Smoke in House after power loss

[slheinlein]

We have lost power two times this past week and both times we had quite a bit of smoke enter the house through my Harman XXV. Is this normal? We lost power a few times last year and I don't recall this same thing happening.

 

[imacman]

What kind of vent system do you have? Any vertical pipe in it, or just a horizontal?

 

[slheinlein]

corner install with a horizontal, direct vent to the outside. There is one 45 degree bend.

 

[STOVEGUY11]

Is there a good seal in the door gasket? Or did you open the door?

 

[imacman]

corner install with a horizontal, direct vent to the outside. There is one 45 degree bend.

Well, that could be most of your problem. There is no vertical pipe to get a draft going to pull the remaining smoke out if the stove shuts off. And depending on the wind direction, it might not be a problem sometimes, but a big problem other times.

 

[pelletfan]

I suspect it is proably the horizontal piping.
We lost three times power last weekend and had never a smoke condition.
Which I was originally afraid. Have a 20ft vertical run only.
Draft must have taken care of everything.

 

[slheinlein]

Is there a good seal in the door gasket? Or did you open the door?

I think the seal is good as this is the beginning of its second season. I did not open the door. It smelled like the smoke was coming from where the air comes out from the fan distribution.

 

[slheinlein]

corner install with a horizontal, direct vent to the outside. There is one 45 degree bend.

Well, that could be most of your problem. There is no vertical pipe to get a draft going to pull the remaining smoke out if the stove shuts off. And depending on the wind direction, it might not be a problem sometimes, but a big problem other times.

That makes sense. It has been fairly windy and the winds coming from the south, which is the direction my exhaust faces. Wind coming out of the south is sort of unusual which is why I may not have had this problem before.

 

[flashbang]

Lost power and not a lick of smoke smell inside.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/23995/#271477

 

[johnnywarm]

you need a pipe that goes stright up.

 

[Chris04626]

i got smoke in the hosue from my Englander smoke came out of the holes just below the door

 

[4124elad]

Most insurance claims for smoke damage with a pellet stove stem from not having enoungh vertical rise to create a natural draft.

This is a good read. Tells about insurance claims on stoves in Nova Scotia.
(broken link removed to http://www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-Community/1995-10-01/Pellet-Stoves-Wood-Energy-For-All.aspx)