We have an old drafty house and our current setup is clearly not working well from the side of it but also from the fact that we occasionally smell smoke in our home. We are very confused as to what the best route is going straight up or trying to put elbows. What should be done here?
![[Hearth.com] Pellet stove vent help!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/pxl_20240313_111035996-webp.325735/ "[Hearth.com] Pellet stove vent help!")
Pellet stove vent help!
- Thread starter H C
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o would start by putting a elbow on that pipe so its facing more strait out and down.. Who ever put that exhaust together sure did not know what they are doing, with the tip facing strait up the wind and rain run strait down your pipe. Putting on a elbow and then putting the existing end on the elbow will have the exhaust facing slightly down and will stop that issue and should stop that black streak up your home
That is melting your siding! As mentioned I would fix that termination pipe so it vents down. It also looks like you are not getting complete combustion on your stove, hence the smoke marks. I would also put an adjustable wall strap on that pipe so it pushes it further away from the siding.
Your venting should look something like this:
![[Hearth.com] Pellet stove vent help!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/325/325765-1d1c413590f5cbaa7545f017d3d0f151.jpg?hash=vslvZClotU "[Hearth.com] Pellet stove vent help!")
Your venting should look something like this:
Thank you. ( We were having an issue and realized the seal on the door needed replacing, since we replaced it we have been burning pretty clean, what you were seeing now was before all of that I believe.. We just haven't cleaned it up yet).
Our biggest concern is actually the smell of smoke inside our home. . Particularly the lower windows on the right, I'm afraid if we just put that curvature on it.. that at all just push it even more so into that corner. There's some rule about it being at least four feet away from windows. Wouldn't that just push the smoke down near all those windows which are all functioning windows?
Our biggest concern is actually the smell of smoke inside our home. . Particularly the lower windows on the right, I'm afraid if we just put that curvature on it.. that at all just push it even more so into that corner. There's some rule about it being at least four feet away from windows. Wouldn't that just push the smoke down near all those windows which are all functioning windows?
I'd put a 90% on the termination and add this pointing down
I'm not sure if anyone has noticing my concern is smoke going into the windows does anyone have thoughts on smoke going into the windows That is the main issue
What are thoughts of putting in a 45 elbo the up of the other shorter roof ( The taller roof is about 30 feet up and super high) .. does anyone suspect it would cause a draft issue especially in power loss situation? I attached a photo with a really rough example of what I'm talking about for an idea
![[Hearth.com] Pellet stove vent help!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/pxl_20240313_111035996-2-webp.325745/ "[Hearth.com] Pellet stove vent help!")
Go vertical. I would add two more 36" pipes and a another wall strap and fix the termination so it points at a down angle away from that window and see what that gets you.
That's an insane setup and a definite fire hazard! Sparks can come out of the pipe. I don't know about anyone else but this wouldn't pass code where we live. The pipe needs to be above the highest peak of the roof. You need to have this fixed ASAP and inspected by your town fire inspector.
I would follow the manual’s venting configuration & add a 90 degree elbow. To eliminate the smoke penetration problem, I would add an OAK.
Thank you to the helpful people that read what I wrote and are listening to the fact that we understand it doesn't meet code and understand that it isn't melting our siding that you're just fearful of all the soot you see on the side of our house we're not complete idiots.. we have gone out in a regular basis to closely inspect the issue.. the soot being caused by a need to replace the rope gasket in the door of the pellet stove causing a combination issue that we literally didn't wash off the house yet. Sigh!! Again.... We have a smoke problem entering the building via old windows. The side of the house faces the base of a mountain where the wind comes whipping up against the house and twirls around under the eaves and between that rock and that corner...... That currently is the main issue please look past the soot for a moment and please if you don't have anything to say about the ventilation issue into our windows please don't bother commenting. We obviously are asking for different ways to do it but thanks for reminding us over and over again about the soot. PS there is a spark cap on this pipe btw. Please let us know if we should go up or left or right ... Or if a special fitting on the end would help with the wind issue. .. due to the wind in the corner..... Thanks!!
