Woodstock Progress Hybrid Smoke Smell

Charlie, since you have one of the newer models, it sounds like your issue is very minor compared to mine. I can definitely smell smoke and so can everyone who comes into my home. I wouldn't mind a once in a while faint smell of smoke, but my problem is more than that. For the mean time I will continue using the stove, but long term this needs to be corrected. I have faith that Woodstock will make this right.

 

Tenn Dave and Charlie, Great to see you both are taking all the proactive measures of making sure your homes are safe. Also good to see that you are taking steps to solve some of this yourselves.

I tend to be one of those people who hate to have something not work as it was intended. I know the technology that goes into the Progress Hybrid stove was groundbreaking and could only be tested under controlled conditions. The variables of flue heights, bends, altitude, tightness of home and other things may all have a part on this. The long path that the gases must travel may be an issue as well. As long as the problem is solvable, and you've taken all the precautions you both have, then, I guess it's all good in the end.

Again, good luck to you both. And, please let us know how and when this all gets solved. I'm sure this will have a positive ending.

 

Forgot to say that I also will give a company a chance to make good on the product or service. As long as everyone acts in good faith a trusting business relationship can be built.

 

Woodstock has treated me like family.... no way they would ever leave something like this unresolved... It's just not them... I can say they personally went to one persons home with a PH that had smoke smell and rebuilt the stove right there... Issue fixed,,, no charge! They are there 100% for their customers... They want you to be happy with your stove....that's what they are all about... They care!

 

Well I loaded my stove , let the flue gases get to 600, stove top to 300, closed everything down... draft is closed 100%, stove still get's it's normal secondary air... I can hear the cat heating up.... but..... just a very slight smoke smell with the nose to the corner,, really slight... nothing in the room... So I'll continue to monitor and also talk with Woodstock...

 

Charlie, keep us posted and I will do the same.

 

Just got off the phone with Woodstock,,, they have a team out there right now burning a PH with a sniffer figuring out what is going on... Only a handful of people have the slight smell,,, what ever it is has got to be a very small thing causing the phenomenon. They are looking into different draft situations, etc. They said I will be one of the first to know what they find.. I love my stove so I'm all up for a remedy.. No way I want to give up my PH...

 

Hang in there Charlie. I'm sure Woodstock will not let us down.

 

They were already working on it when I called.... I say how lucky to own a product that you can call and talk to the folks doing the testing, etc.?

 

My wife was up there earlier this week and commented that they had a PH running out back, and that it looked odd because it was missing some of its exterior soapstone. Sounds like one of the new stoves (Ideal Steel) had been put to the side to do this testing.

 

I asked that question today on the phone... they said that testing the PH was not interfering with the Ideal Stove ,,, they are out in the field getting tested so not much to do yet until the final design has been committed to. I'm really impressed that with the very few people who have a slight wood smoke smell with the PH that they are right on top of things...I love my PH... My smell is very faint but there... usually at the start of the cat burn... once about an hour into the burn it goes away... Very odd... and not everyone gets the smell.. Could be possible that it just happens to be the way the stove is put together and tightened? What ever it is they are going to call me and let me know what they find. I think it has to be something very small causing the issue......Set a CO detector in the room by the stove and it hasn't gone off... I will pick up a digital one,, but don't think anything of any amount is being released into the room.. Right now there is no smell at all 2 hrs into a burn... It's seems like the smell is there when the stove is trying to clean up heavy smoke...but it's very faint..but there...just in the one corner above the door in the rear... Door seal tested good, can't pull the dollar bill at all....almost like it's coming out from under the top right hand corner looking at the stove... very odd... Top gasket looks good that lifts off..

 

I have the exact same issue. The smell seems to be coming from under the right top soapstone in the rear. No smell on the left side or the front. Woodstock sent me a new top gasket that the cooktop sets on. It is the same one that is on the newer stoves. I replaced it but the problem still exists. Hopefully this mystery will get solved soon.

 

I feel bad that this issue even exists as I know how much they care about the quality of their stoves, each hand built... The good thing is it seems that they don't have to chase the smoke smell around the stove..... It seems to be in the same area for everyone who has the smoke smell... I was surprised when I would smell the smoke smell in the rear upper corner that nothing was coming out the front where the bypass handle goes into the stove... It's really odd... My smell seems to be more prominent when the stove is in the low temp early stages of the cat coming up to temp... That's why at first I thought I wasn't charring my wood enough, but now,,,, not the case.. When it's fixed,,, I'll be a happy camper as I already love the stove... I think if I didn't like the stove so much I would have just asked to return the stove.. But being I love the stove, I'll hang in there while the good folks at Woodstock get things figured out... I very much appreciate all their efforts and acknowledging that in fact we aren't imagining the smoke smell...even though it's very very faint....I hope it's a very simple fix for me and Woodstock...

 

I was told yesterday that the smoke issue has finally been pinned down! Apparently they were finally able to determine the exact location with the sniffer and think they have determined the cause. Sound like a real easy fix too! I'm sure they'll be contacting everyone who has reported the issue soon.

 

Tell me more ,,, I'll be a happy camper cause I'm lov'n my PH....

 

Same here. Mine was mostly fixed over the summer with some updates they did to mine. Since, my stove runs better this year (more controllable), I assume from being mor airtight. But I do get the slight smoke smell right above the back corner of the stove. Almost seems like its from under the back corner of the top stone. I was wondering if that gasket needed work/fixed...

So what did they find?

 

Hopefully we will hear something from Woodstock soon. I have a stove from 2012 and the smell is stronger then most of the newer stoves. I thought it was caused by negative pressure in the house, but further experimenting has shown that not to be the case.

 

thanks for the update Dennis.

 

thanks for the update.