Stove pipe spews smoke on stove startup

[abasset]

I have a Quadrafire Trekker newly installed. The stove is vented through an existing chimney with a 4” insulated chimney liner, ~20 ft. From the back of the stove to the chimney connection it is 5ft. There is an elbow bend at that point.

House is 1892 victorian. No kitchen or bathroom or attic vents/fans. Unfinished crawl space. Stove is located in the rear of the house but not on an external wall.

When the stove starts up, the box fills with smoke. After a few seconds the smoke gushes out of any unsealed crack in the stove pipe and from the back of the stove. Once the pellets are fully burning, the smoke clears out until the next shutdown/startup cycle. On shutdown the glass gets a thick layer of soot.

I’ve had the installer back out and he sealed some of the gaps in the stove pieces with silicone and made sure the stove was level, and advised trying different trim settings. The trim settings haven’t made a difference so far, I’m still cycling my way through them. I’ve also cracked open the window two inches during startup to no avail.

I’m burning hardwood pellet fuel.

Any ideas on causes or things to check? This is my primary heat for this winter, first year using a pellet stove (or a wood stove for that matter), although I do have another wood stove & chimney if need be.

 

[jackman]

My stove does the same although the vent pipe is sealed sufficiently to prevent any smoke in the living space. I consider it normal. During burn season I keep the stove running round the clock which is more efficient than cycling startup/shutdown.

You may also want to try a different brand of pellets.

 

[Washed-Up]

Try burning some softwoods…sounds like delayed ignition

 

[bogieb]

Firebox filling with smoke before ignition of the pellets is business as usual in my experience. However, your stove and pipes should be sealed well enough that the smoke doesn't exit into the room and your installer should know this.

I would use silicone tape to seal up any pipe connections (I've never met an elbow or T that didn't leak - not saying it always happens, but does for me). Also make sure the attachment to the stove itself is sealed. Silicone tape stretches to provide a nice tight seal, but can be removed easily later.

There shouldn't be any non-airtight places on your stove since it is brand new.

But, it also sounds like there is an issue since you are getting thick black soot build up immediately. It may not like the pellets, the draft may not be set correctly, and/or there may be a blockage of some sort somewhere (check the air intake for leftover packaging).

 

[Spudder61]

Can someone please tell me where to get this silicone tape. I’ve used 1/2 tube of caulk and the darn pipe still leaks on start-up. This NEVER use to happen until I cleaned the pipe this fall before the season. And yes, I checked the joints and T cap, ensuring they were reinstalled correctly after the cleaning.

I caulk one spot that is leaking and a new spot appears, so I caulk that spot and a different
spot appears and so on and so on………

I have seen people speaking about this tape….I’m assuming it is rated for high temps, etc. Could not find it at Menards….do I need to go to a fireplace store?

Brand name would be helpful too…..thanks

 

[abasset]

Can someone please tell me where to get this silicone tape. I’ve used 1/2 tube of caulk and the darn pipe still leaks on start-up. This NEVER use to happen until I cleaned the pipe this fall before the season. And yes, I checked the joints and T cap, ensuring they were reinstalled correctly after the cleaning.

I caulk one spot that is leaking and a new spot appears, so I caulk that spot and a different
spot appears and so on and so on………

I have seen people speaking about this tape….I’m assuming it is rated for high temps, etc. Could not find it at Menards….do I need to go to a fireplace store?

Brand name would be helpful too…..thanks

I got mine at Home Depot in the hvac section. It worked on the joints in the pipe itself, the connection from stove to pipe and pipe to flue needed the caulk in between pieces.

(broken link removed)

 

[zrock]

the tinfoil tape may be easier to find. Its very thin and hard to get the backing off of but works great. It is used to seal the joints in heating and cooling runs.
Probably the reason your getting a puff of smoke at a new spot after you seal it, that is a long run and when the stove ignites their is a quick pressure build up so it finds any way out it can..

All your joints should have been taped/sealed on install..

 

[mtnbiker727]

I got this stuff (from Lowe's). It's in the plumbing section. It's rated to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. It's not really tape, once it contacts itself, it fuses. You can't pull it apart, trust me. I wrap it tight and leave it there. When you need to get the connection apart, you can easily cut the wrap, and there's no sticky goo to deal with later.

(broken link removed)

 

[mtnbiker727]

As for your soot issue... do you have an outside air kit?

