- Nov 27, 2012
- 0
Question:
I recently purchased a new Whitfield Profile 30 Wood Pellet Stove and was wondering if when you smell the wood burning if this is normal, or if I have a leak in my venting system? I never notice any smoke, just the wood smell. Is there any sure way to check your vent system to make sure it is sealed?
Answer:
It is not normal to smell smoke. Somewhere, your venting is leaking. The most obvious places to check are the couplings at the end of each vent length. They must be sealed with silicone when assembled or they will leak. The gasketing in the couplings, provided by the vent manufacturer, is not adequate to prevent leakage. The next places to look are at the seams in any elbows or the tee and the seams (both length and circumference seams) in any adjustable lengths and where the adjustable length overlaps. You can seal these seams with silicone or metal foil tape. We generally use a combination of both. To keep the appearance adequate, we use metal foil tape split into 3/4" widths on the outer seams and paint over them.
It is highly unlikely that your stove is the culprit. My experience is that the most likely times you will smell smoke is during the start-up cycle. If you turn off your room lights and shine a small flashlight (maglight) at the seams during the startup cycle, just before the fire lights and the pellets are smoking, you can see fine wisps of smoke escaping from the seams mentioned above, if they are not adequately sealed.
I recently purchased a new Whitfield Profile 30 Wood Pellet Stove and was wondering if when you smell the wood burning if this is normal, or if I have a leak in my venting system? I never notice any smoke, just the wood smell. Is there any sure way to check your vent system to make sure it is sealed?
Answer:
It is not normal to smell smoke. Somewhere, your venting is leaking. The most obvious places to check are the couplings at the end of each vent length. They must be sealed with silicone when assembled or they will leak. The gasketing in the couplings, provided by the vent manufacturer, is not adequate to prevent leakage. The next places to look are at the seams in any elbows or the tee and the seams (both length and circumference seams) in any adjustable lengths and where the adjustable length overlaps. You can seal these seams with silicone or metal foil tape. We generally use a combination of both. To keep the appearance adequate, we use metal foil tape split into 3/4" widths on the outer seams and paint over them.
It is highly unlikely that your stove is the culprit. My experience is that the most likely times you will smell smoke is during the start-up cycle. If you turn off your room lights and shine a small flashlight (maglight) at the seams during the startup cycle, just before the fire lights and the pellets are smoking, you can see fine wisps of smoke escaping from the seams mentioned above, if they are not adequately sealed.
