Stove smell on light up...does yours smell?

[BrotherBart]

Corriewf: my stove get to about 850 or so for 1 hr then goes down to 600 or so. It's only on initial fire up.

That is what I have been suspecting. All you are smelling is the hot metal smell of an over fired stove. I used to get that when I over fired my old stove and it was the smell that alerted me when I did it.

Start that stove up and don't let it get over six hundred and fifty degrees and see if you smell anything.

 

[Corriewf]

Corriewf: my stove get to about 850 or so for 1 hr then goes down to 600 or so. It's only on initial fire up.

That is what I have been suspecting. All you are smelling is the hot metal smell of an over fired stove. I used to get that when I over fired my old stove and it was the smell that alerted me when I did it.

Start that stove up and don't let it get over six hundred and fifty degrees and see if you smell anything.

^^^ Yeah that! :lol:

If I got 850 on my stove for even an hour, I would be like this on the toilet. :ahhh: ...... Or probably wouldn't make it in time.

 

[Swedishchef]

Corriewf: my stove get to about 850 or so for 1 hr then goes down to 600 or so. It's only on initial fire up.

That is what I have been suspecting. All you are smelling is the hot metal smell of an over fired stove. I used to get that when I over fired my old stove and it was the smell that alerted me when I did it.

Start that stove up and don't let it get over six hundred and fifty degrees and see if you smell anything.

I understand why you say that but here's my question: why does it smell when it's heating?? WAYYY before it hits 600 or so. I will try it this weekend and see what happens. I know it will still smell, it smells when the stove top temperature is 400 degrees.

MOre to come on the weekend!

Andrew

 

[Corriewf]

Corriewf: my stove get to about 850 or so for 1 hr then goes down to 600 or so. It's only on initial fire up.

That is what I have been suspecting. All you are smelling is the hot metal smell of an over fired stove. I used to get that when I over fired my old stove and it was the smell that alerted me when I did it.

Start that stove up and don't let it get over six hundred and fifty degrees and see if you smell anything.

I understand why you say that but here's my question: why does it smell when it's heating?? WAYYY before it hits 600 or so. I will try it this weekend and see what happens. I know it will still smell, it smells when the stove top temperature is 400 degrees.

MOre to come on the weekend!

Andrew

Yeah try doing 2/3 fires without hitting 800... try not hitting 700 if you can. After 2/3 fires it doesnt go back to normal, it's time to call Houston, you have a problem.

 

[Swedishchef]

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM :X

I made a fire as soon as I got home. S M A L L fire. I got my flu temps up to 600-700 with the bypass open then I closed it, turned down the stove. The stove temp slowly climbed. It began to smell the minute the stove top started warming up. My stove top temperature never went over 600 and it still stank. My basement smelled for 1 hr. It smells sour, kinda like sour cream or something. I would not always make a big fire when I would smell the particular odor, sometimes it was just a little fire like I just made. So it's not the overheating factor.

The difference in strength of the smell is dependent on the size of the fire: the bigger the fire, the hotter the stove, the more the air circulates in the room and the more the smell propagates itself throughout the house. WHen the stove top was about 150 degrees, I take my nose to it and can really smell it then.

I may use this stove as a boat anchor.

Andrew

 

[PJF1313]

....

HOWEVER, on a good note, the Customer Service rep I spoke with yesterday called me at work and said he didn't like how things ended yesterday. He agreed to take the stove back to test it, I gotta ship it there, they will ship it back. He got a quote for shipping, it's $65. So I gave him the green light and agreed to it. They will hopefully pick it up in the next week or two.

I checked my lottery ticket, no winnings, nothing. Damn it.

