Kuuma Vaporfire 100 'smell' while on pilot draft only

[Ladarian]

This is my first full winter running my Kuuma - We purchased it last January, installed it in feb / march and didn't get a lot of heavy burn time.

I've noticed at times there is a 'smell' not quite smoke, but more of a wood gas smell (or if you're a firefighter, the smell of a house fire after it's been put out) ONLY when the furnace is running on pilot draft 'little c'.

I do not smell it at the rear of the stove but I do smell it at the (facing the front of the furnace) the top left of the door and when the front cover is off at the left rectangle that guides the foot of the front cover on.

My chimney is inside, 35' tall and has a ceramic liner from the mid 70's. It has burnt hundreds of cords of wood over its lifetime and has a good draft.

No, I do not have a manometer.

I have talked to Dale a couple of times and he suggested I move my baro from 4 to 5 and see if it helped, I don't feel like it did. It also didn't (and never had) set an overtemp alarm.

He mentioned if it didn't have black soot on the inside door then it isn't leaking but I do have this thick white ashy buildup on the same corner I'm smelling it on

The door latch latches pretty light. I have watched a few videos of folks closing their doors (including the door adjustment video on Lampa's youtube video where he beats it with a mallet but doesn't say loosen the allen screws) and the latch seems to go a lot harder than mine does at the moment.

I have done the 'paper test' around the door when this first started and in no area did the paper not feel snug like it should be.

I may not smell every time it goes to little c but last night and this morning is the worst it's been after a week or so of no noticeable smell.

Was curious of anyone has had this problem, or suggestions that aren't the silicone over gasket fix or checking the clean out / door frame bolts.

Any reports of welds cracking inside the heat exchanger out there?

Thanks in advance

-Jeffrey

 

[brenndatomu]

Do yourself a huge favor, get a Dwyer Mark II model 25 manometer! They are only $40ish on ebay.
Is the chimney 6"?
That paper test doesn't work on a knife edge door like that...best test I've found is to cut strips on light duty (elcheapo) aluminum foil and close the door on it...then open it and carefully examine the imprints.
I had a low spot in mine and I fixed it by putting a small bead of real high temp (like 750*) silicone on the gasket, then I placed those strips on foil over it, and closed the door on it...let cure for at least 24 hrs. Let the foil there, other wise the silicone will stick to the firebox a bit at a time...you can trim the excess foil off of the side if it bothers you, but leave it where it seats against the firebox. Worked for me.
No, don't recall hearing of cracked Kuuma's.

Sometimes smoke puffs can be seen with a flashlight placed in just the right way in a pitch black room.

 

[Ladarian]

Do yourself a huge favor, get a Dwyer Mark II model 25 manometer! They are only $40ish on ebay.
Is the chimney 6"?
That paper test doesn't work on a knife edge door like that...best test I've found is to cut strips on light duty (elcheapo) aluminum foil and close the door on it...then open it and carefully examine the imprints.
I had a low spot in mine and I fixed it by putting a small bead of real high temp (like 750*) silicone on the gasket, then I placed those strips on foil over it, and closed the door on it...let cure for at least 24 hrs. Let the foil there, other wise the silicone will stick to the firebox a bit at a time...you can trim the excess foil off of the side if it bothers you, but leave it where it seats against the firebox. Worked for me.
No, don't recall hearing of cracked Kuuma's.

zSometimes smoke puffs can be seen with a flashlight placed in just the right way in a pitch black room.

great question - chimney is 6"

Dwyer is on my list eventually but I honestly can't see how it's a draft problem.

A lighter to all pilot holes will damn near suck the flame out during pilot draft.

Also during little C the baro does baro things like if I open the outside door etc.

Appreciate the new ideas though, I will do a foil check!