New Stove: leak smokes

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.

Kayrand

New Member
Sep 22, 2020
32
Montana
I installed thru the wall wood burning stove and I started first fire. Smoke comes out from stove door, joints and from holes of damper . I put gasket stove cement with caulk on joints and take high temp tapes. I’m buying stove door gasket sealent. Someone please tell me how to stop smoke and have it running.
 
I installed thru the wall wood burning stove and I started first fire. Smoke comes out from stove door, joints and from holes of damper . I put gasket stove cement with caulk on joints and take high temp tapes. I’m buying stove door gasket sealent. Someone please tell me how to stop smoke and have it running.
More details and some pics would help. What stove what type chimney how high is the chimney etc
 
More details and some pics would help. What stove what type chimney how high is the chimney etc
I have woodman stove. This one: https://www.northwoodsfab.com/produ...i-woodsman-stove-with-collar-free-us-shipping
It’s not thru the ceiling. It’s thru the wall. I have 6” damper adapter then two feet double pipe Vertical then 90 degree elbow then 2 feet double pipe horizontal then thru the wall adapter then box in the box 9” thru the wall double pipe then out with they the wall tee pipe then cap adapter then cap.
Smoke comes out from Stove door and all joints. I did stove cement at all joints then box then I tape it with high temp tape but it’s still coming out. I think I might need drive door gasket cement. I found it on Lowes. I did fire safe twigs because I want to see if there are leaks and there surely are leaks. How do I stop these leaks.
 
I’m in Bozeman now. My stove is on belfry right above Yellowstone so I’m going to take pictures when I go there this weekend. Wait ok.
 
Sounds like a draft issue possibly.
 
What was the outdoor temperature when this was happening?
Many chimneys don't draft that well until the temp goes below 40-50*...some can run when its warmer than that, but that's more an exception rather than a rule...
 
Make sure the horizontal run is pitched upward 1/4 inch per foot toward chimney.

Open pipe damper.

Build your fire with newspaper, cardboard and small kindling.

Crack open the nearest window.

Light newspaper twisted up at the top near the outlet inside stove to allow heat to rise and start preheating chimney. It may take a couple pieces of paper. Then light fire with one. Smoke should rise out with doors open. Open air intake, slowly close doors.

Watch thermometer on connector pipe, adding larger wood as fire catches.

Close intake air as temperature increases.

When hot gasses lighter than outdoor air rise in chimney, this creates a low pressure area in chimney, pipe and stove. This allows the higher atmospheric air pressure to PUSH into the stove intake, or open doors feeding the fire oxygen. Any leaks in chimney, pipe, or stove will leak indoor air IN, not exhaust out when the chimney is hot and drafting correctly. (Connector pipes get 3 screws at each joint, no sealer needed)

Opening the nearest window allows the higher air pressure outside to enter home and push into stove making it go. This eliminates the possibility of depressurizing the home with exhaust fans.

The colder outside, the more temperature differential inside the chimney, and the faster it will rise out the chimney. Heavy dense air in chimney, atmospheric conditions such as low air pressure and high altitude having less air pressure to work with are all detrimental to the draft the chimney creates.

Hope you didn’t think the chimney just lets the smoke out! The chimney is the engine that drives the stove. Feed it heat to make it work. Then balance the heat you leave up so the stove can radiate the left over heat into the room, and close the window. (The first fire will cure paint on stove and pipe. It will smoke. Best to fire outside with pipe vertical to burn the worst of the smoke off)

The pipe damper is a chimney control to slow velocity of rising gasses in an over drafting chimney. Control heat output with air intake on stove. If it burns too hard, that is a sign of leakage into stove, or over drafting chimney. If you close pipe damper a little, less than 1/4, check creosote formation frequently until you know how much you create. The more you close it, the cooler the chimney will run. This is the reason for a pipe thermometer to keep the chimney clean at the proper temperature as shown on thermometer. No one can tell you where to run stove or chimney control since it changes with chimney, pipe configuration, weather, and other factors.
 
Last edited:
I have woodman stove. This one: https://www.northwoodsfab.com/produ...i-woodsman-stove-with-collar-free-us-shipping
It’s not thru the ceiling. It’s thru the wall. I have 6” damper adapter then two feet double pipe Vertical then 90 degree elbow then 2 feet double pipe horizontal then thru the wall adapter then box in the box 9” thru the wall double pipe then out with they the wall tee pipe then cap adapter then cap.
Smoke comes out from Stove door and all joints. I did stove cement at all joints then box then I tape it with high temp tape but it’s still coming out. I think I might need drive door gasket cement. I found it on Lowes. I did fire safe twigs because I want to see if there are leaks and there surely are leaks. How do I stop these leaks.
How high is the outside pipe in relation to the roof?
 
I’m passing a kidney stone, and typing gets it off my mind. So I’ll leave the simple questions to bholler. lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: begreen and bholler
Make sure the horizontal run is pitched upward 1/4 inch per foot toward chimney.

Open pipe damper.

Build your fire with newspaper, cardboard and small kindling.

Crack open the nearest window.

Light newspaper twisted up at the top near the outlet inside stove to allow heat to rise and start preheating chimney. It may take a couple pieces of paper. Then light fire with one. Smoke should rise out with doors open. Open air intake, slowly close doors.

Watch thermometer on connector pipe, adding larger wood as fire catches.

Close intake air as temperature increases.