Andrew

Well, it is SOME good news. At-least (or at-most) it'll cost ya 65 bucks and not the 200 you where thinking. I've calmed down a little from yesterday, and I may be thinking a little better of their Customer Service - they did call you back and inquired. I guess they only thing they can say, when they get the stove, is "We didn't smell anything (while the shop all has stuffed-up noses ;-) )"

 

[Swedishchef]

LOL. No worries, I got it all planned out. I am sending them a reigstered letter detailing how/when I see symptoms. It's on cold starts, etc. I am telling them to MIMIC the scenario I have. AKA don't light this stove in a warehouse that has 40 foot ceilings etc. Use a 20X20 room, etc. I will detail what I have tried, what wood I burn, my setup, etc. If they have any brains (pfft) they will realize that in order to fix a problem you gotta duplicate it in the shop. I dunno when I will get my stove back from them or how long it will be gone, as long as it is fixed I will be content.

If they don't smell it, I sell my stove to someone who doesn't care, take the hit and then never EVER buy one of their stoves again

Andrew

 

[Lakelivin]

swed

i know the smell .. mine does it to on occasion.. try this .....bring it up to temp slower.. mine would do it when i fire up leave the door open a crack and sprint to 450-500 whatever number i'm looking for that start,..since i started the slower start, closing the door sooner , and turning the air down in 3 stages whalla no more smell..i am reminded of this when i get the smell it's usually when i get distracted by the phone/door whatever.. oh yea the stove... i too was thinking the worst, but since i stumbled on this new method no more smell



hope this helps


regency s2400

 

[Swedishchef]

Hey Lake

Thanks for the message. I may certainly give it a try. But at the same time, I dont think it requires 30 mins of getting the temp up. That's just more time for creosote to build up since it's low temperatures. It makes no sense..I simply don't think it should smell, end of story. NObody else's stove seems to smell that I know. I normally put in a good bunch of kindling. Tonight I put 6 pieces in with 2 bigger pieces on top. it took about 15 mins to reach 500 on my stove top..isn't that slow enough?

Andrew

 

[Lakelivin]

swed i totally agree.. i started out no problems , then one day the smell., the next day and then again.. like you what changed?.. i was at the same point as you.. is something wrong, should i stop using it?.. i'm reading my owners manual and it states WARNING: Never build a roaring fire in a cold stove..always warm your stove slowly! so what does slowly mean...? all i did was start turning things down a bit sooner so not to shock the stove .(i'm thinking)..all i can say is so far so good..good dry wood, clean glass and chimney guy said i'm doing fine..

maybe this isnt your answer .. just my two cents worth


pete

 

[Swedishchef]

I will give it a try on the weekend. Thanks for the tip. Who knows. I can't see how a small fire will prevent the smell coming from the stove top...but if it's something I can try, so be it! Thanks for the tip!

ANdrew

 

[Swedishchef]

swed i totally agree.. i started out no problems , then one day the smell., the next day and then again.. like you what changed?.. i was at the same point as you.. is something wrong, should i stop using it?.. i'm reading my owners manual and it states WARNING: Never build a roaring fire in a cold stove..always warm your stove slowly! so what does slowly mean...? all i did was start turning things down a bit sooner so not to shock the stove .(i'm thinking)..all i can say is so far so good..good dry wood, clean glass and chimney guy said i'm doing fine..

maybe this isnt your answer .. just my two cents worth


pete

Pete; I built a SMALL little fire, added a bit more and a bit more and a bit more wood to it as it went on. But I ended up putting wood into it 4-5 times in 1 hr to get it going well and it still smelled. Not as strong (since the stove top temperature was not clinbing as fast hence the smell was not coming off the stove top as quickly). I hope the company duplicates the smell and give me a new stove. Let's pray to the fire gods!

Thanks for the tips

Andrew

 

[Lakelivin]

Swed, sounds like alot of effort that noone would sign up for...adding fuel alittle at a time.. .let me reiterate my point.. i guess we are not on the same page...again not that this is your solution either just what i stumbled on


load the stove as normal...bring her up to temp slower..... not to a crawl but slower.. i load mine up leave door open a crack till say around 300.. close door while leaving air wide open up to 400.. start backing down air till 450 by then my secondairies are rollin and i'm cruizin, turn blower on and forget about it for hrs..

my thermometer sits off center of stove top so my readings may be different then yours..i'm talking the body of the stove not the very middle..


