I have a wonderluxe woodstove. I have run it all winter with no problems. It is located in the basement and I have a flex chimneh pipe going up the tile chimney with 2 90 deg bends. I have it approx. 2-3 ft above the roof line with a chimney cap. I noticed a few days ago that some smoke was backing out the door when I would restoke the fire. So I thought I had a creosote build up and inspected my chimney and found the rain cap completely filled in with creosote and some buildup down my chimney. I wire brushed it and cleaned the rain cap. Now I light the fire it burns good. I have all my damper inlets open just as before on initial burn, when I open the door to feed more wood, the fire is almost diminished and smoke pours out into my room. If I leave the door open the fire burns better but some smoke still comes out the door. I have tried leaving a window at the top of the stairs open but that doesn't seem to make a difference. I also got some real seasoned dry wood that I knew was at that did not make a difference. Whats up?
smoke filling room
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Well a window open at the top of the stairs could possibly make the problem worse if the basement is fairly leaky. You say you have a flex liner in your chimney with 2 90s in it? are you saying your chimney itself has 2 90s or just the stove pipe?
Yeah, that part confused me too. Why don't you snap a picture or describe step by step from the stove how the venting runs. If the stove ran great all winter and only now Is giving you trouble, something changed. When you checked the chimney did you also check the piping from stove to the chimney?
Yes the whole thing was cleaned. The brush got stuck at the first 90 where it exits the chimney. I cut the pipe in the basement got the brush and finished cleaning the rest of the pipe. I then replaced the pipe with a coupler, clamps and fire insert caulking.
Yeah something sounds weird to mee why did you need to cut the stove pipe? Couldn't you just unscrew it?
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
You can't blame everything on wet wood. Heck I could blame it on the guy using a wood circulator.
I agree except that it didnt smoke before the cleaning i would say that there is a pile of crap sitting in the system somewhere
What do you mean i think we need pics to know what you are talking about Or at least run through the whole system for us and what components you used
That is my guess as well, or the chimney is now reversing due to being cold in these lower temps.
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kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
Clogged screen, creosote in the elbows suggests the fire is not burning hot enough, To not have problems in the beginning of the season then to have issue's later means the draft is impeded, OP stated that he cleaned the pipe and screen, which improved burning up until he opens the door to reload. When he opens the door to load what ever little heat that was created is lost up the flu and the fire snuffs it self out to a smoldering mess. This looks like a fuel issue to me.
And judging from the photo's I see liquid creosote on the ground, also if you look on the power cord to the unit you can see some drippings on that
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I use the same wood in my fireplace that I used in my woodstove with no problems.
How does that flex go through that crock? Do you have it connected to a 90 degree elbow in the chimney?
The flex comes out the side of the chimney creating its own 90 deg and then down to the stove creating another 90 deg. It is one pipe from the rain cap to the chimney.
OK that is not how it is supposed to be done at all you should have a tee inside the chimney with the snout coming out the crock. Then switch to stove pipe which you can easily disassemble to clean
The proper way to have done this was to run the flex down the chimney with a T Snout. Then install a thimble. Then run single or double wall stove pipe to the stove.
Probably same spot where you got the brush stuck. Now I understand the couplers. You have reduced the pipe size enough that it is impeding your draft.
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