OAK - will it help smoke smell

[RyanTW]

Good day all,

I just installed my wood stove. Fired her up and we are well through the break-in schedule.
Chimney is 4.5' of double wall DVL with 2 45 bends and 9' of class A (no damper).
Stove is a US2000 model.
Installed in a cape style house, in a back sunroom. Windows are all brand new and sealed well.
Right now, no OAK is installed on the wood stove.

I am experiencing a slight smokey smell independent of throttle air control. It appears that the more roaring I get the fire, the more smokey the smell gets. No issues on startup or shutdown. I tried putting a 360 degree light in the firebox to see if there were any gaps around the seals or in the fire box and I didn't see anything.

The Smokey smell is tolerable but it's at the edge of tolerable. Today I tried to crack a window near the stove but had to leave so I can't tell if that will help yet.

I suspect my draft is weak, I think that is reasonable to assume. Do you think an OAK will help? I have all the stuff ready to go but haven't installed it yet.

 

[RyanTW]

I also have another 3ft section of class A coming. I want to get the smoke well above my roofline. I know this will improve the draft too.

 

[avsmusic1]

so you're at 13.5' of chimney total with elbows currently?
You're getting a consistent smoke smell through the entire burn?

 

[RyanTW]

so you're at 13.5' of chimney total with elbows currently?
You're getting a consistent smoke smell through the entire burn?

During start up and cool down not really. It just seems to be worst at high stovetop temps(650-700). And yes, total of 13.5' estimated. Planning on adding another 3' soon

 

[RyanTW]

Today she ran great, kept throttle wide open mostly and very little smell, if at all. I take back the comment about the air inlet. The smoke rollout does seem to happen more when I choke it down.

 

[Dix]

How high were your temps during break in, and how high do they get now? Just a thought.

Welcome to the forums !!

 

[RyanTW]

How high were your temps during break in, and how high do they get now? Just a thought.

Welcome to the forums !!

I tried my best to do 2 250-300 degree short burns. Now I like to keep the stove cruising at 500-600.

 

[Riteway]

How many total fires have you had so far? The "break in" smell can persist for awhile, particularly when your stove hits a high temp for the first time.

 

[RyanTW]

How many total fires have you had so far? The "break in" smell can persist for awhile, particularly when your stove hits a high temp for the first time.

I've been burning almost every day for 6 days. I've cycled temps high and low quite a lot now. Right now I threw one compressed log in and stove top temp is around 400. No smell right now.

 

[Dix]

I tried my best to do 2 250-300 degree short burns. Now I like to keep the stove cruising at 500-600.

You need to go higher.

 

[Dix]

I've been burning almost every day for 6 days. I've cycled temps high and low quite a lot now. Right now I threw one compressed log in and stove top temp is around 400. No smell right now.

That's because you're not going higher than that temp.

Took me 2 weeks + to get the PE comfy, 1 week with the Englander 13.

 

[Dix]

Where are you reading the temps from?

 

[RyanTW]

Where are you reading the temps from?

I am reading from the stove top itself. After a few more burns the smell has subsided a lot. The outside temperature has gone down a lot too. So I could also have a stronger draft. I'll update in a week or so

 

[AndrewU]

Important to distinguish between the new stove paint curing smell and wood smoke. For the former you’ll get some odor every time the stove hits a new high temp, and sometimes it takes a while, depending on the paint used, to finish the off-gassing.

If it’s wood smoke the extra 3’ of chimney will help as you should get a stronger draft and that will reduce or eliminate smoke spillage from the house.

 

[Riteway]

Do you have a CO detector in the room? Probably worth getting one, to be on the safe side

 

[RyanTW]

Do you have a CO detector in the room? Probably worth getting one, to be on the safe side

Oh yeah! CO and 2 fire detectors now installed in the room. My kids will probably throw something on the stove top at some point.

 

[strategy400]

Add height to chimney should help I'd wager. 3 feet sounds about right.

 

[xman23]

One other source of smoke smell, is when I crack a window. The chimney exhaust rolls over the roof and in a open window.
How's the draft when you open up the door with a fire.

 

[MR. GLO]

What is the moisture content of your wood? Measure your draft with a gauge to get an accurate reading. Raising your chimney might not help with smell because the wind will blow back. My wind constantly changes direction per hour. Seems like when I changed wood to kiln dry the smell went away. Until you know you moisture of all your wood. Try burning smaller pieces and no smoke out the chimney and see if the smell goes away.