Smoke smell, dollar bill test failed

[mdteamcad]

My Whitfield Insert 30-INS has been smelling smokey for the past few days. Did the dollar bill test and I can easily remove the bill at the top of the door. The gasket was replaced 1 or 2 years ago for an unrelated reason, stove is 2.5 years old. Gasket appears for be in pretty good shape.

How hard would it be for me to replace the gasket personally? Would it be better to see if it can be adjusted? Any suggestions?

I read from the posts that we shouldn't smell any smoke, so this needs to be taken care, right?

Thanks!

 

[hearthtools]

If this is a pellet stove?
you will not smell smoke if you door leaked because the stove is a negitive air.
if you door leaked it would suck air in not blow smoke out.

Smell of smoke is usualy from you stove needing service.
Flue dirty
Blower dirty
Pipe leak.

 

[MrGriz]

You should be able to replace the gasket easily on your own. In fact, Lowes had all of their stove stuff on clearance and I just picked up a new gasket kit for mine for $4.00. I don't need one yet, but at that price it'll keep.

Just check your manual for the correct size.

Edit: Good question Hearthtools. I just assumed it was a wood burner; my bad.

 

[Corie]

I agree with Rod, you might need to check out the rest of the stove as well.

Also, if the gasket looks good, you might be able to get back that tight seal by just adjusting the door latch. I am not familiar with the Whitfield line really anymore, but a large number of stoves have some range of adjustment on the latch to compensate for the gasket compressing over time.

 

[mdteamcad]

Thanks guys.

This is a pellet stove. I'll look for gasket kits and see if I can adjust the door.

How often should servicing be done? And how much would servicing cost? I know I'm shooting in the dark on the last one, but worth a try.

Also, this stove has been a pain in the butt since day one. I got the feeling that this was the first intall these guys ever did of an insert into a manufactured chimney. They forgot to put the clean out in and only when the chimney sweeps said they couldn't clean the stove did I ask how I was to clean out the pipe. The installer told me we could probably get away with only lining the manufactured chimney a few feet. I just read in the owner's manual that the chimney needs to be fully lined. So every time we start the stove smoke blows into the house. Once it really starts burning there's no smoke. But recenly, past 3 days running the stove, I smell a smokey/exhaust smell from the front blower. Since its been cold and windy could some of the smoke be coming from the unlined part of the chimney?


Also, I need to put something around the fireplace opening to close the gap between the decorative shroud of the stove and the wall. Can I just use some 1 by 4 s or do I need to use something fire resistant? ANy suggestions there.

Any general thoughts/advice? I'm kinda thinking about chucking the whole thing out the window, but since we've already sunk so much into the stove and can no longer use the fireplace, I guess we're stuck.

Thanks guys

 

[begreen]

May not be the stove. I'd go for the full liner asap. If your roof isn't treacherous it's not hard to do it yourself. Otherwise, have a pro do it. I think your stove will be much better behaved. With a full liner on our pellet stove we didn't smell smoke, even on the windiest days. I did ours with one piece flex liner.

 

[hearthtools]

How long have you had the stove?

Stop using it NOW
and Have a Liner put all the way up the pipe and seal off the top

on a pellet stove all the blowers on inside your fireplace and suck all soot and air from back there.
If you do not have a good seal it will suck smoke and soot in the stove and out into the room.

You dont want a tight seal around the suround pannel for it needs air to get back there.

But you can Finished around your stove any way you want

 

[mdteamcad]

Thanks again.

We've stopped using the stove until we can get a liner in. Since there is a liner part way up the chimney, it has all of the connections, so it seems I'd just need a liner from the roof to the connection plus a cap/top seal? Think I'd just need to cut the RTV from the old liner and drop in the new one? Any way to use the piece of liner that's in there? Or would it be too much of a hassel to connect the two liners, make sure it stays sealed, and then drop in?

ALso, any suggestions for best prices on liners?

Since the stove's been running for 2+ years without a full liner, think it needs a good overhaul? Or should I put in the liner & see how it performs?

Thanks guys

 

[elkimmeg]

Whitfield Insert 30-INS

Page 17 of your manual
When installing
into a masonry chimney, in the USA it is recommended that the exhaust
vent be extended to the top of the chimney as shown on Page 18 will affect proper drafting of
appliance

The most common
method for achieving a positive fl ue connection in masonry fi replaces is
to secure a seal-off plate (i.e. 22-gage sheet steel) in the fi replace throat
using masonry screws.18” Min.
(457 mm)
to Mantel

(USA and Canada) Direct Connection / Positive Flue Connection

See the following instructions for Approved Methods of Achieving a
Positive Flue Connection.
Optional
Access
Door
non-combustible seal is
required at the damper area
(to prevent dilution air from
entering the chimney). See
Positive Flue
Connection
Methods on
this page.