hope this helps... but since i changed to this... no more smell... i used to leave door open and full air to sprint to 450 then start backing down... i think for my stove it was too hot too fast...

the smell is overwhelming when it happened and i do know your frustration.. .again since i slowed the process down a bit i'm in a no more smell zone..


pete

 

[Swedishchef]

LOL. Thanks Pete. I just loaded my stove and started it up. It smelled. I lit the fire, left my door open 1/16 of an inch. I let it SLOOOWLY climb. And guess what: it smells. It's kinda like a soap smell (sour-ish). It started smelling when the temp was 100-110. I even stuck my nose to the stove top when it was cold and compared to the sides. I could tell the smell was different from the top and that of the sides. And as it warms up, the smell begins.

I never cleaned my stove top with anything but damp paper towel. It's not something I sprayed on. No chemicals I have put there. I think I may be the victim of something spilling onto the stove during the fabrication and am now paying for it.

Thanks for your sympathy Pete.

Andrew

 

[grateful]

I went to the Osburn site and looked at your stove, it is nearly identical to my Regency except you have a stainless steel baffle and the Regency has a fiber baffle. What do you think of removing the side panels to check the welds? When my Oakwood smelled like your stove does I cleaned the inside of the stove and put a 1,000,000 CP spotlight in there to see if there were any cracks- light shinning through to the outside of the stove. No luck with that technique- the smell was bothering me big time so I had to make every attempt to correct the problem. Traded that smell problem for the Regency and life is good.
Several years ago I had the Ford dealer put a new engine in my van- it took them 3 years and 3 engines to get it right. A letter to the owner of the Ford dealer describing my situation and the suggestion that the BBB would be my next step solved the problem. Sounds like you need the BBB!

 

[Swedishchef]

Hey Grateful.

Thanks for the comment. I have already looked at the welds and everything seems to be A1. I have no idea what this could be. I swear, if Mythbusters needed a stove for some kind of over firing, steel melting, stove exploding experiment, they could use it.
As I mentioned earlier, I tried a slow burning fire this AM and the same result: smell. It's DAMN tiresome. It has turned me off all together. Now, I just hope if they replace my stove that it won't be like that with the next one. I almost don't want them to replace it, I just want my money back

Andrew

PS. BBB will be looked in to, that's certain

 

[grateful]

When I had the smell problem I had to make sure it was my stove pipe so I wrapped fiberglass gasket around every joint in the stove pipe and clamped it in place with plumbers strap. Finally, I completely disassembled the Oakwood so I could get it out of the basement, that is when I found all of the defective/burned gaskets and the source of the problem.
The only problem I have now is downdraft if I let the fire go out and it is below +5. Today it is +10 outside and I have a small fire going just to avoid the downdraft thing.
Be sure to keep records of your interactions with the stove shop/installer, you may need them, plus it helps reduce stress. When you are on the other side of this and you have a different stove you will be a wiser person. I have learned to negotiate with retailers as a result of their defective products and, buying the highest quality or most expensive is not always the best way to go. I bought the Oakwood because it had top loading and the lowest emissions compared to other stoves.
Hang in there...

 

[Swedishchef]

I have only had downdraft problems 4 times or so throughout the winter.
I am keeping records. I took some pictures, photocopied my owners manual and am sending a registered letter to their office detailing all the steps I have taken through this entire process.

What sucks right now is that I have a stove, wood sitting in my basement. I am tired of the smell and don't wanna burn due to the smell (mostly my wife is gonna hang me...she's sensitive to smells since she's 14 weeks pregnant).

Grateful: wanna buy a wood stove

 

[grateful]

Just wondering if Osburn uses recycled steel ? I'd be camped in front of the stove shop with a regulation size poster and the smelly stove, if I didn't live 4500 km away I'd be there. When you do get another stove (this winter) you may want to fire it outside until the paint cures. Thanks for the stove offer!!

 

[grateful]

Swedishchef, what is the latest on that stove smell issue? Is the supplier giving you a new stove? Please let us know.

