Smoke on reload on Ambiance Elegance

[AlexVanBC]

Hi guys - there have been similar threads but I’m really struggling here so would appreciate any specific advice. I got an Ambiance Elegance 36 installed in the summer and am starting to use it now.

I get no smoke on startup, providing I light it properly - I do top down and ensure I get it hot quickly so the smoke is drawn up. No issues there.

However, on reload, I get smoke back into the room, say 50% of the time. It’s got to the point I had to move my 3m old baby out of the room to sleep as we were smoked out.

I only burn seasoned wood - cedar, birch & maple (all <20% moisture). I turn fan off, ensure activator is in and full air flow. I crack the door and wait. I also crack windows which is a bit of a joke in November in Canada.

I load only when down to hot coals which is sort of the issue I think. If the wood burns at same speed, you’re left with nice big bed of hot coals. Great. However, say most of it is down to hot coals / embers and sometimes you may have one bit which is kinda smouldering, you need to reload as otherwise you will have no hot coals left. So you reload but get smoke in the house. It’s brutal.

Any ideas? I read that the secondary burn on EPA stoves doesnt help as it blows the smoke back in but not sure what I can do.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Shell R]

I’ve had similar issues. I’m new at it so this may not be ‘right’ but I’ve had some luck putting a few larger pieces of kindling on the coals and then loading the larger logs on top of that….defeats the purpose of a ‘top down fire’ but I get the sense on reload it’s different anyway. I was feeling like I needed flames quickly or it would smoke so the kindling seems to give it an extra push quickly. Good luck!

 

[oilcan1001]

Close your door after reload either completely or slightly ajar. If your draft is sufficient this should eliminate the problem.
If not I think you need more draft

 

[Shell R]

Close your door after reload either completely or slightly ajar. If your draft is sufficient this should eliminate the problem.
If not I think you need more draft

I do believe I need more draft. I have a fairly short stack.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Short stacks certainly can cause smoke issues.