Smoke and more smoke

[Niko]

so i have not used my king for last 10 days. I turned her on today cause house got a lil chill in it. i could feel cold air blowing threw the stove when i first opended the door and bypass. cause the stove was so cold I put only a small amount of smaller peices of wood in it to get her started. The smoke just wanted to come out the door instead of going up the chimney. I closed the door and the smoke started coming out all around the gasket even tho bypass was open. Also smoke starting coming out the back and bottom, it was so much i count tell after a minute. i also noticed smoke coming out of all the joint connections of the double wall black pipe. After a couple of minute the smoke stopped and actaully started going up the bypass.

Got all my fans and blew the smoke out. Everything is ok now stove is running fine.

im assuming my gasket in no good around the door even tho my dollars test was fine. And imalso assume outside my class A chimney pipe must have a leak somewhere or their not twisted closed enough or somehow the air was just wrong timing that it was just rushing down.

ANYWAYS PROS SEND SOME ADVICE PLEASE.

 

[pen]

Sounds like you simply had a downdraft in your chimney.

My setup is notorious for this. I have found 2 things that help.

1. I run my shop vac as a blower, and shove the hose up the stove's air inlet and let the shop vac run as a blower for a while, pressuring the stove (door closed) and forcing air up the chimney. After a few mins, I then start building the fire.

2. I build a top down fire. This starts a very clean fire with minimal smoke, and lets the fire have a better chance at getting the flue drafting the right direction before too much smoke starts to build in the stove.

 

[Niko]

Yes i did start a bottom fire. Lol thank god my wife want home she would of had started yelling lol. Is this more common when the stove are very cold?

 

[pen]

In my case, I only have this problem if I let the stove go stone cold. If there are even just a few coals left, i don't get this.

As you noted, you felt the air coming down the chimney. Next time you notice that, be prepared to try something different to see what works best for your setup.

I'll add, my grandmother's stove also does the same. For her, she has a metal pie plate that she'll set in the stove and burn a firestarter in all by itself. That seems to be enough for her setup to overcome the downdraft. In my case, that wasn't enough.

 

[kennyp2339]

Sounds like a negative pressure (reversed draft) issue. What type of setup do you have? how long is your chimney run, how long have you had the stove?

 

[Niko]

I have a blaze king ultra and 18 feet class a ouside. Inside 3 feet doble wall black then 2 45s the 2-3 feet to the class a.

Stove is 11 months old.

 

[kennyp2339]

Basement or low level install?

 

[Highbeam]

Gotta warm the flue to get that slug of cold air moving up the chimney. Folks use hair dryers, little propane torches, or even wads of paper up near the bypass opening. Haven't you ever seen a guy light a piece of newspaper up near the damper of a fireplace to "establish" draft?

Not all flues require this but some do. This time of year the stove and the room and the outdoor air may all be at the same temperature and since we know that heat rising drives draft you need to add heat.

 

[webby3650]

When you have a down draft like you experienced, smoke will come out of every single joint, gasket,crack, hole in the stove. Your stove and chimney is fine, you just gotta beat the flue up next time. A handheld propane torch works very well!

 

[Highbeam]

One other possibility.... was somebody running the dryer, microwave, or range hood? I've had these devices (the range hood) suck air right down the chimney.

 

[Niko]

Lower level install but now it makes all sense wth the draft and cold air. I just thought with the door closed at least smoke would go up not down. No dryer or vents on as I was the only one home. I guess I'll get myself a little propane torch and that.

Thanks for the help it all makes sense now thankyou

 

[kennyp2339]

if it helps I just lit my blaze king princess, its 48 deg outside, humidity is up (im in nw jersey) when I had the door opened I had a lot of smoke spillage until the fire became situated, I also run a lower level setup, my chimney height is about 22ft straight up though.

 

[Highbeam]

We always built regular bottom up fires when I was a kid in our Lopi. We saved one or two sheets of newsprint to be stuffed loosely on top of the load and lit first to warm the flue and excite the draft.

I have recently begun using one of those instant on, trigger operated, MAPP gas cylinders to start my shop stove. It's great but kinda loud and a little dangerous since you have to set down the hot torch. I use it to start the fire but aiming it up the flue is no problem either.

 

[Niko]

Ill got my little buddy to help from now on.