Smokey Stove

[Nich]

Hey all! We bought a new house last year. It has two fireplaces. One is a suspended from the ceiling type and works well.
The other is a Kent tile wood burning stove. I can light a fire in it but smoke just rolls when it's burning. So thick you can barely see the fire. It seals well and smoke doesn't escape into the house. But you can't open the door or it will just fill the room. It also does not put off much heat. Apparently it should be able to heat our 1000 sqft bottom level but in its current state it doesnt. It exhausts into a unique chimney. It is an exposed pipe that runs up three stories and through the roof. It is labeled Ameri - vent FB6' T and the piece where the labeling is is a T section. From what I can tell it looks like an insulated chimney. What i cannot find is a flue that opens and closes. I'm having a chimney sweep come to inspect it but i wondered if anyone has any troubleshooting tips?

 

[begreen]

I think there's a bypass on that stove. Is it opened when starting and before opening the door? If yes, does it feel like it's connected?

 

[Nich]

I think there's a bypass on that stove. Is it opened when starting and before opening the door? If yes, does it feel like it's connected?

In searching for a bypass I found the serial number plaque! And I think I've found an imposter. This stove looks just like a Kent tile fire but the plaque say ashley automatic heater co. Model number ASP1. Do I have some kind of knock off...
I did not find any bypass control on the stove. Just the damper lever.

 

[Nich]

Here is the stove.

 

[Grisu]

How dry is the wood? Has it been tested for less than 20% internal moisture content?

 

[Phoenix Hatchling]

Temp differential between outside air temp and inside may not be broad enough. How long of a flue is it? May not be enough draft.

 

[Nich]

The wood we used was the kind from a box from the store. It is dried. When we tried to use it last year it was in the teens outside. The stove has about 3.5 ft of chimney inside then makes a 90* turn, goes through the wall and goes up the other 2 stories of the house so about 25-30 foot of chimney outside.

 

[begreen]

When was the chimney and flue cap last cleaned?

 

[Nich]

When was the chimney and flue cap last cleaned?

This I do not know. The people here before us did poor maintenence and never used the fireplaces. But I bet it's been a LONG time. I have a chimney sweep scheduled to come out and check the chimneys and troubleshoot the stove. But they are so backed up, it's over a month before they can get to it!

 

[aansorge]

I think begreen is correct: it seems as though the cap is clogged. Take it off at clean it thoroughly or better yet hire someone to clean and inspect your chimney.

 

[Grisu]

The wood we used was the kind from a box from the store. It is dried.

After seeing those bundles wrapped in plastic sitting outside of our grocery store and being rained upon to the point where the water was standing IN the bag, I have become cautious with assuming that store wood is dry. Clean your chimney first and have your stove inspected but if that does not help see if you can find some lumber scraps or compressed wood logs like Envi-blocks or Bio-bricks.

 

[webby3650]

After seeing those bundles wrapped in plastic sitting outside of our grocery store and being rained upon to the point where the water was standing IN the bag, I have become cautious with assuming that store wood is dry. Clean your chimney first and have your stove inspected but if that does not help see if you can find some lumber scraps or compressed wood logs like Envi-blocks or Bio-bricks.

We buy bundles of wood to sell, also we build a fire in almost every stove we install once its cold out. These bags of wood have always been a good "control", since they are always dry. As of late, they have not been even close to dry. I think its because they can't keep up, state parks require dry certified wood because of the emerald ash borer. I think they just can't keep up and are now selling green wood.

 

[Phoenix Hatchling]

Rain falling on a bundle of wood, while wetting it will not soak it. It would dry up again very quickly and I wouldn't suspect the bundled dry wood. Just my opinion. The flue having had spotty maintanence in the past could definitely be clogged and choked. I probably wouldn't be using the stove until it was thoroughly cleaned. When I moved into the house we are in now, I had the chimney thoroughly reemed out before the stove install. Again, not knowing its provenance I wasn't going to take that risk.

 

[BSH1F]

On the top of my chimney i have a cap that has a mesh around it so birds don't make a nest on the summer time in it. I had the exact same thing happen to me when the mesh got clogged from burning green wood, or short fires twards the end of last season. I could shut the door and everything was air tight but as soon as i cracked the door smoke would roll out, so i started investigating and found my chimney top looked like this.

 

[Nich]

I think I'll not use it until the chimney sweep comes out. I've hired a very well regarded guy in our area and he said that we will trouble shoot it till its fixed or we're stumped.

I hope we can figure it out. It's old but it looks like it's only been used a few times. Will save me some cash on the den remodel.

The wood was dry. It comes in a cardboard box and is dried. However I am really interested in biobricks. Can you have them shipped to you? I don't see any vendors in my area. I'd love to know where I can order them.

 

[blades]

We buy bundles of wood to sell, also we build a fire in almost every stove we install once its cold out. These bags of wood have always been a good "control", since they are always dry. As of late, they have not been even close to dry. I think its because they can't keep up, state parks require dry certified wood because of the emerald ash borer. I think they just can't keep up and are now selling green wood.

Those bundels are heat treated to kill bugs - that does not mean they are kiln dried to less than 20% moisture internally. Takes a lot more than a couple hours at 160 degs internal on the wood to drive out all the moisture.