We have a Lopi Northfield, recently installed, which renders our living room unusable because of intense odor. The installer put a new vent stack on saying “Let it run for 3 days.” Had to shut down the room due to intolerable odor. Turned the stove off, leaving pilot on. Opened windows even! This morning odor was less but still quite strong. Turned gas off to unit and called dealer. Told “We can have a tech to you by Friday, in a week”. Our stove has a “new metal” finish. Any experience with this stove, its’ finish, or this problem?
Intolerable smell
- Thread starter MBG
- Start date
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wooduser
Minister of Fire
Most stoves have a break in period to cure the paint. I'm supposing this appears to be a paint issue rather than a gas leak issue?
If so, you'll probably just have to soldier through this phenomena.
If so, you'll probably just have to soldier through this phenomena.
Woodburner: Thanks for the reply. Yes, I’m aware of break-in period. We’ve burned it for over 50 hours, had the vent stack replaced...still stinks. Tried with stove off with just pilot light on and it was still smelling. Odor is quite strong and is not gas smell. Concerned our living room is absorbing the smell. It smells like a foundry. My wife insisted on turning off the gas again. This was a showroom floor model. I’ve read where break-in period would be longer as a result, but it’s gone on longer than installer said it should. Might they need to replace stove? We are flummoxed as is installer. Soldiering on is no longer an option. What to do?
wooduser
Minister of Fire
I'm betting that Millbilly has the right idea here. It's apparently not the paint, and not a gas leak. So something else is burning.
Can you identify some particular part of the stove where the odor is strongest?
Could this be a fan motor? You could try leaving the fan off....
Have you taken the top & the front off this unit, leaving
the glass in place & sealed, & tried burning it that way?
That might indicate where the smell is coming from.
If this unit is INDEED a working floor model unit, I don't believe it
will require ANOTHER break in burn off. That would have
happened gradually on the showroom floor.
It COULD have some airborne deposits of the remains of
any showroom remodeling (paint, joint compound dust, etc)
that have gotten into the area UNDER the top & may be burning.
50 hours of burn time should have taken care of any build-up,
unless it was in a really thick layer...
the glass in place & sealed, & tried burning it that way?
That might indicate where the smell is coming from.
If this unit is INDEED a working floor model unit, I don't believe it
will require ANOTHER break in burn off. That would have
happened gradually on the showroom floor.
It COULD have some airborne deposits of the remains of
any showroom remodeling (paint, joint compound dust, etc)
that have gotten into the area UNDER the top & may be burning.
50 hours of burn time should have taken care of any build-up,
unless it was in a really thick layer...
Showroom floor model? Oh Boy! Who knows what chewing gum, paper, plastic, trash, soda bottles, coffee cups, food wrappers or other doodads and geegaws have been stuffed in it during the time as a floor model.
Possibly get the dealer to take off any air grates / heat shields / screens, etc and have a look inside? Maybe even a borescope to get to the hard-to-see areas.
Seems we had another complaint of horrendous smell a few years ago... believe the member finally found a lego toy slowly melting down in some obscure crevice of the stove.
Possibly get the dealer to take off any air grates / heat shields / screens, etc and have a look inside? Maybe even a borescope to get to the hard-to-see areas.
Seems we had another complaint of horrendous smell a few years ago... believe the member finally found a lego toy slowly melting down in some obscure crevice of the stove.
Thanks to everyone who responded. Dealer installed “new floor model” that was already broken in. Within an hour after installers left, without smelling anything unusual, it stinks again. And just as strong. Turned off flame leaving pilot on, aired out room and no smell with just pilot! So this morning I lit flame, set as low as it goes, to see if it gets hot enough to stink. After 3 hours set at low flame, smell is much less noticeable but still there! I’m experimenting here so I’ll leave it on “low flame” setting to see if it dissipates by noon. If it does not clear up, off it goes and another call to installer. If it does, I’ll crank it up
Daksy: No,not yet but I’ll try that today. If there is no stink then we’ll know it’s from one of those 2 parts, right? If the odor is still there, then it’s either the firebox, glass or vent, right?
Experiment revealed that removal of top and front, with burners on high, did NOT reduce intense odors. OK. Next, We’ll open windows, place fans in them, and just blast the stove on high for 24 hours. Bear in mind it’s cold here in WI. If we need to “cure” this “pre-cured” stove, this better do it. Fingers crossed here...
wooduser
Minister of Fire
You need to consider that these odors may be associated with carbon monoxide production, which might be a hazard in your home from operating the stove.
