Carbon Monoxide Part 2

There is definitely something wrong. But I think it something to do with maybe a partial blockage in the vent. It’s definitely worth having inspected. Co is nothing to play with. It’s a silent killer. I’m a mining inspector by occupation. I carry a gas spotter daily . 400 ppm is a very high reading. There is something that ‘s causing this issue. You will figure it out.

 

Ok I know I’m typing again. You got me thinking on the problem. Check the chimney and then go back to the door gasket. You have burned for years and never had an issue. It’s something between the vent or the recent door gasket replacement.

 

Thanks for the reply much appreciated. Luckily the kids all sept out at my sister in laws LN with their cousins for an Xmas sleepover. As the alarms were going off like crazy we had to air the house for a good hour or so...........UGH!!!!!

Laying in bed all night just racking my brain over this, I've really come to the conclusion that is has to be something with the gasket on the door. Like I said I think I ordered the wrong size 3/4", that son of a gun is tight as hell and very hard to shut the door and latch but it does go but very hard to do. Doing more digging this AM, looks like my Drolet 1800i requires a 5/8" gasket , that's on me.........

I am no expert in this area, but is it possible with the prior sized gasket (5/8") while it sealed tightly it still pulled in air somehow through the door? If so is that normal?

Observing all of this the past few days, it's really boiling down to the stove not getting enough air and back drafting, if I run it wide open it seems very happy, like I am now but if you choke it down half way or three quarter like I normally do for bedtime it struggles to pull air as the fire dies down.

Could that crazy super tight door seal be causing this????? So far all indicators are pointing to this change as this is the only thing that's changed recently and I've never had this problem in the 7 years of running it. Except for very mild days, rain, fog and very high humidity which is understandable and tolerable, but this is not.

Last thing to rule out is a chimney block, but I highly doubt it as I cleaned this sucker few months back and I have mesh cap preventing critters or birds from getting in, buy ANYTHING is possible.......

Thanks all for the help and replies...........I was devastated LN I love burning wood and thought of not doing it because of this, got me.

 

I had an uncle one time that worked for a stone mason for a while. They built a really nice fireplace for these home owners and later that season the homeowners called and said that the fire place wouldn’t draw that a back draft of smoke was filling the home. They went back to investigate and he said the old mason looked at everything but eventually he went upstairs opened a window a quarter of way and the fireplace began to draw properly. The home was to tight. Your stove is using oxygen from inside the home to support combustion like all stoves unless they have an outside air kit. I would have the liner inspected for blockage. Then look at the door gasket. Have you tried burning a fire and going to adjacent room opening a window see how the fire responds.

 

An oversized gasket, which needs to be corrected, wouldn't cause this issue...or I can't imagine how anyways. It would more likely cause the fire to burn out of control IMO (uncontrolled air leak)
This is an 1800i, yes?
Those don't have air holes drilled into the front of the stove that get sealed into the combustion chamber when the door closes, does it? Some models do...that's about the only way I can think of that an oversized gasket would cause this issue...at least without it causing an air leak, which would also make it overfire too.
The only other thing that comes to mind to check would be baffle placement, including the blanket on top (if it has one) and the steel weight on top that keeps the blanket from being sucked into the flue.
Other than that I'm blanking...

 

I’m in agreement with Brent, a loose fitting door gasket would increase air flow and not cause the issue. Like Brent said inspect the blanket. Take the pipes apart at the stove something has to be block.

 

If all that checks out, see if an OAK is available for that stove. We have one on our Drolet Blackcomb. It always drafts great. We don't have the CO monitors though.

 

Sounds like Santa needs to bring some practical gifts this year...

 

So I have imagine there has been some Christmas decorating going on there...any of it come from the attic? Attic door not in place/sealed properly? That would/could pull air out of the stove...

 

I wonder if opening a window, like already mentioned, might help. Then we'd have a better idea if it's the house or chimney that's the culprit.

Best I can figure is either the house is too tight or chimney isn't drawing enough for several reasons. I would guess something with the chimney being he's had years of trouble free operation before now.

I'll be curious to hear what was found after he runs a brush down the chimney. Maybe do a cell phone video inspection of the liner while it's clean?

 

Don't chimney folks have manometers that measure water-column draft?

Might not be a bad idea to have someone out that can actually measure the draft and put a number to it.

 

What if you run it without the spark arrestor and cap? Obviously it's been fine in the past but.... I'm just grasping at straws here.

 

You'd have to leave it on for some time...draft changes drastically with the state of the fire (or lack thereof) sometimes even a manometer that reads down to hundredths of an inch water column barely move when trying to start a fire in a cold stove/chimney, even on a setup that has no issues.
I have had a Dwyer Mark ll model 25 manometer hooked up to my 27' chimney that our Kuuma furnace vents to for over 10 years...kinda interesting to monitor over time...I keep my barometric draft regulator set at about -0.04" WC...the Vaporfire runs nicely for us at that draft level.

 

Thanks a bunch for all the replies and advice everyone, very helpful. I don't feel like am on a island.

Couple things to note:

• Stove runs like a champ with the air wide open, with no cracked windows. I seem to get into trouble when I choke it off too much.
• The gasket is to big, not too small so I don't think there is any leakage going on with having an undersized gasket.
• Attic is secure not much going on in that aspect and is as usual.
• The below pic was after I started cleaning it, it was dirty and the mesh vents were covered pretty bad. Could this be playing a role?
• Never had an issue with the furnace or ever had to crack a window in the 7yrs running it. This is all recent after the gasket, honestly
• Drolet 1800i Model
• No baffle blanket just a solid typical baffle.
• brenndatomu I assume your taking about the air intake? Below are few crappy pics of it, yet it indeed has a hole in it.

 

No, that's the blower inlet, which while a little dirty, is far from plugged (how do the blower cages look though...those usually need to be cleaned every year, or they get out of balance, making an annoying rattle!
(Well, the second pic does appear to be of the stove air control)

The issue with a "too large" or "wrong density" door gasket is that if it is too thick the door can't lay flat against the stove body...it will come hard against on the hinge side and then not be able to pull down tight (sealed) on the latch side.
You could give it the dollar bill test, especially on the latch side...if you latch a bill between the gasket and the stove body, it should not pull out easily (you normally do multiple tests, the whole way around the door)

 

Yikes.
Unless I missed it? The complete venting system, including cap has been brushed/cleaned since this started occurring? Right?
Make sure that any residue on top of the baffle is removed.
I'd certainly replace the loading door gasket with the correct one as well.
Scary stuff. Be safe!

 

Thank you! I'll try the dollar bill test, if I had to bet that dollar bill will be tighter than a nun's chuff.................

Keeping eye on the CO detector as the fire is dying out just some coals still rolling. At 5PPM, was 0 - 3/4 most of the day.

 

Yes I cleaned her out a few months back along with the cap.

Anything on top of baffle should be cleaned when I did it all, but I'll have to find time to cool the stove down and just take a look up there and maybe clean her bottom up. I usually top down, maybe I am not getting all the way down? If I recall it's a 25ft liner and I think my soot eater is 25ft but have to check, could be shorter?

 

I stand corrected my sooteater has 3 - 6ft rods, 18ft total.......I know this liner is 25ft I cut maybe a foot off when I installed it.................SOOOooo by always cleaning top down and I am not getting all the way down and probably past the throat/curve of the flu perhaps......................Son of a nutcracker!!!