Wood stove problem...

[bkg]

More house related than garage, but...

Lopi insert installed two months ago. Quality, qualified installer did a great job. New Flue, Flue off-set, used stove that was looked over by the installer (who sells this stove).

Finally got around to building hearth on Thursday. Threw up some Dur-Rock around the stove and noticed a very strong draft all of a sudden. Going to check w/ the installers on that - I suspect it's coming around the flue insert into the old firebox.

All was great until tonight. Threw a couple of firestarters in and a small piece of pine to get things going... noticed the draft wasn't very strong. Watched it for a few minutes. All of a sudden there's smoke coming out of the fan.

Put out fire and trying to get the smoke out of the house.

W-T-F could cause a flue block this quickly?

 

[PECVD2]

bkg,

Your problem may be the result of backdrafting. LOPI makes very good stoves but other ventalators, such as clothes dryers, bathroom vents, central vacuum systems and kitchen range vents are "starved" for air, especially with a tightly sealed home and thus begin to draw air back down through you stove.

Check your flue and spark arrestor (screen on top of stack) and make sure it is not clogged (burning green wood or some of those store bought sawdusts logs will cause this to happen quickly).

If your flue and spark screen are free of build up you should ...before you start a fire in your stove make sure all competing vent sources are turned off. If you open your stove and feel a draft you should start a paper fire in the box with clean paper that will burn quickly and hot to create the proper draw up your stove's flue, then you can continue to start your kindling fire in your stove.

Google Lopi or stove backdraft for more info as I have rambled on.

 

[bkg]

bkg,

Your problem may be the result of backdrafting. LOPI makes very good stoves but other ventalators, such as clothes dryers, bathroom vents, central vacuum systems and kitchen range vents are "starved" for air, especially with a tightly sealed home and thus begin to draw air back down through you stove.

Excellent point - Clothes dryer was (and is) running at the time.

Check your flue and spark arrestor (screen on top of stack) and make sure it is not clogged (burning green wood or some of those store bought sawdusts logs will cause this to happen quickly).

Saw waht I could see thus far - it's definitely not in the stove, though I'd need a flexible camera to see everything.

If your flue and spark screen are free of build up you should ...before you start a fire in your stove make sure all competing vent sources are turned off. If you open your stove and feel a draft you should start a paper fire in the box with clean paper that will burn quickly and hot to create the proper draw up your stove's flue, then you can continue to start your kindling fire in your stove.

Good advice! Thanks

Google Lopi or stove backdraft for more info as I have rambled on.

Looking into it now! Appreciate the info!

As a point of info, and to further pick your brain.

6" liner inside an 8" chimney. Noticed when I threw up the Durrock the other day (3/4" gap around stove. Used to be open firebox) a MAJOR draft coming from inside the firebox around the stove. I'm talking kite-flying draft here. It does seem worse now that the dryer is running - go figure.

Anyway, how the hell do I "insulate" the chimney and firebox to get rid of the draft(s)?

thanks again!

 

[PECVD2]

bkg,

I misunderstood your stove problem. The smoke is being drawn back into your home through the 3/4" gap around the outside of the stove....wow.

Did they install a complete reline of the flue or a partial (pipe ends just above the offset)? Is the re-line rigid or flex stainless?

Did they install any block off plates inside the flue and did they use high temp sealer, furnace cement or some type of sealing compound around where the pipe fits to the plate and where the plate butts up against the internal face of the old flue? If they installed a block off plate it may have not been set correctly.

If they are reputable company they should make it right with out too much effort. At this point I would give them a chance.

If the original install only called for a partial re-line of the flue you may want to upgrade to a full re-line and have them install special pipe insulating wrap and another block at the top of old flue.

Good luck with this

 

[havi]

Is there an air exchanger on the backside?

 

[onewaydave]

I ran into the same problem, at least as I understand it.
The fireplace never had a good draft. To get better efficiency from burning wood I converted the fireplace to a hearth for a free standing wood stove. Still poor draft. So I researched. From what I found the most acceptable explanation is what has been mentioned above plus a few other concepts. Everything about my house is wrong.

The fireplace is on the north wall, the coldest.
Ceiling height is 18' providing a lot of competition for draft.
The vent from the stove enters the brick chimney @ 2.5 ' .

So as heated air in the house rises to the peak of the ceiling, it creats a draft sucking that wonderful cold air and the smoke from the fire I'm trying to start into the house via the stove vent.

Before I put the paper fire mentioned above (get heat up that vent as fast as possible), I put a little portable ceramic heater in the stove for several hours with the door shut. Odd but it works.

In my shop, I first ran the vent out the side wall thinking I would not cut a hole in the roof. Again 18' ceiling. When I changed and ran the vent up to the ceiling to exit and 15' (near the side wall not the peak) the draft improved dramatically.

If I were to do over. I'd put the stove in the middle of the room with the highest ceiling and run the vent to the peak to exit. Just my expierence.