what to do?

[lachase]

We have a woodstove in our basement that we use to supplement our heating. We have done the what I've been reading is a no no, which is burn our paper waste, cardboard, junkmail, etc. along with our wood. I've usually used it as starter material and never thought it was not a good thing to do. Lately, I've been noticing a lot of ash around the room downstairs, black sooty ash. This week, on a windy night when the temps were dropping, I tried to start a fire. It hadn't been too cold that week so I hadn't run it in a day or so. Anyhow, trying to make a fire, the smoke barreled out at me in the room rather than up the chimney. I also noticed some smoke coming out the back of the stove at the top edge of the back of the stove and a little where the pipe went into the stove. I gave up trying to start a fire, because I couldn't get it to draft upward and consequently, now my house smells like smoke, my throat is sore, etc. The next morning I pulled all the old ashes, wood, paper I could get out of the firebox and took a flashlight and looked into the box. There is some gummy/crunchy buildup inside, but i can't really see anything (or know what to look for really). My husband who is out of town says he cleaned the pipe and chimney last summer but I am wondering if we could have blockage since we've burnt paper and maybe we shouldn't have. He claims it was all because of the wind. Still I noticed ash around the room before the wind episode. Our chimney goes from basement out the top of the house. There is a built in chimney so the pipe has a bit of a horizontal stance coming out of the stove and going into the chimney.
I don't want lung cancer/ black lung or a house fire. Now my house smells smokey. I am not sure that my husband has expertise to really know either. What would you suggest to remedy it all? Also, any ideas to get rid of the smoke smell, residue left. It's been a couple of days now and my throat still feels a little sore breathing the poisons here. Thanks for any help!

 

[Cazimere]

Call a professional in to inspect your system.
Most likely needs the chimney and cap cleaned.

 

[moondoggy]

i second that.
and not matter what anyone tells you.. newspaper and tree wood only in a stove. its not a garbage incinerator.
good luck

 

[billb3]

In real cold weather a cold chimney can behave as though there is a cork in the top.
Especially a cold outside chimney.

Little tiny fires to warm things up, then build a fire usually works.
For some, just leaving the stove door open can get a bit of warm air moving up and out.

Sometimes opening a door or window helps.


I've only had a small stove in the basement once and it was terribly prone to backpuffing in very windy gusty weather and seemed worse in cold weather.
Yours has probably backdrafted before .


Newspaper newsprint is usually soy based so it should be safe to use.

At one time the glossy inserts were considered not safe to burn, and I think it is the glue in cardboard that is best not to flood the neighborhood with.


I'd like to look up or down my chimney a bit more often than once a year.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

To get rid of the smoke smell, besides cleaning, light a few candles. It is amazing how candles will take away smoke and some odors. I'd suggest 2 or 3 in the basement and a couple upstairs. Just be careful with them to be sure they can't tip over and start a bigger fire. I also agree something is plugged in your chimney and probably is the cap, or hopefully it is only the cap.

btw, that horizontal pipe going out the back of the stove should not be level. It needs about 1/4" rise per foot; but you didn't say how long that horizontal section is.

 

[lachase]

Thanks so much for all your help. I did a little experiment before coming back on here. Went downstairs, lit my flashlight so I could see into the firebox and then first lit my longstick match and stuck it in the back. It went out. Then I rolled up a section of newspaper and lit it in the back where it did flame upward but also a significant amount of smoke came forward into the room again. The hole at the top of the firebox looks caked with the gummy shiny hard residue as well. I'm not lighting it again no matter how cold it is downstairs. Hubby is due back late tonight and hopefully he'll agree to call in a professional to consult with. Neither of us are very hands on people here and definitely not experts. I really appreciate all your help. Going to go light candles, etc. now as my house has a new layer of smoke smell added from my experiment. Much thanks!

 

[Henz]

to get rid of any kind of "unwanted" odors, I pop some microwave popcorn..(Learned that in college

 

[woodzilla]

now that's funny!

 

[savageactor7]

huh, it almost sounds like your chimney is plugged...but something is radically wrong if the burning end of a newspaper won't draft. Just say'en my wife won't let me burn paper trash in the stove. Sure maybe a crumpled newspaper with kindling to get it going but that's it. Better call a chimney sweep.

