Smoke filling room - help

[newburner]

So last night I tried to fire the century up just to prep for the winter. For some reason, I noticed smoke leaking out of the door that I left ajar until the fire caught. I figured it was a draft issue so I closed the door tightly. Unfortunately, that made things worse. The firebox filled with smoke and it started pouring out of the upper portion of the door.

I opened it up and extinguished what little fire was in there so I could perform the dollar bill test. The door seal was tightest on the sides and bottom. Along the top, the dollar pulled out with less resistance but some resistance none the less.

I fluffed the gasket and tried another fire and couldn't get any smoke to come out. Even with the door ajar.

Today, same thing. Smoke is pouring into the room whether it's tightly closed or ajar.

Do I need a new gasket? Is this a draft issue? Insert is only a year old.

 

[begreen]

Could be weak draft. Were you trying just to light nice dry kindling?

How tall is the flue system on the stove and how is it routed? What were the outside temps?

 

[newburner]

Yes. Dry kindling.
Chimney is about 18-20'
Routed 45° out of insert then straight up.
Temps last night in 50's

 

[jatoxico]

Smoke getting past the gasket is no big deal but you may need to establish draft due to the relatively high outside temps. Ever tried tried to burn at these temps before? If this is unusual you'll have to check for obstructions.

 

[newburner]

Yea. We did cure burns last July with no problems.

 

[kennyp2339]

When was the last time you cleaned your chimney? Is the cap plugged a little? Even a little build up with these warm temps and added humidity make it hard to get an established draft.

 

[jatoxico]

Sometimes atmospheric conditions just favor a weak draft. Happens to me anyway. As long as the flue is clear and there's a cap up top prob just cruddy conditions.

 

[begreen]

For sure check the chimney. There might be a nest blocking it.

 

[baysideburner]

Two years ago I tried to burn on a warm night because I just couldn't wait anymore I was jonesing for some fire. Well, it was so humid the smoke was billowing out of the chimney hanging low in the air outside. The natural convection from the heat escaping my attic was sucking smoke through the eve vents filling my attick space and walls with smoke. Im a firefighter and it took everything I had to refrain from calling the fire department. It took an hour for me to figure out what was happening it was real scary. My point is burning on warmer humid conditions will make your stove act very different with regards to drafting

 

[Seanm]

I have to admit Ive had a few of these this season due to the lack of cool air outside affecting air pressure in my house. Do you make a top down fire with smaller tinder towards the top of the fire box? Doing this can help get the draft going especially if youre able to establish a quick fire right off the bat. Also opening windows, making sure bathroom fans and dryers are off can help as well. Ive tried candles in the fire box but im usually to impatient to give it enough time.... When you are getting ready to make a fire open up your air in the stove and stick your arm in there. If you feel a downward draft you know you have a potential issue on your hands.

 

[blacktail]

Was your dryer running? Put your hand in the stove before lighting it and feel for a cool down draft. If you feel a draft, open a door or window before lighting the stove.

 

[Iembalm4aLiving]

I've made the mistake of trying to light a fire in a cold stove with either a bathroom fan or kitchen fan running. Until you get the draft going, the smoke is going to come in through the air inlets of your firebox.

If in doubt, I'll start out with just a bit of super cedar.....you can tell by the flame when your draft starts to pull. Then I'll start loading small splits to get the party started.

 

[firefighterjake]

This time of year can be tough . . . it can be cool enough to light a fire, but the temps inside and outside are pretty close to each other and the draft can be weak to start out with.

I've learned over the years during the early Fall and late Spring to open a nearby window and the fire box door for a bit before even attempting to light the fire . . . and sometimes I even pre-warm the firebox with a candle or torch . . . and even now, after several years of burning I occasionally fill the living room with smoke, causing me to run around opening every window, turning on every fan, etc.

 

[newburner]

Thanks for all the input fellas. I tried another fire last night. Temps were in the lower 40's and had no issues. Must've been a draft issue.

Thanks again for all the advice!

 

[rudysmallfry]

I've been burning for a long time, but I'll light a smoker every time on a raw 45 degree rainy day every time. Gotta use some newspaper or kindling to get the stack really warm before lighting up anything substantial.

 

[begreen]

Welcome back Rudy. You have a challenging flue. Is the Heritage working out better?

 

[revdocjim]

I was going to suggest birds nest or dirty chimney too. But based on your latest experience maybe it really was just a draft issue.

 

[Typ0]

Hey just reading this thread....how do you fluff a gasket?