New Classic Bay Wood Smoke Smell

[Rftech53]

Hi all,

New member here. Owned a wood stove for 30 years. At 65 y/o, I'm tired of cutting up trees, so went pellet stove this last Wednesday.

I had it installed by a professional company. It's using an OAK. There is about 1 foot of vertical rise on the stack before it heads horizontal out of the wall on the north side of the house.

Ever since day one, when the stove starts up, I get a fairly good wiff of smoke in the room it's in. The stove door seems very snug. I've disconnected the OAK to see if start up smoke was getting sucked back in somehow. That didn't help. The installer said to give it a week for things to "settle in."

Is it normal to smell some some smoke in the room when they first start up?

 

[DAKSY]

What manufacturer's venting did they install?
Some brands require taping on the pipe joints
& RTV silicone in the stove adapter section...

 

[Mt Bob]

Take some pictures of your flue install and post,may help.Also,have you done a good 1 hour burn on high? possibly you are smelling residual paint and oils.

 

[Rftech53]

I've been burning on high for three days. This isn't a "new paint or oil" smell. Definitely a smokey wood smell. I watched the stove burn off that stuff during the first hot run.

All I can tell you is that I got a thin manual that states Ventis Pellet Vent Install Instructions.

One thing that bugs me is in the photo below. The T is round, but where you see the sheet metal screw, the outside metal of the T has been bent down into more of an oval. I'm no pellet stove piping expert but I would think that should look round there.

But perhaps it doesn't matter if the pipes are sealing internally. It also looks like the installer made a mistake with the screw the first time and moved it back a ways to "pinch" the T to the stove exhaust outlet. If you zoom into the photo, I think you'll see that.

 

[Rftech53]

Here's the rest of the venting install, with the OAK out of the way

 

[Mt Bob]

I've been burning on high for three days. This isn't a "new paint or oil" smell. Definitely a smokey wood smell. I watched the stove burn off that stuff during the first hot run.

All I can tell you is that I got a thin manual that states Ventis Pellet Vent Install Instructions.

One thing that bugs me is in the photo below. The T is round, but where you see the sheet metal screw, the outside metal of the T has been bent down into more of an oval. I'm no pellet stove piping expert but I would think that should look round there.

But perhaps it doesn't matter if the pipes are sealing internally. It also looks like the installer made a mistake with the screw the first time and moved it back a ways to "pinch" the T to the stove exhaust outlet. If you zoom into the photo, I think you'll see that.

Those T fittings that swivel,yours looks like it does,are notorious for leaking,require lots of silicone.And,you are right about the screw,and the hole.Pull screw out and see how long it is.I have seen so many ruined installations,over the years,from people using long screws,then it pushes in the inner pipe.A long screw can deform a pipe,causing smoke between the two pipes(internal),and it would leak smoke 4 foot up the pipe,at a weak joint.A dab of sealer in the xtra screw hole may fix your problem,but,that part should have been replaced when the installer messed it up.In my opinion,with the new high quality pipe out there,if installed properly,should not need sealer or tape,especially for what it costs.However,others will disagree.

 

[Rftech53]

Well the screw is DEFINITELY too long. And it's got red silicone gasket material on the threads. I'm not happy about this "professional" installer doing this. But not sure I want him out again. Could I get by dabbing a bit of high temp silicone sealer on the two holes? I don't see any reason to even need a screw I can't move the pipes anyway.

 

[Mt Bob]

Yes,fill the holes with sealer,but,they need to come back out and make it proper.The first(wrong) hole has probably separated the inner liner,so,if there is a weak joint further out(upstream),it could still leak smoke.But,yes put some sealer in those holes,any kind of sealer you have.

 

[Rftech53]

Bob, I had some high temp silicone gasket maker, so I dabbed a bit of that in both holes.

I'll get a hold of the installer, who also sold me the stove ... I was having issues with the dealer not being responsive ... so he had his installer sell me the stove under his own account.

 

[Mt Bob]

Bob, I had some high temp silicone gasket maker, so I dabbed a bit of that in both holes.

I'll get a hold of the installer, who also sold me the stove ... I was having issues with the dealer not being responsive ... so he had his installer sell me the stove under his own account.

If your stove is a Quadrafire Classic Bay 1200,you might be screwed.As far as I remember,Quadrafire has a 2 year warranty,only in the place of installation,no transference between sellers.If your stove is one of those Classic Bay china versions,that is different.I highly recommend you call Quadrafire (if your stove is a Quad),with info on the dealer,and the installer,before calling the installer back.

 

[Rftech53]

Too late. I already wrote the installer. The drive is a new Quadrafire Classic Bay 1200 from a Quadrafire dealer.

I did figure out where the smoke is coming from. It's coming from the area between the stove outlet and the T. I was able to shine a bright light in that area when the stove started up and saw the smoke.

 

[Mt Bob]

Too late. I already wrote the installer. The drive is a new Quadrafire Classic Bay 1200 from a Quadrafire dealer.

I did figure out where the smoke is coming from. It's coming from the area between the stove outlet and the T. I was able to shine a bright light in that area when the stove started up and saw the smoke.

Excellent,you diagnosed the problem,which was most likely created by the installer.Best wishes,and stay warm!

 

[Rftech53]

My phone keeps auto correcting stove to drive. Lol

Anyway, what I don't understand is why I only see some smoke. Most of it I see outside from the exhaust vent. And it seems once the fire gets going, I no longer see smoke from that area.

Why would I only see it right at the start? Is it because the pipe isn't hot enough for a good draw?

Oh, and the T is a 3" to 4" increase.

 

[Mt Bob]

Once a pellet stove creates flame,the draft changes.No pellet stoves have a "positive" seal at the combustion blower,there is a small hole where the impeller shaft goes through.This also relates to small leaks in the exhaust(flue) system.Once the fire pops up,the velocity of the exhaust becomes the major factor,and the small leaks become irrelevant,.Oh,by the way,the older pellet stoves were "positive pressure",where the combustion motor put positive pressure on the stove,and,from time and experience,they burned houses down.

 

[DAKSY]

***Why would I only see it right at the start? Is it because the pipe isn't hot enough for a good draw?***

Sort of. The air IN the venting is static. It's just sitting there.
When the stove fires up & starts to force smoke into the vent,
it hits that static air & the airs acts as a restrictor until it starts going out.
That restriction forces that small amount of smoke to seek the path
of least resistance, which is right at the seal point where the tee
mounts to the stove,,,