Smoke free startup?

[gutlo]

Got my used Englander 13-NCH. Starting it up outside using oak pallet wood, I can't get it to light without some smoke escaping through the door. I leave it slightly open, flame jumps up very nicely, a little smoke comes out of the door. I close the door, flame goes immediately down and it becomes smokey inside the firebox.

Is it possible to start without any smoke coming into the room? I tried crumpled up newspaper the first time and it made a lot of smoke. Soaked cotton balls in vaseline and got less smoke the second time.

 

[edyit]

what do you mean by starting it up outside? how much and what size pipe do you have for a chimney system? can you describe your set up for us so we can answer it better?

 

[begreen]

Yes. The stove needs enough chimney to draft successfully.

 

[gutlo]

I mean that the stove is not installed. It's sitting on a dolly outside my house. I have 9 feet of 6" pipe attached.

 

[Rob711]

Please explain how to soak cotton balls in vasaline? Never heard of that.

 

[gutlo]

Get some of those cosmetics applicator cotton balls and wipe some vaseline onto them. Some guys heat up the vaseline in a double boiler and soak the cotton balls in it then let it cool down. Saw it on youtube.

 

[Woody5506]

My guess is it's not drafting properly because you only have 9' of chimney on it just firing it up outside.

 

[gutlo]

My guess is it's not drafting properly because you only have 9' of chimney on it just firing it up outside.

How many feet of pipe will I need? The 9' is uninsulated. I had planned to use 6' of uninsualted and 7 ' of class A insulated with a 60 degree and a 90 degree bend.

 

[Woody5506]

How many feet of pipe will I need? The 9' is uninsulated. I had planned to use 6' of uninsualted and 7 ' of class A insulated with a 60 degree and a 90 degree bend.

One of the pros on here can give you a better more definitive answer to this than me, but I would think 13' total feet with those two bends will not be sufficient in creating a proper draft.

 

[gutlo]

what do you mean by starting it up outside? how much and what size pipe do you have for a chimney system? can you describe your set up for us so we can answer it better?

Edyit, any more ideas?

 

[edyit]

page 13 of the manual ((broken link removed to http://www.heatredefined.com/assets/images/manuals/82/13-nc.pdf)) calls for 15 feet of overall height. elbows "decrease" height by restricting draft. that being said, try your 13 feet, if you get smoke spillage or other problems add a few feet of pipe.

 

[gutlo]

page 13 of the manual ((broken link removed to http://www.heatredefined.com/assets/images/manuals/82/13-nc.pdf)) calls for 15 feet of overall height. elbows "decrease" height by restricting draft. that being said, try your 13 feet, if you get smoke spillage or other problems add a few feet of pipe.

Edyit,

Thanks for pointing out the manual.

It turns out I have 15,5' of class A and 6' of internal single wall pipe with the two bends. I'll try attaching all this outside and will check for smoke spillage.

Thanks.

 

[xman23]

Whats the outside burning all about? And why do you care what it does outside?

 

[Doc C]

I’m guessing he’s trying to cure his stove outside. But I agree. How the stove acts outside is no relation to how it will act inside. I would just cure the stove, move it inside, hook it up and move on. It will probably be just fine.

If you meet the minimum install guidelines and your still getting smoke inside then add some pipe, try small kindling to get a faster fire, or try the top down method.

 

[gutlo]

Whats the outside burning all about? And why do you care what it does outside?

I’m guessing he’s trying to cure his stove outside. But I agree. How the stove acts outside is no relation to how it will act inside. I would just cure the stove, move it inside, hook it up and move on. It will probably be just fine.

If you meet the minimum install guidelines and your still getting smoke inside then add some pipe, try small kindling to get a faster fire, or try the top down method.[/QUOTE


The outside burning was about perfecting a startup technique that would assure no smoke. My wife is very sensitive to smoke. Doc C's comment is probably right. Burning outside is different from burning a properly setup stove. This is the second wood stove that I have used. The first was an old Vogelzang L'il Sweetie that was a box with a pipe. It lit easily and produced as much smoke as heat, but once I learned it's little quirks, it lit up with no room smoke.

AS usual, I got great info from the people on this forum,

 

[Doc C]

I have the Englander 13 as my main stove. Only smoke I get is if I forget to shut off the overhead fan before opening or if I open the door too fast. Otherwise it’s a clean stove.

 

[gutlo]

I have the Englander 13 as my main stove. Only smoke I get is if I forget to shut off the overhead fan before opening or if I open the door too fast. Otherwise it’s a clean stove.

Doc C,

What do you mean by "overhead fan?"

 

[Doc C]

Doc C,

What do you mean by "overhead fan?"

Ceiling fan

 

[BrotherBart]

Cure it outside and forget about worrying about escaping smoke. When you put it on the pipe in the house it will be a non-event.

 

[Squisher]

Yes. Just cure it and install it. Even if you constructed your chimney outside exactly like it was going to be inside it still won't behave the same as it will once inside the envelope of your home. You are just creating work for yourself.

 

[velvetfoot]

Umm...the stove is used.

 

[Doc C]

Lol. I think we all missed that key word in his post!

 

[Doc C]

Also one thing I thought about. If you have an air compressor with a blower on it...locate all the holes especially the small ones behind the legs or pedestal and blow the holes out. I have read a few times of people having so much crap in there that it affected the burn. I just do it as standard practice now on any stove I have.

 

[Squisher]

Umm...the stove is used.

Well then don't cure it. But also don't bother constructing a full chimney replica outdoors. Because it will not function the same as when installed inside the home.

 

[Zack R]

The stove will act totally different once installed. Since you are outside with a temporary setup there is no real pressure difference to establish a draft (its acting pretty much like a BBQ at this point). Let us know how it performs once installed.