High winds and the overflowing burnpot

[mithesaint]

I've been having a bit of trouble in the last 12 hours with my burnpot wanting to overflow. It hasn't yet, but the pot is fuller than normal. I gave the stove a good cleaning on Tuesday, although I didn't pull the combustion blower or do the leaf blower trick. It was burning fine till last night when a cold front moved in, bringing with it temps in the teens and a pretty strong wind on the same side of the house as the stove. I'm burning Presto Logs, which I've had good luck with in the past.

Obviously pulling the blower and giving it a good cleaning would help. Does anyone know how much a strong wind into the venting would affect the burn? I've read in a few places here where it does, and I wondered. Thanks.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I've been having a bit of trouble in the last 12 hours with my burnpot wanting to overflow. It hasn't yet, but the pot is fuller than normal. I gave the stove a good cleaning on Tuesday, although I didn't pull the combustion blower or do the leaf blower trick. It was burning fine till last night when a cold front moved in, bringing with it temps in the teens and a pretty strong wind on the same side of the house as the stove. I'm burning Presto Logs, which I've had good luck with in the past.

Obviously pulling the blower and giving it a good cleaning would help. Does anyone know how much a strong wind into the venting would affect the burn? I've read in a few places here where it does, and I wondered. Thanks.

Venting into the wind can be a major problem it can even cause a vacuum related shutdown.

That is why the manuals tell you not to vent into the prevailing wind, the issue is also somewhat compensated for if your OAK is exposed to the same wind.

It will help a great deal if you construct a wind break.

 

[dave1959]

I have the same problem when the wind blows directly at the vent pipe. Mine goes straight out.

 

[mikkeeh]

I was concerned when I installed mine. Westerly winds today directly into my vent/OAK. No problems whatsoever....so far

 

[mithesaint]

Ok, figured it was ok to assume that was the problem. Wind chills are hovering just above 0, so I didn't really want to do an unnecessary shut down and clean if it wasn't going to help. The stove is a bit undersized for the house, and the 30-40 mph winds along with 20 degree temps are kicking it's butt. Had to turn on the propane this AM, which I figured I'd have to do occasionally anyway.

The windbreak is growing. Might be a few years yet...

 

[Utilitrack]

This has happened to me a handful of times, mostly when running on low. Once it dislodged the plates that cover my baffles. I agree with Smoky make some kind of wind break.

 

[wwert]

You didn't mention how you have the stove vented. If it is horizontal only it would help to run a few feet of vertical with a 45 and cap on top.

 

[mithesaint]

Venting is appropriate. 3 feet of vertical with the 45 and cap.

Turns out that I had one of the ash doors partially open, and that was enough to cause the problem. Oops. Maybe it wasn't the wind after all. Oops. Operator error strikes again!

 

[Wi Thundercat]

OOPS! :red: Live and Learn!

 

[JoeS]

This was an issue on the Mt. Vernon AE a few years ago.

Whenever we had high winds on the exhaust side of the house it really screwed with the vacuum switch!

 

[save$]

Also agree with Smokey. The side of my house where the exhaust is used to have huge drifts of snow. Then I added the solar space. The exhaust is in the inside corner. No draft issues there now.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

When I picked the install location here (stove was to heat my Den, it certainly does that and a lot more) I picked the corner where I could have my venting well shielded from any wind. There are several large evergreens in the gully on that side of the house that so far have stopped any wind related issues. The house blocks one direction, and the since the house is sunk into the crest of a hill the vent is below the crest by about several feet that takes car of direction number 3, there are other evergreens within wind break distance on the fourth side.

Location, location, location.

Glad it was operator error this time.

 

[PA_Clinker]

There are chimney caps designed to deflect wind turning it into more of a venturi action causing the smoke to be sucked out of the chimney. Not sure if it could be adapted to pellet vent or not, but either way it seems a bit pricey.

Vacu-Stack