 

[bogieb]

HD's around here carry the Nashua silicone tape - I think the local hardware store may too. Don't look in the heating section for it (where the metal tape is). And of course Amazon carries it. There is also another tape called Xtreme silicone tape, and it is works just as well (I've used both).

 

[bogieb]

the tinfoil tape may be easier to find. Its very thin and hard to get the backing off of but works great. It is used to seal the joints in heating and cooling runs.
Probably the reason your getting a puff of smoke at a new spot after you seal it, that is a long run and when the stove ignites their is a quick pressure build up so it finds any way out it can..

All your joints should have been taped/sealed on install..

See, I'm a spaz . I tried foil tape before I found the silicone tape and I could never get it to lay flat. Any little crease would carry thru and allow smoke out. Silicone tape solved all my problems.

 

[Ashful]

Sounds like classic draft reversal. Happens all the time on wood stoves and fireplaces, when left to go cold. Draft is strongly dependent on temperature differential between bottom and top of pipe. The fact that the problem resolves itself after the stove has been running a few minutes to heat the pipe, is a strong indicator that this is your problem. Another good indicator would be if the problem is worse on warmer days, than on blistering-cold days.

Wood stove and fireplace users learn to pre-heat their chimney, with a torch, hair dryer, or just some burning paper set atop the main wood load to warm the chimney before things get going. Not sure how you'd accomplish the same in a pellet stove, I have never owned a pellet stove, but that's where my thinking would be on this problem.

 

[zrock]

See, I'm a spaz . I tried foil tape before I found the silicone tape and I could never get it to lay flat. Any little crease would carry thru and allow smoke out. Silicone tape solved all my problems.

i found using short strips work way better than trying to do one complete strip all around... Stuff is a real PIA to work with sometimes.

 

[Rancher22]

Any ideas on causes or things to check? This is my primary heat for this winter, first year using a pellet stove (or a wood stove for that matter), although I do have another wood stove & chimney if need be.

Were you able to remedy this issue with tape? I'm having a dreadful time with my woodstove pipe as well.

 

[johneh]

I'm having a dreadful time with my woodstove pipe as well.

Suggest you ask this question in the wood stove forum

 

[Toby316]

I just installed a new Trekker pellet stove last week (December 2023). I too am having major smoke coming from the sides of the stove at the top. None of my venting has smoke coming out of it though. Of course it does go away after ignition but not until it has released a lot into the home that I have to open a door or window. I can’t figure out how it’s escaping the firebox though. The unit is brand new. I also notice during “popcorning” or purging it sends hot shooters out the exhaust fan vent at the top front and occasionally out the bottom of the unit. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I’m afraid to leave this thing running at night when I’m not watching it.

 

[mtnbiker727]

I just installed a new Trekker pellet stove last week (December 2023). I too am having major smoke coming from the sides of the stove at the top. None of my venting has smoke coming out of it though. Of course it does go away after ignition but not until it has released a lot into the home that I have to open a door or window. I can’t figure out how it’s escaping the firebox though. The unit is brand new. I also notice during “popcorning” or purging it sends hot shooters out the exhaust fan vent at the top front and occasionally out the bottom of the unit. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I’m afraid to leave this thing running at night when I’m not watching it.

I would get in touch with the manufacturer of the stove and make them aware of the issue. There should never be smoke coming out of the sides of a stove, no matter what else is going on.

 

[johneh]

I just installed a new Trekker pellet stove last week (December 2023). I too am having major smoke coming from the sides of the stove at the top. None of my venting has smoke coming out of it though. Of course it does go away after ignition but not until it has released a lot into the home that I have to open a door or window. I can’t figure out how it’s escaping the firebox though. The unit is brand new. I also notice during “popcorning” or purging it sends hot shooters out the exhaust fan vent at the top front and occasionally out the bottom of the unit. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I’m afraid to leave this thing running at night when I’m not watching it.

You say the exhaust is sealed ,if what you say above is true there is NO SEAL
No sparks should exit the stove except out the chimney termination.
Shut that stove off and do not use it until the leaks are found and sealed

 

[Toby316]

I found the source of the leak. Both smoke and embers are flying out of it. It’s where the exhaust plate in the back of the stove meets the 3” pipe coming out of the stove ( all manufacturing set up) it appears the bottom and sides are fully welded but the top is only tacked into place and that gap shown is where the embers and smoke are coming out. The whole back of my stove was filled with ash and the embers were getting sucked up into the blower fan and pushed out the front. See pic from inside stove . Question now is should I just seal it or do I need a new stove?

 

[johneh]

Seal it hi-temp silicone