New stove owner....need some help

[Yellowhorse7]

Hello

Brand new to wood stoves and I’m needing some help. My wife and I just moved to a new house (built in 2004) with a Heatilator Eco Choice W22. The previous home owners said that the stove is rather new as it was installed in 2015. They also said that they used it often to heat the first floor and that they absolutely loved it.
Wood stoves are completely new to me so I did what any newb would do....I threw in some wood and treated it like a traditional fireplace. As you probably guessed that ended in a Smoke filled mess. After my first fail I read the manual and read/watched anything I could find on lighting, maintaining and killing a fire. Before I joined this forum I also read the FAQ page that’s aimed at new owners. Fast forward to the issues...First, the thing seems to emit smoke when the door is cracked as I burn kindling, almost like there is no draft to suck up the smoke. Second, I can’t seem to get the fire to continue to burn when I shut the door. It will immediately go out even with the air control wide open. Here is my process:

Open door to let the thing get some warm air inside he box, about 6-8 minutes
Load small kindling that is VERY dry, stacked in a way that allows circulation. I don’t use paper as it seems to smoke more
Air damper wide open. I use a Strike A Fire match and place it unde the kindling. The burn starts and as the kindling ignites, I close the door leaving it open about 1”.
I leave the kindling burn until the thing is roaring, adding a few more incrementally large pieces but no large logs. I figured that the flu needs to get warm to start a decent draft.

When I close the door completely the fire starts to die immediately. If I open the door soon enough it will relight. If I don’t then I end up with a room full of smoke.

I don’t think I have a chimney height problem as I have read that others have. I figure that the previous owners used it for years so it must be fine. It seems that the thing isn’t getting oxygen.

Any ideas where to start? And is it normal for a bit of smoke to escape through the stove even when the door is sealed shut? Heck, is it normal for these things to have a bit of smoke as the fire is lit? Sorry for the silly questions, just trying to learn

I should add that I have a chimney sweep scheduled in a few weeks as well as a stove inspection. But you guys know your stuff so I wanted to try the pros here first.

Thanks for any help

Tony

 

[begreen]

It's a good idea to have a sweep inspect and clean. The first thing to look at is the cap on the chimney. If there is a screen, check to see if it is starting to plug up.

 

[Elle]

I am by no means an expert but I will tell you what I do. When starting the fire, I keep the door cracked until the thermometer reads close to the middle white section. I have a stovetop thermometer and I use that as my guide. If I shut the door before that fire will go out. It usually ends up to be about 10-15 minutes from getting the fire really going until I shut the door.

Not sure the smoke should be coming into your house tho. Mine will go up the chimney no matter what. I would say it is not at all normal for smoke to come into the house with the doors shut.

Sorry I can't be of more help

 

[Hogwildz]

Is the damper?

 

[Yellowhorse7]

Is the damper?

Possibly? I took the side panel off to expose the dampener the hole closes when it’s in the closed position and opens when the lever is in the open position. I’m trying to figure out where it draws air from.

 

[jetsam]

Make sure the flue isn't obstructed first. The worst is probably at the top... pop the cap off and look inside with a flashlight. Then get a brush, or pay someone to bring their brush!

 

[Ludlow]

If it has an outside air kit, check the inlet for obstruction or possibly a flapper that you need to pin open. Someone might have had the bright idea to use a dryer vent with a flapper to close it off when not in use. As said, the cap could be plugged as well, although the fact that it drafts with the door open makes me think its a supply side issue. Are you able to communicate with the previous owners? Maybe they could provide insight. Could also pull the baffle and blanket to see if debris is piled up blocking the exhaust.

 

[edyit]

When I close the door completely the fire starts to die immediately. If I open the door soon enough it will relight.

that sounds like a symptom of wood that isn't dry enough

 

[Yellowhorse7]

that sounds like a symptom of wood that isn't dry enough

It lites almost instantly so I think that the wood is dry. But I ordered a moisture meter that’ll be here today to check.

 

[Yellowhorse7]

Thanks guys sounds like the top of the flu needs checking. I have thought about the baffle and blanket being screwed up. In fact, the baffles were crooked, so i removed and repositioned them per the owners manual. Didn’t help much, or at least I don’t think.

 

[tcassavaugh]

if they used it for years.....i wonder how often the chimney was cleaned. if it was used last season and not cleaned since, it may be plugged up. thats where i would focus some of my effort. you should probably take a peek at it anyway since season is just starting out. good luck

 

[jetsam]

It could even be a chimney cleaning that screwed it up. I don't know how that unit is laid out, but maybe somebody didn't take the baffle out before sweeping and left a disarranged baffle and a pile of crud obstructing normal airflow.

Get a brush all the way through the flue system and you'll have the flue ruled out, and you can look at wood quality and intake air.

For safety's sake, troubleshoot the flue first. (It's also a likely culprit, so you're not wasting your time.)

 

[Yellowhorse7]

Well I’m betting I’ve found the issue. Decided to remove the blanket and baffle and OMG the stuff that fell. I’m not sure how to post pictures or else I’d show you guys. All black creasute. Probably a gallons worth or more. Managed to get a look up into the chimney and I bet it wasn’t cleaned in at least a year or two. Vacuumed what i could and as I’ll let the pros do the rest. It’s so bad that if I thump the pipe with my fist debris just falls out into the box.

 

[Hogwildz]

Glad you found it before you had the one blaze that would have set it off. Get er cleaned,and you'll be golden.