What is the difference between a creosote smell and oily / cast iron burn smell?

[GrumpyDad]

What is the difference between a creosote smell and oily / cast iron burn smell?

I from day one have a cast iron smell at 600 plus that I can say smells like an oil on metal smell. Long before I had a chance to build up creosote. Then the wife said that smells like tar. Which is what creosote would smell like. To me though it's always just that cast iron smell above 600ish.

 

[JeanneM]

I was warned that there would be a smell, possibly even smoke the first several times that I used my Dauntless - that this is the burning off of oils used in production and paint curing, and I was told to start it up the first several times with windows open because the smell - to me it is like cooking oil overload - would be bothersome. I had read this takes 3 burns but I found it takes more. I called my salesman because he has one too and he said it would take awhile and I would continue to get that smell a bit especially at high temps until the stove was well broken in. I can tell when the stove is running hot when I smell it, but it definitely has lessened over time.

Since I am new at running a wood stove, I decided to have a chimney sweep look at mine just to be sure I am doing things right. This is not because of the occasional high heat smell - I just want to check how I am doing especially since I have a fireplace I want checked out as I would need to run both the stove and the fireplace in an emergency. The fireplace has not been checked in 30 years - I haven't used it, so tomorrow he will check the safety of the fireplace and I'll see how the stove is doing, especially creosote wise.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

The first bunch of fires is the break in and you're going to get the paint and other smells from the heat burning it off.. At this point your smelling all the creosote from the poor wood/poor burning habits that you have. Your stove is to large for the area you have it in so your constantly turning the air back.. occasionally your have a higher heat demand or a cold restart and all the creosote is catching creating the smells and the probable chimney fire you already had..

 

[GrumpyDad]

The first bunch of fires is the break in and you're going to get the paint and other smells from the heat burning it off.. At this point your smelling all the creosote from the poor wood/poor burning habits that you have. Your stove is to large for the area you have it in so your constantly turning the air back.. occasionally your have a higher heat demand or a cold restart and all the creosote is catching creating the smells and the probable chimney fire you already had..

Huh?
Poor wood?
Poor burning habits?
You are way off base.
My wood is exceptional, my burning habits are spot on at this point. If anyone can do better than I on this stove I'd gladly wager 1k with a smile.

 

[BillBurns]

It wouldnt hurt to buy a brush, which is cheap, I think I paid 30 at the most. I would try that first. Thats just my 2 cents tho. Mybe a Shop Vac would help you clean up the mess, but I think you did the right thing. Or ive heard of putting sand, or ashes on it to cool it down. But you said only a kindling fire, so maybe thats way off? Sorry, hope you get it working again.

 

[Eman85]

I have a magnetic temp gauge on my stovepipe adapter (oval to round) it is there now for no ther reason then to be a smell prevention gauge. When the indicator reaches 12 o'clock it's approaching stink. The paint on my adapter and or my stove pipe will give off an unpleasant aroma when that needle passes 12 o'clock.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Huh?
Poor wood?
Poor burning habits?
You are way off base.
My wood is exceptional, my burning habits are spot on at this point. If anyone can do better than I on this stove I'd gladly wager 1k with a smile.

Yes you have extremely poor burning habits, and no.. dont bet the k you will definitely lose.. Below is a picture of a post you made on December 16th just 12 days ago.. of how you have removed the cat in your stove and how your cutting the air back to medium.. or half way... When ever a person cuts the air back you produce more smoke.. smoke is unburnt fuel.. AKA.. CREOSOTE.. Its amazing to me that you actually think that you have good burning habits.. You burned your stove for a couple of months this past fall without the cat in it, and from what your described in the other thread you had a chimney fire.. It was recommended by me as well as others including a Mod.. to put the cat in and to burn the stove that way. You might have thought you would have learned your lesson after your first chimney fire, some people learn faster then others I guess. Maybe you'll learn how to burn after your 2nd or 3rd chimney fire if your house is still standing..

As I stated above... that smell is creosote.. from your poor burning habits. You should probably put the cat back in and learn how to burn the stove properly before your next chimney fire takes out your house.. your anything but an expert with the stove you chose..

You should concentrate on learning how to burn properly and not take up betting