Smokey smell from 1978 model VC resolute when damper is shut down

[michaelthomas]

I have a 1978 model resolute and whenever I shut the damper down I get some smokey smell from the stove. I dont see any smoke, I have changed the insulation, I try to get the griddle temp to 600 consistently before shutting it down. I don't know, do you?

 

[webbie]

I have a 1978 model resolute and whenever I shut the damper down I get some smokey smell from the stove. I dont see any smoke, I have changed the insulation, I try to get the griddle temp to 600 consistently before shutting it down. I don't know, do you?

Is doesn't matter how much you seal it.....the amount of smoke that it would take to stink up your room is very small and would come right through a gasket.....

So, what is probably happening is that there is not enough draft in the chimney to completely pull the smoke through the more convluted path when the damper is closed.....

That leads to two possibilities:
1. These is ash in the rear baffles of the stove that is possibly clogging them
2. There are chimney or connector weaknesses that need to be addressed.

There is a lot of information in the Q and A as well as the article section on improving your chimney situation....others can give you hints also. There are compartments behind the fireback in the stove which need to be either disassembled for clearning or else cleaned well with some proper tools. Hopefully you have or can get the owners manual or a sweep that knows how to service this stove.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

If the stove has a catalytic converter in it, it could be plugged, the griddle is not the best place to take the temp because its the least insulated part of the stove, try the cast iron behind it or better, take the flue temp, and BEST, if you have a cat, get a cat therm. If the cat is pluged then it wont draft properly. If you engage the damper to early the platnium on the cat is not hot enough to combust the particles in the flue gas and will restrict flow.