Quad 4300 replaced fiberboard and blanket - smoked out HELP

[eclecticmn]

I have a Quadra-Fire 4300 ACT step top model with legs and outside combustion air. The stove was professionally installed in 2006 for the previous owner.

The old fiber boards were broken into multiple pieces which often fell down.
I obtained replacements from the local Quadra Fire dealer, both for the ceramic blanket and two fiber boards.
I cut the blanket to the recommended 16 5/8 inch wide x . 19 1/8 inch deep.

The fiber boards are each 15 3/4 W x 9 1/2 deep. So, the two boards total 19 inch deep.

I installed the two boards with the blanket over them so they were both all the way back, even back over a maybe 1 inch deep lip at the very back.

I started a file with both dampers all the way open and got smoked out of the room

I then pulled blanket and fiber boards forward so they both just meet the back of the firebox. I got smoked out again.

The stove worked well a couple weeks ago. In the past I have had smoke problems only when the outside temp is very warm and I close the draft too far.

The old blanket was a little smaller and their were maybe 10 pieces of broken fiber board. Did I have more draft before?

1. What did I do wrong?
2. What is the air flow pattern supposed to be in this stove? What are the perforated upper pipes for?


Thanks in advance.

 

[begreen]

Welcome to the forums. The problem "may" be unrelated to the baffle. It could be a draft issue. If so there can be some different reasons for this problem. First thing to check is the flue, particularly at the top. Check the cap for creosote plugging as well as the pipe. This can happen pretty quickly if the wood is not well seasoned.

Another factor could be the the flue or chimney itself. Can you describe the flue system from stove to cap?

 

[eclecticmn]

The flue is a double walled pipe extending up maybe 4 feet, then angles up and sideways for 1 foot then goes up maybe 10 feet above the roof. There is a cap at top.
I used the fireplace daily for weeks until I let it cool down then emptied ash and replaced the fiberboard and blanket.

I cleaned out the pipes from below with a chimney brush earlier in the year.

The smokiness started with the fiber board and blanket replacement so I think that is the cause.

Also, the blanket is one inch thick.

 

[HotCoals]

Is the fiber board above or below the pipes with holes in them?

 

[eclecticmn]

Fiber board above pipes, blanket above the boards.

 

[begreen]

It sounds like you have been pretty thorough. Take a mirror and flashlight and try to look on top of the blanket to check it. It should be laying perfectly flat with a decent space above it for the smoke. It may be bunched up at the flue collar end. Or you could pull the pipe on top of the stove and look down the flue outlet to check the blanket.

If the blanket is laying nice and flat, with about 1.5-2" space on top of it, and the stove still won't draw well, then this is most likely a draft issue. The stove drew better with a straight up flue because it wasn't having the resistance of the baffle in place. With only a 14 ft rise and two 90 degree turns, the effective height for the flue is only about 8 ft. This stove wants at least 12 ft for decent draft.

One thing you can try as a test is to pull the cap, then stick in a 3-4ft length of cheap 6" round warm air duct pipe on the chimney as a test extension. If the stove performs a lot better, it need more pipe.

Another thing to try is warming up the flue first. Some folks use a hair dryer to do this. Others like to start a top down fire like shown in the video at the bottom of this page - Efficient Wood Stove Operation:
http://www.woodheat.org/wood-heat-videos.html

PS: Are you using the ACT control for extra start-up air?

 

[Heatsource]

I cleaned out the pipes from below with a chimney brush earlier in the year.
.

the cap could still be clogged. have you inspected it since the smoke started?
they can cause issues after a few weeks ime

 

[velvetfoot]

It doesn't seem like a coincidence though, does it?
Could you eliminate the baffle/wool as a cause it you temporarily removed it and see if it smoked.
Maybe before you did that you could check to see if the path was clear to the flue with an inspection mirror.