Smoking out when starting up!

[Jake Weaver]

My husband is gone this morning hunting and I thought I would start a fire. He is always on here and telling me about all the good advice so I thought I would send out a question for help! This is the second time I have tried to start the fire and have had smoke come pouring out of the side of the insert- both sides. So much that it smokes the whole room out and the smoke detector goes off. To start the fire I put in newspaper and then a small fire starter with two logs. The smoke in the fire box builds up so much- it isn't going up and comes rolling out the sides of the stove at the bottom. Then, after the fire gets going the smoke seems to go up. What can I do so this doesn't happen?! It is really cold waiting for the fire to warm up with the windows open! :-S

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Triple A, it sounds like you haven't opened the draft, so there is no way to get the smoke up the chimney.

 

[CT-Mike]

First off, don't put logs in right at the beginning.

Make sure your air control is set to high (full open), place your crumpled newspaper, or firestarter in the bottom and put your small kindling on top. Light the paper or firestarter and leave the door cracked open. This will heat things up quickly and get your draft started. After you have a nice bed of coals from the kindling then add a couple of logs. I generally leave the door cracked until temperature is starting to climb.

Here is a link to your manual, it might help:

(broken link removed to http://www.pacificenergy.net/PDF/manuals/PACINSD1%20270706-20.pdf)


Good luck,

Mike

 

[Hogwildz]

Get a pile of kindling going first, that heats up the chimney and reverses the down draft your experiencing due to the chimney being cold.
I get this one in a freak while. Once the chimney is warm, the draft will correct itself.
And yeah, make sure the air leaver is wide open.
You can tell your a woman, cause you want a fire and its going to be near 60 today. LOL
I am up north central PA from you.

 

[billb3]

Sounds like too big a fire to start.

Like puting 4 year old luvs on a newborn - you're gonna have leaks. Start small.

 

[savageactor7]

Triple A if you're having trouble drafting open a door or window, double the kindling until the fire takes off. You might have to occasionally throw a lightly crumpled newspaper on top also to help promote a good draft...but once the fire catches you're pretty much golden.

 

[ansehnlich1]

No way! North of Gettysburg? Sheesh, we're practically neighbors, I'm just south of town

roll up a whole bunch of newspaper, put split 2x4 pieces on top, or a good bit of other kindling ya have layin around, then 3 or 4 small, 2 to 2 inch diameter pieces of firewood.

Leave plenty of airspaces when you're building this thing, like, make sure the kindling and wood on top is criss crossed back and forth.

Then loosely roll up 4 or 5 pieces of newpaper and put on top of this pile. Light that stuff first, then the stuff below it.

Make sure the air control is open to the stove, and even keep the door cracked a bit til she gets goin.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

In a pinch I've lit a full firebox of crunched up newspaper. After it burns down you can start a fire as you normally would.

Matt

 

[Jake Weaver]

Guilty as charged!! I just love the heat that kicks out when the blower comes on!! 80 degrees feels so nice! My husband is going to love that I used his sign on

 

[fossil]

...My husband is going to love that I used his sign on

Pretty safe here...be careful with those other sites he might frequent. Rick

 

[JotulOwner]

I had the same problem once in awhile. When I get a strong down draft it is sometimes difficult to reverse quick enough with newspaper. If I don't leave the door open enough, the paper doesn't have enough air to stay lit (I guess the upward heat from the fire meets the downward flow of air and nothing moves either way for a few seconds) and smoke comes out everywhere. If I leave the door open too much, smoke comes in until the heat can reverse the draft. It was all in the timing and a crap shoot whether or not I could avoid getting at least some smoke in the room.

My solution was to use one of those small butane stoves inside my stove to warm the air/pipe (and reverse the draft) with something clean before starting the fire. I don't close the door too much because I don't like the idea of heat building up inside the stove with a butane canister inside. Otherwise, it seems to do the trick on those rare occasions when the down draft is very strong.

There are probably some good reasons why I shouldn't do this and I am sure I will hear them now :shut:

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Happy to hear you got the fire going Triple A. Now relax and enjoy.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

My husband is gone this morning hunting and I thought I would start a fire. He is always on here and telling me about all the good advice so I thought I would send out a question for help! This is the second time I have tried to start the fire and have had smoke come pouring out of the side of the insert- both sides. So much that it smokes the whole room out and the smoke detector goes off. To start the fire I put in newspaper and then a small fire starter with two logs. The smoke in the fire box builds up so much- it isn't going up and comes rolling out the sides of the stove at the bottom. Then, after the fire gets going the smoke seems to go up. What can I do so this doesn't happen?! It is really cold waiting for the fire to warm up with the windows open! :-S

This was just covered a few days ago with many good posts on starting a fire.

Here you go

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/27564/