Is the stove natural gas? If so, your utility may offer free and immediate service of odors from gas stoves that might be producing carbon monoxide.
If the stove is propane, I'd contact your propane distributor and see what they can offer you in terms of inspecting the stove for CO production.
When I was a gas utility repairman doing these kinds of service calls, we thoroughly inspected any possible source of CO production, and I would have used a CO detector to check for CO production in the flue gasses and any foreign objects in the stove which might be causing odd odors.
Wooduser: Thanks for the sensible and timely input. CO detector now installed. Better safe than dead. The smell I can identify is that of a foundry. Store manager and factory rep coming in a couple days. This will get resolved... Hopefully. If not, will contact utility company and go from there.
wooduser
Minister of Fire
Hmmmm. One mystery odor associated with natural gas burning always smelled like kerosene to me.
The cause of odd odors can be chemicals in the room air that are drawn into the gas burner and changed into any of a variety of new chemicals and their associated odors. Do you have an outdoor air supply system for combustion? if so, such odors might be caused by chemicals outdoors such as fertilizers, insecticides or chemicals given off by plants, trees and such.
If you take combustion air from indoors, then if you've done any painting lately that's a likely source of a problem. Detergents ---any kind of household chemicals that are getting into the air might cause the problem you describe. Think carefully about this, it might be something quite subtle. Carpeting installed recently and out gassing? New furniture?
Update: Store manager and installer came yesterday. Decided to install brand new stove (that’ll be #3) and vent piping. They happened to come just as gas company was doing first monthly meter check. Fortunate timing, as they collaborated on CO and pressure testing, etc. Good news is they “smelled the stink” so they now know we’re not nuts. They’re contacting manufacturer today. So, new stove and vent. They’re as frustrated as we are.
wooduser
Minister of Fire
Yes, but do you have any out gassing of chemicals that might be the source of such a problem? If you do, the problem will recur.
I am have the same foul odor issues as you with my Mendota ML47 unit. Been dealing since 2015 the first time I couldn't even use my fireplace. The new one was installed in February of 2016 and they ran it at the warehouse for 24 hrs empty. They installed the new one and the same thing was occuring. We found that the fake logs that were being installed inside the fireplace was causing the foul odor after I removed the logs and ran empty no more odor. So I got to enjoy my fireplace for the 2016 winter season. 2017 turned on the fireplace and bamb the same issue. I am still going thru this issue and nobody seems to want and help anymore. I am pissed off cause I have this beautiful unit and I can't enjoy it. I have just reached out to Mendota about this again. Hopefully I will get a response but for now no working Fireplace due to the FOUL odor. I understand your frustrations...
wooduser
Minister of Fire
Sometimes the logs need to be very carefully installed as specified by the manufacturer or they can produce odors including carbon monoxide gas.
Do you have the installation and operating manuals for the fireplace? They should specify how the logs should be arranged. Read those directions over carefully and check to see if your logs conform to the directions of the manufacturer. If they do and you still get an odor, try taking them out and see if that causes the odor to go away.
Another thing that can cause odors is any chemical contamination of the combustion air going into the fireplace to burn the gas. Drying paint, offgassing of new rugs or furniture and other such things can cause this kind of problem. Consider carefully if that might be an issue.
wooduser
Minister of Fire
Pressures and CO readings all within normal limits. However, they could smell “the odor” before they even came in the house. Once inside, they agreed the odor was above normal and had to replace the unit and vent stack (they called the parent company and manufacturer who both concurred). Manager said they’d burn the new unit in their shop for “as long as it takes to eliminate the foul odor before delivery of the third stove. Fingers crossed.
And I, yours. Pissed off and frustrated feelings here too. It’s a shame. Hopefully we’ll both get resolution quickly. Good luck!
Heatsource
Minister of Fire
whats the stove sitting on?
had a similar issue years ago that ended up being tile glue off gassing.
had a similar issue years ago that ended up being tile glue off gassing.
Heat source: Sitting on a custom made tiled corner platform! Have to ask...how did you fix it? The smell and/or the off-gassing tile glue? You’re the first to suggest such a thing, you may be on to something! Woot woot!! Thanks.
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