Smoke Pours out whenever I put new wood in! Help!

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Deij05

New Member
Oct 12, 2016
13
Colorado
Hello everyone, new here! I have searched around a bit trying to figure out why smoke pours out of the front of my stove when I open the door, but Im just at a loss! We have a USSC 2007b that was here when we moved here a year and a half ago. We didnt use the stove last winter, we didnt end up having time prior to winter to put an new pipe in and wanted to make sure it was right. Now, its functioning but whenever I add wood smoke fills the room. Its driving me nuts, I dont want to smell like a camp fire when I leave the house. What can I do to trouble shoot this? We have a 6 inch pipe,today its 42 degrees. Ive got a themometer on the pipe, and I notice its never once gotten past 200 degrees. Is that normal? Ive burned on days that it was 50 degrees or so and I feel like it was less smoky than now on a colder day. It is really humid today also. I just hope I can solve this. I am sure there is no obstruction, because the pipe is brand new and only been used about 4 times. Thanks in advance everyone.
 
Hello everyone, new here! I have searched around a bit trying to figure out why smoke pours out of the front of my stove when I open the door, but Im just at a loss! We have a USSC 2007b that was here when we moved here a year and a half ago. We didnt use the stove last winter, we didnt end up having time prior to winter to put an new pipe in and wanted to make sure it was right. Now, its functioning but whenever I add wood smoke fills the room. Its driving me nuts, I dont want to smell like a camp fire when I leave the house. What can I do to trouble shoot this? We have a 6 inch pipe,today its 42 degrees. Ive got a themometer on the pipe, and I notice its never once gotten past 200 degrees. Is that normal? Ive burned on days that it was 50 degrees or so and I feel like it was less smoky than now on a colder day. It is really humid today also. I just hope I can solve this. I am sure there is no obstruction, because the pipe is brand new and only been used about 4 times. Thanks in advance everyone.
What type of chimney is it going into? What size is that chimney? Has it been inspected? What moisture content is your wood at?
 
Wondering when the chimney was last used? It doesn't take long for some critters to make a nest there.

Some other factors that may affect draft - If the chimney is clean all the way up including the cap then consider the location. Is the stove in the basement or in a particularly tight house?
 
What type of chimney is it going into? What size is that chimney? Has it been inspected? What moisture content is your wood at?

Im very new to all of this, so bear with me. :)
This is the chimney we installed : DuraVent DuraPlus Triple-Wall Basic Through-the-Ceiling Chimney Stove Pipe Vent Kit
It is 6 inches.
It has been inspected.
Wood is from some dead trees cut down last summer. Like, a year ago.
Is that enough info?
 
Wondering when the chimney was last used? It doesn't take long for some critters to make a nest there.

Some other factors that may affect draft - If the chimney is clean all the way up including the cap then consider the location. Is the stove in the basement or in a particularly tight house?

The chimney is brand new, used only like 4 times. The stove isnt in the basement, and its not a tight house at all. Ive been opening a window right next to the stove whenever I add wood, because the smoke is awful! I tried opening the door very slowly too.
 
When was the chimney last used? Last spring or recently?

How tall would you estimate the whole flue system is from stove top to the chimney top?
 
This is the chimney we installed : DuraVent DuraPlus Triple-Wall Basic Through-the-Ceiling Chimney Stove Pipe Vent Kit
how tall is it from the stove to the top of the chimney? have you checked the baffle to make sure it is positioned correctly? How long has your wood been cut split stacked and top covered?
 
Its probably 12 to 15 feet or so?

That could be the issue. The minimum is around 15ft, straight up and that is at sea level. What altitude are you at?
 
QUOTE="begreen, post: 2104588, member: 5"]That could be the issue. The minimum is around 15ft, straight up and that is at sea level. What altitude are you at?[/QUOTE]
There arent any 90 degree turns, but just before the chimney goes through the ceiling there are 2 approximately 135 degree turns. In order to center the stove we had to adjust the pipe a bit. So theresbout 5 foot of pipe until it hits the ceiling, and id say about 7 to 10 foot that comes out of the roof. Does that make sense?
 
Yes, this sounds like a problem of too little chimney. What altitude are you at?
 
Yes, this sounds like a problem of too little chimney. What altitude are you at?
5000 feet. So obviously we cannot add more in the house, it needs to be taller on the outside then? When we were doing it, we read that it needed to be taller than the tallest part of the house but it never gave a minimum requirement.
 
@Deij05. Does this stove have a cast iron damper at the flue collar? If yes, is that damper in the open position?
 
Two 135-deg turns...could you possibly post a photo of the installation showing these turns. That could be a problem.

I live in CO as well, at 8500 ft MSL. I have three stoves, one with about 18 ft. of pipe [stove to very top of cap], one with 19 ft., and one with maybe only 15 ft. All work well and do not puff smoke out the doors when opened, unless one pulls the door open too quickly.

You may need to add a length or two of pipe. However, I'd still like to see the photo of those 135-deg. turns.
 
PS: The manual says 11ft of flue above the stove. which is at sea level. This is not an EPA phase II stove which is where I got the 15ft requirement. It's what is called a 35:1 stove.
 
Two 135-deg turns...could you possibly post a photo of the installation showing these turns. That could be a problem.

I live in CO as well, at 8500 ft MSL. I have three stoves, one with about 18 ft. of pipe [stove to very top of cap], one with 19 ft., and one with maybe only 15 ft. All work well and do not puff smoke out the doors when opened, unless one pulls the door open too quickly.

You may need to add a length or two of pipe. However, I'd still like to see the photo of those 135-deg. turns.
I may be completely off on the actual degree of turn, this is what they look like. :)
 

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That's a pair of 45's used for an offset. We have the same offset that had to go in when we replaced the stove, but with 20ft total flue. What is the outside temp?
 
PS: The manual says 11ft of flue above the stove. which is at sea level. This is not an EPA phase II stove which is where I got the 15ft requirement. It's what is called a 35:1 stove.
Thanks for this info! Im sure my husband knows this, I never asked him. :p
 
I suspect the stove will need another 3ft of chimney up top with a brace to improve draft. High altitude needs more chimney length. You could also try starting a fire with the top-down method.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/top-down-in-a-wood-stove.156480/
Ok, Ill try that the next time I light a fire! Its supposed to be 70's until the end of next week, so itll be a few days. Ill ask my husband tonight about the exact height of the chimney outside the house.
 
I wonder, too, if perhaps there is an exhaust fan in a bathroom or kitchen that is depressurizing the house enough to overcome what little draft there is in that short chimney. That opening of the window next to the stove on reloading would be relieving the depressure somewhat to avoid downdrafting. Maybe Deij05 can tell us if much air comes in that window when it's opened and before the stove door is opened.
 
I wonder, too, if perhaps there is an exhaust fan in a bathroom or kitchen that is depressurizing the house enough to overcome what little draft there is in that short chimney. That opening of the window next to the stove on reloading would be relieving the depressure somewhat to avoid downdrafting. Maybe Deij05 can tell us if much air comes in that window when it's opened and before the stove door is opened.
Usually, quite a bit of air comes in, that's the direction that the wind comes from. When it's not super cold I open the door in the same room also, to blow the smoke out of the house. But then, all of my heat goes too. :(
 
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