There is a spark cap on the end, we are great friends with our town fire chief, you are looking at soot.. Not fire. Not melt as I have mentioned a few times. .. we are all brainstorming the ideas.. Hence wanting ideas on here... thanks though.
bogieb
Minister of Fire
You are under basically 3 eaves (the eave to the left, the eave to the right and the upper level overhanging the bottom level). I would bet that the smoke smell is coming from entering the eave to the left and permeating the walls (and possibly the overhanging portion). If the wind is right, my house will get a slight smoke smell because there are gaps and little insulation in the wall of one of the rooms even though it is several feet away from the exhaust exit. That usually happens when a stove is starting up, just after combustion starts.
It looks like you are several feet away from any windows, so those shouldn't be too much of a concern. However, if you don't have an OAK, then they may be sucking in the replacement air as the smoke swirls in that corner (as @mellow stated).
It looks like you are several feet away from any windows, so those shouldn't be too much of a concern. However, if you don't have an OAK, then they may be sucking in the replacement air as the smoke swirls in that corner (as @mellow stated).
OAK = Outside Air Kit. Your current set up is drawing combustion air from inside your home. When that air is replaced, it will draw in outside air through any source available. Old, leaky windows are probably that source. When replacement air is drawn in, it’s bringing smoke with it. An OAK will eliminate that smoke penetration, as the combustion air will have an acceptable source.
That code is for a wood burning stove, most places for a pellet stove it does not have to be above the roof line, it can come right out the wall and terminate right their.
Back to the OP you need to get a elbow on that pipe the wind/rain is coming over that roof and driving the exhaust and water back down into your stove putting a elbow on is really not going to change if in fact the exhaust is coming in your windows. i thing the exhaust smell you are getting is from the wind blowing it back down your pipe into the house, looking at your pics you seem to be about 3 foot away from the window and if your getting a smoke past your windows with them closed you have bigger issues with those windows. Also as said above you need a OAK to pull outside air in, with out one you are pulling air in from every draft/leak in your home and that may be another reason you are smelling smoke.
no way can the exhaust melt the siding. what comes out is a little more then lukewarm air. the guy that said it has to be above the roof line must be drunk. why not put at least a 4' straight pipe no elbows towards the rocks. just a 45 at the end pointing down. it is good you replaced the gasket. what I have found is the fiberglass gaskets dry out and crack off in pieces in a month. graphite are the best and last years
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Lol Thank you for making some sense lol.. exactly to go straight up is about 40 ft from the ground ... I don't think those people realize how much that costs or the fact that it will make our pellet stove not very effective with a flu that long,. Forget about cleaning it lol... and like you said it definitely hasn't melted the siding.. I went out this morning, I go out every morning and look at it and touch it ...My picture might be deceiving because it looks like it's right against the house, I guess but it's not it's about 3 in away from the house which the standard is two inches I believe.. anyways it was only making that kind of soot until I replaced the gasket and you're right it was a fiberglass one it was horrible once we did that we have had little to nothing coming out of the flu at this point anyways , so yeah we were looking at putting an elbow on it and seeing what will happen ...there is definitely a pit down in there with a swirl of wind that comes right off the mountain and it kind of hangs out down in the corner That is the only concern for keeping it low. Otherwise I do think obviously where it's coming out needs to be a little more away from the house either way That 45 is definitely not code at the top for sure and I didn't know that until coming on here but that's why I came on here 😁
I'm a girl lol.. but anyways.. the one rock/ boulder is huge.. not wanting to mess with it, plus it's technically a garden ( all around it)
bogieb
Minister of Fire
That is funny, I get mistaken for a guy at times also
- it was especially easy for people to make that assumption when my avatar was a Harley Street Glide.When I tore out all my main floor walls (except kitchen) to install new insulation, I was surprised to find that the plywood sheathing in my 1960 house did not go all the way up the wall - it just opened the room up straight into the eave. First picture shows a 9" gap where there was nothing. You can see the back corner of the main floor pellet stove in the lower left corner.
Add to that that there was a 1/2"+ gap between the sheet rock and ceiling behind the crown molding (2nd picture, yes that is the gap) - I could smell EVERYTHING that was happening in the outside world. You may have the same type of thing happening. I custom cut plywood to cover every hole between studs, then caulked the edges before adding the new insulation. That helped tremendously (with outside odors and keeping the place warm).
plywood didnt go to the top cause they stood up an 8 ft piece from the bottom of the floor beams instead of a ripped piece to cover the floor beams then stand the 8 ft piece on that
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