Jotul 3 smokes on start-up

[k9mtn]

Hello-
We recently remodeled our 2 story house and had a Jotul F3 CB installed on the first floor of the house. The stovepipe leaves the top of the stove and makes 2 45 degree bends inside the room and leaves the house through the roof (the flue terminates below our 2nd story roof as this is a single story addition). For the last 2 years, smoke has poured out of the top vents of the stove on start-up. We have tried everything to reduce the positive pressure (checked vents/fans in the house, closed the fireplace flue, opened a window…)in the stovepipe but our chimney sweep says the only answer is to try and heat the air in the stovepipe to start a draft. We put candles in the stove to try and warm it up without a lot of smoke but the problem persists. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. Thanks.

 

[begreen]

In our milder climate draft can be weak until it gets cold. From the description it sounds like there needs to be more flue height on this stove. What is the height currently?

 

[thewoodlands]

Hello-
We recently remodeled our 2 story house and had a Jotul F3 CB installed on the first floor of the house. The stovepipe leaves the top of the stove and makes 2 45 degree bends inside the room and leaves the house through the roof (the flue terminates below our 2nd story roof as this is a single story addition). For the last 2 years, smoke has poured out of the top vents of the stove on start-up. We have tried everything to reduce the positive pressure (checked vents/fans in the house, closed the fireplace flue, opened a window…)in the stovepipe but our chimney sweep says the only answer is to try and heat the air in the stovepipe to start a draft. We put candles in the stove to try and warm it up without a lot of smoke but the problem persists. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. Thanks.

Have you tried a hair dryer to get the draft going. Before you put your kindling in put the hair dryer in the wood stove up the flue then turn on for about 1-2 minutes then turn off and take out then build your fire and see if that works.

zap

 

[Stump_Branch]

Is this a situation where insulating the chimney pipe/liner better would keep it warmer and up to a better draft inducing temperature?

 

[Jags]

My house design sounds similar - that being the west side is a two story and the east side (where the stove and stack are) is a single story. In the beginning of time for my stove install I had an occasional downdraft or draft inversion. Believe it or not - the fix was adding a single 2ft section on top of what I had. It changed the way the air coming over (and around) the two story part enough to improve the draft that this hasn't happened since.

A cheap way to test this is to go to the hardware store and get a couple feet of the snap together metal duct pipe. Add that to your existing pipe and give it a whirl. Maybe it will need more. I "think" that if you over 5' about the roof you will need to add stabilizing wires.

For just a few bucks you will know if that works. If it does, then install the appropriate pipe to the length needed.

 

[k9mtn]

Thanks everyone for the replies. The single wall stovepipe extends to a 9' ceiling and is double-walled through the roof, and extends approximately 6' above the roof. The problem does improve slightly as the weather cools, but my daughter has asthma and I'd rather not smoke up the place at all, but we (otherwise) love the woodstove. I'll try the hairdryer technique. My husband has mentioned using a propane torch.

 

[thewoodlands]

Thanks everyone for the replies. The single wall stovepipe extends to a 9' ceiling and is double-walled through the roof, and extends approximately 6' above the roof. The problem does improve slightly as the weather cools, but my daughter has asthma and I'd rather not smoke up the place at all, but we (otherwise) love the woodstove. I'll try the hairdryer technique. My husband has mentioned using a propane torch.

Just make sure you turn it on when it's pointed up the flue (I'm speaking from experience) :red: cold flue and twenty below plus a face full of cold ash.


zap

 

[begreen]

Changing the single-wall pipe to double-wall should help it warm up faster. Also, try to use only the driest kindling for starting a fire.

When starting, do you leave the door ajar a little? The start air damper on this stove is a bit wimpy.

 

[tlingit]

have you tried a top down fire? That might help warm your flue a little, and there is less smoke? http://www.woodheat.org/tips/topdownsteps.htm

 

[jotulguy]

google draw collar. it primes the flue for you at start up!

 

[Renovation]

google draw collar. it primes the flue for you at start up!

Thanks for the tip!

I went to their site, but when I clicked on their demonstration video, it said "This video has been removed by the user."

 

[Gunks]

have you tried a top down fire? That might help warm your flue a little, and there is less smoke? http://www.woodheat.org/tips/topdownsteps.htm

Try the top down fire. My friend also has a Jotul 3 and has been using the hair dryer method to reduce smoke. The top down fire solved her problem.