Smoke in house

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pyrosmile

New Member
Sep 4, 2015
1
british columbia
I use a 'Hunter' wood/oil furnace. The unit is in the basement. burning a fire last night, I could feel the effects of smoke irritating my eyes and lungs. I've read other forums and seen conversations of cracks in the boxes. I inspected the firebox with no results. is it possible a crack in the box could allow smoke into the venting system and fill the home while burning.
 
Welcome. Yes it's possible to have cracks in the firebox causing this problem. There could also be cracks in the heat exchanger. If so, it is dangerous and the unit could be at end of life. It's an old unit.

Another possibility could be weak draft and smoke spillage from the burner or flue connector being sucked into the return air. This could be due to a partially clogged chimney or mild outdoor temps. Either way it's very important to figure out what is happening. And for sure please have CO detector batteries replaced and ready for the season.

Moving this post to the boiler room for folks that might be more familiar with the old Hunter.
 
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What ^^^^he said. Chances are good that the mild weather is giving you poor draft and puffing smoke back. But with the age off the unit a good once over would be wise.
 
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