I have a wood stove that's about 10 years old, and with the last two fires I've had, my living room fills with a horrible off-gassy sort of smell. I've sniffed all around it and it seems to be coming from the top of the stove, from what I can tell. (I have an infrared thermometer and the walls and surrounding areas aren't getting too hot.) The only other time I've smelled something like this was when I replaced the gaskets and the glue was off-gassing, but that only lasted for a few fires last fall then completely went away. This smell is definitely new. And it's not a matter of the stove getting too hot because the smell starts as soon as the top gets above about 200 F.
One thing I can think of is that there's a little more rust on top of the stove than when I moved in about 1.5 years ago. Perhaps there's some odor coming out because the metal isn't as sealed as it used to be? I also read on this forum that dust on the stove can create a stinky smell, and the first time this happened was after not having a fire for about a week or two. But then it was only a few days between that fire and this one tonight, and I can't imagine that much dust accumulated in that time. Hoping this can be solved because I'm really sensitive to chemical smells and have been avoiding using the stove because of it. Thanks!
One thing I can think of is that there's a little more rust on top of the stove than when I moved in about 1.5 years ago. Perhaps there's some odor coming out because the metal isn't as sealed as it used to be? I also read on this forum that dust on the stove can create a stinky smell, and the first time this happened was after not having a fire for about a week or two. But then it was only a few days between that fire and this one tonight, and I can't imagine that much dust accumulated in that time. Hoping this can be solved because I'm really sensitive to chemical smells and have been avoiding using the stove because of it. Thanks!
