Sealing leaky pellet vent

[Ctwoodtick]

Have had my basement pellet stove for about 7 years. Works well. I do get some smoke in room on start up. It dissipates pretty quickly. I had put some high heat silicone tape wrapped around the venting last year. At first there was a smell from it but then it was good for rest of season with slight improvement to smoke. I started up the stove for first time this evening and the silicone smell seems to be back. I also know I could be burning some settled dust off with first burn this season. Wondering if there is a better way to seal up the joints of the venting without taking it all apart. Would applying some high temp silicone liberally to the joints, as assembled, be effective. Not worried about how it looks bc venting is mostly hidden away.

 

[LoganAtHome]

Smearing silicone over the outside of the joints usually won't fix it, because on double wall pellet pipe the smoke is leaking from the inner pipe and the outer shell doesn't seal anything. The spots that leak most are the adapter at the back of the stove and the cap on the cleanout tee, so I'd pull just those and reseal them with high temp RTV rated for vent pipe, then let it cure before firing. That tape is probably what you're smelling too, since it cooks off again every season. Does the smoke show up right when it lights, or does it puff out later once the stove ramps up? Worth checking either way.