Yes the first row of stone above the fireplace is slightly dirty. The smell is actually the worst in the eat in kitchen which is the next room over to the left. 10 feet-20 feet away It's an open floor plan so no walls separate the 2 rooms.
I can't use my fireplace until someone can help me solve this mystery!
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Yes the first row of stone above the fireplace is slightly dirty. The smell is actually the worst in the eat in kitchen which is the next room over to the left. 10 feet-20 feet away It's an open floor plan so no walls separate the 2 rooms.
There was a smoke shield installed on the unit already...again by previous owner. Yes burn with doors open and fire screen closed.
Think the chimney fan would fix issue? If so I dont mind spending $1k once to be able to enjoy my fireplace for years to come. I am just worried to spend money and have it not fix it. I considered a lopi insert but I have been told not to do it as its unsafe and others told me it's fine and is done all the time. Makes me worry and I do not want to risk my families saftey.
The fire is still active but the odor definitely starts when it's less intense and the original wood is turning to embers and new wood was added in.
The fans are a constant maintenance headache, don’t bother. I’m not sure how you’d fix that to a prefab chimney anyway.
You’ve got a few experiments to do. Make sure the furnace in the basement isn’t coming on, and try cracking a window.
You’ve got to realize how inefficient a fireplace is. It’s pulling somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 cubic feet of conditioned air out of your house while it’s running every minute. That’s a lot! But can be overwhelmed by modern exhaust fans, bath and kitchen, or any imbalance in the air handler. Once the fire starts dying down, draft is reduced, then it’s even easier for an appliance to reverse the draft. Tall ceilings, stack effect in the home etc.. can all play a roll in this.
TWilk117
Feeling the Heat
Open the air intake and the damper when you load new wood and shut the doors for 5-10 minutes until the new splits are fully ignited.
TWilk117
Feeling the Heat
Dry wood is essential. Keep a stack of clean dry splits in the house.
Burning pieces of wood is essentially the same thing as cooking..
You wouldn’t take a steak out of the freezer and throw it right on the grill.
You let it get to room temperature first.
Burning pieces of wood is essentially the same thing as cooking..
You wouldn’t take a steak out of the freezer and throw it right on the grill.
You let it get to room temperature first.
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TWilk117
Feeling the Heat
I would burn with the doors shut, air open for a while. Than start closing/dampening the air a little at a time. This gets that wood cooking better and a better pile of coals; so when you finally do open the doors again you have a rolling pile of coals with splits cooking.
Maybe your splits aren’t split enough?
And when I say shut the doors, I mean shut and latched tight!
Maybe your splits aren’t split enough?
And when I say shut the doors, I mean shut and latched tight!
This fireplace should be burned with the doors open. They do not latch down tight anyway.. there is no damper that can be shut down, it’s with open or closed. You are mistaking this for a woodstove, it’s simoly a wood burning fireplace.
The wood was split and stacked last spring in a wood shelter and I have a electric log splitter in my basement that I use to make larger splits smaller. Wood I plan on burning that is kept in house for 12-24 hours before burning.
The tag on unit says doors should be open while burning but can be closed but the glass may shatter if too hot. With my grate wall of fire grate I fear it breaking the glass.
I am going to make a fire tonight and crack a window see if it helps any and make sure my heating system stays off and I will report back.
One thing you could experiment with is keeping the doors less open. If the smoke infiltration is happening slowly at the door, you must have two air currents, one in and one out, since clearly most of the smoke is going up and out. Limiting the area available for air flow might eliminate the weaker current.
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
Use a regular grate to determine if the "grate wall of fire grate" is pulling to much heat out for the fire place creating a weaker draft on an already short stack height.
TWilk117
Feeling the Heat
I was thinking he has a heatilator like my zc.
I could close my doors tight, until one of the latches broke.
I could close my doors tight, until one of the latches broke.
I had started with a regular grate and replaced it with the GWOF in Hope's it would fix my issue.
Shaun643
Member
I don't mean to sound dumb .but your not smelling paint from something new cureing is it a new stove new piping. It would make sense as it would take some time for the metal to get warm enough to bake paint
The fireplace is from 1997 so I do not think that would be the issue nothing is new from my observation.
So tonight I made a fire and once again an hour and 20 min in I started to smell smoke so I opened the nearest window an inch and the smell went away in the room. As fire was winding down I started to smell it again so I closed fireplace doors and overall it was a huge improvement. With the window open the room still stayed warm which I was surprised. Anyone have an idea of what would cause this and why cracking window fixed it? How should I move forward?
Note the furnace did not run!
Note the furnace did not run!
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