

As far as the smoke smell there will be warm rainy days where the flue clearly reverses and I can definitely smell old wood smoke.


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[spacemanspiff]

 

[fire_man]

Yikes, that looks scary hard to get a ladder to the top of such a narrow chimney.

 

[Highbeam]

That fireview stove is not supposed to smoke. when was the last time you cleaned the cat? How old is the cat? The very short burn times are also odd. That stone stove should easily be quite warm in the morning.

Nice place! The chimney looks quite tall. Does it have one of those creosote catching screens on top? Has it been verified clean?

 

[moresnow]

Neat place!
Add pipe would be my guess. As mentioned.

 

[SpaceBus]

That fireview stove is not supposed to smoke. when was the last time you cleaned the cat? How old is the cat? The very short burn times are also odd. That stone stove should easily be quite warm in the morning.

Nice place! The chimney looks quite tall. Does it have one of those creosote catching screens on top? Has it been verified clean?

It might also need a rebuild. Those tall trees on the right might be hindering draft as well.

 

[spacemanspiff]

That fireview stove is not supposed to smoke. when was the last time you cleaned the cat? How old is the cat? The very short burn times are also odd. That stone stove should easily be quite warm in the morning.

Nice place! The chimney looks quite tall. Does it have one of those creosote catching screens on top? Has it been verified clean?

Ah yes. After the CO problem was identified we stopped using the cat for the most part in hopes of keeping the draw stronger (not that there are draw problems while the firing is burning—I just didn’t want to have to worry about whether I remembered to disengage the cat near the end of the burn or not).

The cap has a screen. I assumed it was a spark arrester/anti vermin intrusion device.

It’s due for its cleaning this year.


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[spacemanspiff]

Neat place!
Add pipe would be my guess. As mentioned.

Thanks!


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[spacemanspiff]

It might also need a rebuild. Those tall trees on the right might be hindering draft as well.

Rebuild sounds expensive...

Rebuild the entire chimney?

Should I try one of those vacuu stack wind things?


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[Ludlow]

I wouldnt put a ladder against that chimney. No way no how. Borrow a bucket truck or go up from bottom with soot eater.

 

[begreen]

Nice place! Looks very private. This is really similar to how my SIL's house was oriented. They had the same issue with their fireplace.

The stove needs the cat to burn properly. Otherwise, why have a cat stove there?

By the look of things, the hillside may be part of the issue together with the basement location of the stove. When you see smoke coming from the chimney, does it go straight upward or is it lazier, sometimes drifting horizontally or even down the driveway?

In this situation, everything needs to be optimal. The flue needs to stay warm and clean, especially up at the top where flue gases are going to be coolest. This gets back to your original question about a draw collar or draft inducer. The draw collar may be worth at try. They guarantee it will stop the problem. The downside is that it will be drawing about 450 watts steadily when the flue stove cools down. There is a third option of slightly pressurizing the room, thus the suggestion of an HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator). An HRV is a bit like having a small opening on the wall (like cracking a window open) with a small fan. The difference is that there is an internal heat exchanger in the HRV that preheats the incoming air with the outgoing air. The HRV can be tuned so that the room is slightly pressurized, but even just bringing in cold dry air into the room will pressurize it slightly.
https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/question/how-best-to-balance-an-hrvs-intake-and-exhaust

 

[Highbeam]

Ah yes. After the CO problem was identified we stopped using the cat for the most part in hopes of keeping the draw stronger (not that there are draw problems while the firing is burning—I just didn’t want to have to worry about whether I remembered to disengage the cat near the end of the burn or not).

The cap has a screen. I assumed it was a spark arrester/anti vermin intrusion device.

It’s due for its cleaning this year.


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Couple of smoking guns here. Yes, the cap screen must be either removed or maintained. Sometimes the cap screens need frequent maintenance and they are optional equipment unless your local government or insurance requires it. My two chimneys have no filters, they clog too easily for me.

The cat should not be disengaged at the end of burn. The catalyst is what prevents almost all smoke and co emissions. You want it to be clean, engaged, and functional as much as possible. Only run the bypass open when you open the loading door for reloads or when you are starting a new fire. Some modern stoves don’t even have a bypass!

Not using the cat begins to explain your short burn times. The cat makes tons of heat by burning smoke and co. When it is properly being used the cat can be the largest source of heat. Without it, you’ll need to inefficiently crank up the main wood load to maintain output.

 

[Highbeam]

The woodstove is on the first floor of our two story home. There is no basement. The house is on a slab.

No basement @begreen

 

[SpaceBus]

I meant rebuild the stove, not the chimney. Not engaging the cat isn't doing you any favors, but shouldn't cause a draft reversal.

 

[begreen]

No basement @begreen

My error, bottom floor.