When hot gasses lighter than outdoor air rise in chimney, this creates a low pressure area in chimney, pipe and stove. This allows the higher atmospheric air pressure to PUSH into the stove intake, or open doors feeding the fire oxygen. Any leaks in chimney, pipe, or stove will leak indoor air IN, not exhaust out when the chimney is hot and drafting correctly. (Connector pipes get 3 screws at each joint, no sealer needed)

Opening the nearest window allows the higher air pressure outside to enter home and push into stove making it go. This eliminates the possibility of depressurizing the home with exhaust fans.

The colder outside, the more temperature differential inside the chimney, and the faster it will rise out the chimney. Heavy dense air in chimney, atmospheric conditions such as low air pressure and high altitude having less air pressure to work with are all detrimental to the draft the chimney creates.

Hope you didn’t think the chimney just lets the smoke out! The chimney is the engine that drives the stove. Feed it heat to make it work. Then balance the heat you leave up so the stove can radiate the left over heat into the room, and close the window. (The first fire will cure paint on stove and pipe. It will smoke. Best to fire outside with pipe vertical to burn the worst of the smoke off)

The pipe damper is a chimney control to slow velocity of rising gasses in an over drafting chimney. Control heat output with air intake on stove. If it burns too hard, that is a sign of leakage into stove, or over drafting chimney. If you close pipe damper a little, less than 1/4, check creosote formation frequently until you know how much you create. The more you close it, the cooler the chimney will run. This is the reason for a pipe thermometer to keep the chimney clean at the proper temperature as shown on thermometer. No one can tell you where to run stove or chimney control since it changes with chimney, pipe configuration, weather, and other factors.
Mine is thru the wall. Like my pipe goes thru the side wall not thru the ceiling roof.
 
Mine is thru the wall. Like my pipe goes thru the side wall not thru the ceiling roof.
Yes we get that. How high is it outside? How high above the roof is it?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smolder
How high is the outside pipe in relation to the roof?
Its 1 feet after the 9” pipe in the box in the wall. 1 ft is a tee then adapter then stove cap. The tee and adapter and cap is outside against the outside wall.
 

Attachments

  • 30184141-30D4-48CC-9761-D09CA8202BB2.jpeg
    30184141-30D4-48CC-9761-D09CA8202BB2.jpeg
    38.6 KB · Views: 214
What was the outdoor temperature when this was happening?
Many chimneys don't draft that well until the temp goes below 40-50*...some can run when its warmer than that, but that's more an exception rather than a rule...
It was 72 F outside . You mean I can do stove only in colder temp?
 
i just took a look at your manual online and that is the cheesiest manual i have seen yet. only 2 pages. that chimney should be alot taller than it is for the stove and the building. i would not use that stove until the chimney is taller. from what you described your building will catch fire. if you need to know about chimneys ask bholler
 
Its 1 feet after the 9” pipe in the box in the wall. 1 ft is a tee then adapter then stove cap. The tee and adapter and cap is outside against the outside wall.
There is your problem. This is a wood stove not pellet or gas stove. It will never make enough draft to burn well and if it does you will light your house on fire. You can't dump wood exhaust right next to a wall. It is way too hot.

Do not try to use this setup again
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smolder
Kayrand, we want to help you get this solved and to be able to burn safely. However, it sounds like right now there are some serious and dangerous errors in the installation. Can you post a picture of the stove with its flue connection inside and then another picture of the chimney outside so that we can see exactly what needs fixing?
 
How high is the outside pipe in relation to the roof?
I hope I survive this kidney stone to see what the chimney is.
Mine is thru the wall. Like my pipe goes thru the side wall not thru the ceiling roof.
Yes, and ANY horizontal run has to be pitched up ward toward chimney a minimum of 1/4 inch per foot. Never ran flat , or level horizontal. Heated gasses rise. You don’t want to slow them down.
 
Last edited:
It was 72 F outside . You mean I can do stove only in colder temp?
Yes. Temperature differential between inside and outside of chimney is what makes the hotter, lighter than air gasses rise in chimney. This allows higher atmospheric air pressure to PUSH air into stove making it go. The colder outside, the faster gasses rise in chimney. Without a chimney, air won’t go into the box to make it burn.

Rising exhaust in the chimney is measured as draft. That is the engine that makes a stove go. You don't have a chimney, like a car with no engine, so it won't go.

A chimney needs to stay hot inside and cold outside so the gasses rise inside. Chimney pipe is an inner flue pipe with insulation around it to keep it hot, with an outside pipe to hold insulation round inner pipe and keep it dry. It needs to go above the roof, and then some depending on what is close by.
 
Last edited:
sorry for the hijack. coaly how's it going????
I’m just ok. Always have lots of projects underway, but my body says every 3 to 5 years is another kidney stone episode, so I’ve learned to live with it. Manage pain, manage infection, 2 to 3 weeks it’s over. No medical intervention removing any so far. Thanks for asking!
 
Yes I’m going there to take pictures, so you guys can see it. I have only started one first fire and I’m in the process of fixing it. The wall is brick wall where the wall box connects the stove pipe thru the wall to the outside tee and stove up. I can get four feet double pipe to raise the outside chimibey longer before the cap. The horizontal pipe might be a problem to raise 1/4 upward . Or I could reduce the 2 ft vertical pipe to 1 feet and use adjustable elbow to raise Angle.
 
There is your problem. This is a wood stove not pellet or gas stove. It will never make enough draft to burn well and if it does you will light your house on fire. You can't dump wood exhaust right next to a wall. It is way too hot.

Do not try to use this setup again
It’s like 2.5 feet away from the brick wall