 

[bag of hammers]

I have an Osburn 2200 and the only smell I get is some initial dust burn off from any cold start (which is not surprising since I seem to be in a constant state of renovation). Otherwise it's very clean. I was going to suggest the baffle (it's a fiber board in my stove - I wonder if a critter got into that sometime during storage, say, at the dealer, or whatever, there might be enough stink left in the board to really come out when heated....? Sorry that's probably a stupid theory - and if you have stainless baffle, then I guess that's not much help regardless. Just thought I'd throw it out there, since thisiis an interesting mystery. I hope it works out for you.

 

[Swedishchef]

Hey guys

Thanks for the concern.

Last weekend I made a fire alll day Saturday. GUESS WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?! It still smelled during my initial light up. LOL. damn it. It just smells like soap and the smell comes from the stove top. The installer/salesman emailed me about a week ago and said the representative wants to come see it with him. AHhh..more time..more time. However, I sent a reigstered letter to the company CC with the BBB (Better BUsiness Bureau of Quebec).

Bag of Hammers: it can't be my board: I don't have one. My baffle is stainless steel and there's nothing on top> It's not a bad idea at all, I have already thought of it and eliminated that choice

Of course..just my luck; I buy my first wood stove and get a lemon. However, it's been quite a positive learning experience.

Andrew

 

[bag of hammers]

Chef - I feel for you - the stove is a heavy and expensive headache - not like you can just pick it up and slam it down on the customer return counter.

Interesting coincidence - I downloaded the manual for my stove (the 2200) and I see the Obsurn (SBI) has recently changed the baffles on some of their stoves- my unit (2 years old) has standard masonry firebrick (with fiber board on top) for the baffle - apparently they've gone to a vermiculite baffle as of last year. I realize you have the SS baffle - Just noting this here for any Osburn owners that might be reading this thread.

My brain just went right to some kind of critter issue since I know from experience that when they get into anything (e.g. mice in the walls) the stink is around for a long long time.

As others suggested, maybe some bad metal with some contaminates in the steel mix that smell when heated...?

My Osburn is my first EPA stove - I love it - heats like crazy, really easy to operate, no issues - but there were lots of other great stoves I looked at that I would go to in a heartbeat if the Osburn gave me grief. It sucks that your experience is so bad. I hope they make it right - lots of potential customers reading this thread, I would guess....

 

[Nonprophet]

Chef - I feel for you - the stove is a heavy and expensive headache - not like you can just pick it up and slam it down on the customer return counter.

Interesting coincidence - I downloaded the manual for my stove (the 2200) and I see the Obsurn (SBI) has recently changed the baffles on some of their stoves- my unit (2 years old) has standard masonry firebrick (with fiber board on top) for the baffle - apparently they've gone to a vermiculite baffle as of last year. I realize you have the SS baffle - Just noting this here for any Osburn owners that might be reading this thread.

My brain just went right to some kind of critter issue since I know from experience that when they get into anything (e.g. mice in the walls) the stink is around for a long long time.

As others suggested, maybe some bad metal with some contaminates in the steel mix that smell when heated...?

+1 on the contaminated metal idea, remember the huge problems they were/are having with drywall imported from China? In an effort to cut corners (and increase profits) they were using "fillers" that were having a chemical reaction. Same thing with some powdered milk and pet food coming from China--I wonder where the paint and steel in your stove came from???


NP

 

[Swedishchef]

Hammers: thanks for the kind words. If I had my way, I would use my stove as a boat anchor. however, I do agree that Osburn make a nice stove that puts out nice heat. Except my stove stinks every time I light it! Other than that, I would have NO complaints. I believe it is bad paint/metal. I am soon going to perform an air analysis for organic and inorganic compounds from the smell and get to the root of the problem.

Nonprophet: The thought of buying items from china like you mentioned makes me cringe...ick. I love keeping this bought that are made from developped countries that don't cut corners...Osburn is made in Quebec so I figured buying from NOrth America would help... LOL. Guess not!

A