 

[ControlFreak]

My chimney is on the north side of the house and when it is completely cold, will have a very strong downdraft. Basically, the house is warmer than the chimney, so it becomes a better chimney than the chimney itself. Under this condition, any "normal" fire from newspaper, etc, isn't enough to push out the cold air. I know I'll get blasted for saying this, but I have smoked up my house too many times using newspaper or any other dry combustible matter. To solve this problem, I put a little dab of camping fuel in there. Lighting that creates an instant fire, producing a big enough burst of heat to push out the cold air in the chimney and get it drafting again. Then the kindling takes over and we don't stink up the house. Kind of an extreme approach for an extreme problem. OK, now I'm ready to get blasted. I have done this for about 8 years with no problems, when the downdraft condition exists. It's sometimes so strong you can just feel the cold air streaming into the stove. Maybe I have too many leaks into my attic with a generally tight house.

Dan

 

[Cazimere]

Sounds like a real bad idea. But first,
Exactly what is camping fuel ?

 

[hookspacken]

I am pretty sure camping fuel (coleman fuel) is basicly filtered unleaded gasoline.........I can recall at least 2 cases of people burning their houses down in the past year or so using liquid fuel to light their sotove. Very Dangerous in my opinion.....

 

[Henz]

camping fuel is that white gas they call it you use for lanterns and older coleman stoves

 

[BrotherBart]

camping fuel is that white gas they call it you use for lanterns and older coleman stoves

AKA naptha.

 

[Cazimere]

camping fuel is that white gas they call it you use for lanterns and older coleman stoves

Thats what i was afraid he was talking about.
Around here it's called Stove and Lantern Fuel. BAD BAD IDEA

 

[jason1238]

Welcome to the forum, Lachase!

Please, check the chimney for obstructions (or have a pro sweep do it). I had a bird build a nest in mine last spring, even with the chimney cap installed. I was able to drop the nest out the bottom cleanout, but it caused problems like you describe until I found it.

Occasionally, I have the same strong downdraft as ControlFreak. A lit wad of newspaper won't turn it around for me either. What I use is one of my firestarters that I make from chainsaw shavings (the long thin ones you get when you cut with the grain work best!) and candle wax. I buy some of the cheap paper "bathroom cups", pack them tightly about half full of the shavings, and fill with melted wax until it just barely covers the shavings. Essentially, they are little candles, but without a wick, they burn about an inch diameter flame that is 10 or 12 inches tall. Doesn't smoke hardly, and will turn the draft around after about 5 minutes. Once the draft turns around, I throw some kindling around the little "candle", and get it all going. I know that many on here frown on the wax thing too, but it's better than camp fuel :grrr: (sorry ControlFreak!)

 

[Bill]

We had a couple of gallons of white gas from the previous owners. So we used it to start bonfires. That stuff makes gasoline seem tame. Very dangerous and extremely flammable. After checking your chimney are you sure you have dry wood. To start the draft use a fire starter, put it on the grate by itself and let it warm the chimney. Then add very small kindling to get her going. Newspaper smokes to much when the chimney is cold.

 

[ControlFreak]

That stuff makes gasoline seem tame.

No, Coleman lantern fuel is not explosive like gasoline. Yes, it is flammable, but the fumes will not cause an explosion. Yes, if you pour it on yourself and light it, you will burn. Don't do that. It lights quickly but it won't explode like gasoline. Gasoline would be a dangerous thing to use. Everybody I tell always thinks I'm nuts, so I'm accustomed to that reaction, and I hesitate to share this because I get labeled as a fruitcake. But when you've smoked up your house as many times as I have, you have to start thinking of a faster way to get a fire going. I can light a big pile of newspaper, then close the door and smoke with spew out, and it will actually snuff out the fire. I have found no other dependable way of reversing the downdraft I get when the chimney is cold.

I picked up this idea from a device that came with a house I purchased a while back. The wood stove there included a cast iron tray with a porous brick in it. It was designed for you to pour some flammable fluid in it, then light it to get your fire started. It worked very well.

Dangerous Dan

 

[Bill]

White gas or Naphtha can explode and is more volatile than gasoline. It ignites faster and with more fury. Must be able to lick eyebrows to put out fire or don't use. I am not saying gasoline isn't hazardous but white gas is more flammable. Highly recommend you don't use either, use diesel. Take it from a a Pyro.

 

[swestall]

Well, there has to be a better way. A slow fire, built with a good starter and some small kindling then a bit bigger split, and so on.
Gas of any type and woodburner are an accident looking for a place to finally happen; perhaps not today or tomorrow, but eventually you will be surprised when you are not expecting it.
In fact, I went by a foundation where a house used to be that had that exact experience recently. But, no one died.