Hey, looking for some advice. Currently have a new Benjamin fs140 wood /oil hot air combo installed in a new home. First time using the wood stove and it smells of wood smoke coming out of the registers. I have had the oil burning about 2 months and so the new smell is gone and there is no smell of fumes while the oil is burning. Any thoughts on what this problem could be? Thanks
Smell of wood smoke in duct work.
- Thread starter Kwhelan
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
woodey
Feeling the Heat
Were there strong winds at the time you smelled the smoke? Had the same issue a few weeks ago it was a simple fix with my set up.
Last edited:
No just a light wind. I wonder would it be possible for smoke to get sucked in the house from outside. I let the fire go out, then relite it and the smell became stronger again
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
What are your chimney specs? Could be the chimney is ok for the forced draft oil burner, but not ideal for the potentially lower flue temps of the wood side...low draft can cause smoke smell in the house.
How old is the house? Is it very airtight? A "too tight" house can cause smoke into the house due to the natural draft wood side not being able to get enough makeup air...try cracking a basement window open next time...see if that affects it...
How old is the house? Is it very airtight? A "too tight" house can cause smoke into the house due to the natural draft wood side not being able to get enough makeup air...try cracking a basement window open next time...see if that affects it...
woodey
Feeling the Heat
Sorry, I misread your post as my issue was a slight creosote smell (not smoke) on a very windy night. Called Lamppa and problem solved easily by slightly increasing draft via Baro. damper.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
The house is a new build, in the finishing stages. Chimney specs are 7 inch, that’s what it calls for. I can open my furnace door while the fire is burning and no smoke will come through the door. For some reason when I go up stairs I smell burnt wood smoke. Has to be coming through the registers I figure and getting recirculating in the house.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
Is the furnace new? If it is old, it could be there is a hole rotted in the firebox and/or heat exchanger...that will give you a smoke smell in the house easily.
Even if it is new, could be there is a gasket out of place, or weld that was not done correctly...it happens.
Is the furnace in a basement? In a tight new house this could be a negative pressure zone. Does the furnace have an independent fresh air supply? Is there any smoke smell in the basement?
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
Right...I saw that...but what is the overall height, is it masonry, square or round flue, lined, with insulation? Or SS class A?
New door gaskets tend to need a couple of snugging-ups before they are reliable. Depending on the return air setup, a wisp of smoke from the door could be sucked into the return air and not be very noticeable near the stove.
I'm in the exact same Boat. Benjamin FS140 wood oil combo in a newly built 2020 home. I've played with air flow into my furnace room which is in my attached garage. I have a outside door in the furnace room so I tried opening the window on the door and used a fan to suck outside air Into the room. I cut a vent into my return air line in the furnace room to allow more intake. It certainly helped with the smoke smell in the house however towards the end of the fire I still get smoke in the house. I have a 7 inch double walled chimney. I had a 24 inch extension installed to put my chimney well above my peak, my home is located in a small valley so I did this to help with the draw.
I've contacted Benjamin a couple times now on this issue and I've shared this forum post with them. Hopefully we can get a solution for all of us.
Attachments
![[Hearth.com] Smell of wood smoke in duct work.](/talk/data/attachments/272/272250-3db38495d758f20f85125b522d11ece6.jpg?hash=ukWnjaZKRC)
A tiny puff of smoke will cause the smell in the house. If the home is tight, the smell can linger for a while. That's one pitfall with having ductwork and a woodfurnace. A majority of the time there's zero smell. I found by shutting off the blower eliminates the chance of smoke entering the basement.
woodey
Feeling the Heat
That's what I was thinking. When looking for a new wood furnace I almost bought one of these until I saw that the firebox was oval and constructed with 1/8" steel and no firebricks.
Last edited:
See I find the opposite to be true with my setup. If I put the Blower Fan from automatic control to manual, and just leave it on I get less of the wood smoke smell into the home. If I let it control via temperature it tends to turn off and on based on intensity of fire and I get more of the wood smoke smell into the home.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
Similar threads
