Trying to decide on what new stove to get

Getting plenty of draft. I have the needed chimney height according to tech support and they weren't even slightly concerned with the 8" class A chimney I installed a few years ago, mentioned I'd be willing to change to 6" if needed. I gave them all the measurements and was told I'm good to go and not to worry.

Tried the blower a little while ago and got the same result with a much hotter fire than last night. I'll try to get the stove cement tomorrow and get her sealed up and try it again. After seeing the flame get pulled into the stove pipe connection at the top of the stove I'm feeling pretty good that sealing it up will stop the issue.

 

Pass the popcorn....

Hopefully we have a gooder result.

 

Single wall pipe joints will let just enough smoke out to smell when the stove is choked down for long burn times. I've experienced this with 3 stoves. I'm putting double wall pipe in soon.

 

Got it sealed up and giving it a few hours to cure. I'll post back later once I start a fire again.

 

Did you get the cement or caulk?
Be prepared to possibly redo cement before the burn season is done.
The caulk looks a little better, but still messy.....but that mighta been me.

 

It was the caulk.

 

Cool.
Oooh, my 's done.

 

Well, it wasn't the small opening at the stove pipe but I did find where the blower is pulling the smoke from.

There is a small square opening just above the O.A.K. hookup. It's pulling the smoke from there.

 

That is the air inlet for the secondaries! I am thinking your draft is insufficient.

Greg

 

I measured the the chimney again. I've got 15' 6" from the hearth floor to where the cap screws on the class A.

Called tech support and been on hold for over an hour now listening to their hold muzak. Hoping someone is staying a bit late to take calls in the key. Doubt it though.

Almost has to be poor draft. The thing that gets me is I don't get any smoke inside when I open the stove door.

Oh well. Going to pick up another section of class A pipe and see what happens.

 

There is some kind of Venturi thing going on with the blower on. The draft is obviously marginal. But perhaps you can salvage it by changing the airflow from the fan a little so that it cannot draw from below? Reposition the fan a little? Put some kind of baffle in (not in the stove!) that affects the airflow around the opening?

You want to avoid any airflow over that outlet, to avoid drawing from it. I am not sure why Englander chose to not include the secondaries in the outside air path. I am sure they had a good reason, but no idea what it would be.

Greg

Edit: Your idea is gooder - fix the draft problem

 

Funny you should mention this. I just came in from the shop with a few small pieces of sheet metal to see what I can do.

The local Lowe's only has the 8" supervent pipe in 3' sections and I don't care to add that much without a support kit. Kinda worried I might damage some shingles installing it when it's this cold out.

 

Menards has different length sections, and Lowes should too if you order online.
I've thought of trying to fab up some sort of plenum to fit over the primary and 2ndary intakes that hooks up to my OAK.
Just remember too, that the 15' is a recommended minimum. Every situation is different.
I'm still sometimes getting some smoke from the door, and I've got a total of about 18'.

 

Was thinking about stopping on my way home from the resort tomorrow to pick up a section of pipe but adding another 3' without the support worries me some. Might just wait until some warmer weather to do it so I don't damage the shingles. Seems to be heating the house fine without the fan running. Just wanted to try it out.

 

Your chimney is the engine for the Woodstove.

If it is not optimized it's like putting a 4 cylinder engine in a full size truck.

My Quadra-Fire upstairs works like a Rockstar hooked into a 15ft masonry 7x11 flue with two 90's. Who knew that would work well?

You may not have the same luck as every single setup is different. The chimney effect can be quite complicated sometimes. Other times it just works.

It might take a specialist to make what you have work right. The easiest thing to do when it doesn't work is to optimize everything.

 

Thanks, JA.

I get the optimized part. Been a mechanic over 30 years now and as far as I'm concerned, parts are parts no matter what system they're in. Just need to ask the right questions from the right people, do your homework, and knock it out of the park. Pretty sure all the right people are here.

So for a test I fired up the furnace, insert boos here, and opened the door to the stove. Zero smoke came out. Even pulling the door open quickly. Then I turned on the cooking stove vent fan and both bathroom vent fans with the furnace still running and tried it again. No smoke at all.

 

I'm a mechanic as well. I've learned a lot about chimneys. My basement install took about 27 feet of chimney to counteract the stack effect of my house. It fights the negative pressure plane of being on a lower level.

If it's not pulling smoke from the door your install is within a neutral pressure plane which is good. Your house isn't too tight. Can you temporarily add a 3ft section of stovepipe on the chimney and see if it helps? That's what I did until I found the right height.