Ideal Steel - lots of smoke exiting into room from back of stove via the tertiary air inlet!

I've owned my Ideal Steel since September - 7x24 burning since it got cold enough. For the most part I'm very pleased with its performance. I experienced a new and scary phenomenon today; one I'm not happy about!

I had just topped it off with wood, cat was not yet engaged. 3/4 air, I was letting it come up to temp a bit before engaging the cat. I walked out of the stove room to get a drink - while in the kitchen I smelled smoke - a bit odd. I have fans moving air around but for me to smell smoke in the kitchen something was up! Walked back into the stove room and I see smoke is pouring out of the stove via somewhere at the back of the stove! I quickly shut down the air supply and opened a door to the outside to air out the smoke. OMG was something on fire? The smoke exiting the back of the stove stopped when I damped down the air. This was not a small bit of smoke escaping, there was a haze in the room.

Investigation shows the smoke was coming from the tertiary air inlet, a small opening on the back wall of the stove, left side, about 1/2 way up. This area of the stove is covered by a bolt-on assembly that covers most of the left side of the back of the stove. The tertiary inlet and a what I'll call a flapper closure valve are only visible once you remove the bolt-on plate.

I find I can recreate this smoke issue at will if I lift up slightly the top lid at the front of the stove - the one with the pot grates on it.

Having said that the smoke exiting the stove stopped, while explaining and showing this all to my wife (btw - she's not happy) we did notice a very small puff of smoke exit this inlet. I have occasionally smelled a bit of smoke - never could track it down - perhaps this is where it came from those other times?

So now I'm not sure I want to leave this stove unattended - will let the current fire go out and have it sit until I speak to Woodstock.

Anyone else have problems with smoke exiting this air inlet? If yes Was the cause tracked down?
Does it suggest some problem with my burning habits that needs addressing?


It's very windy, HOWEVER, we get a lot of wind here and today is nothing special (last week was), we did not have problems then.

Also - the firebox was not in a raging inferno when this occurred.

One other item to mention - twice in recent history (past 2 weeks) while stove has been coming up to temp there was a VERY loud bang coming from somewhere inside the stove. I've experienced these before, so not alarming BUT these were much louder than normal - I checked things over, all seemed ok - perhaps this smoke is related?

I have left a message with Woodstock, they are closed now and I was told to expect a call tomorrow.

Cat probe was at ~800 when this occurred.

Stove has a outside air intake.
I had a mixture of dry (15-18 month ccs and covered) locust and silver maple in it - same stuff I've been burning 1/2 the year.

Gpsfool

 

I found a diagram in my manual - the tertiary air inlet is for feeding air the cat. Looking at the diagram I can envision if there is too much negative pressure (enough to overcome draft) smoke could exit this inlet. Hmm...

 

Gpsfool that's concerning.. I have never had problem.. is BDF around he know more than me might know some one that can help!

 

I'm a bit baffled. Only time I've had smoke come out of the intake is when the air pressure is very low, ie; raining... I could imagine a down draft coming from the strong winds we are having today.

 

BrianK
Has been using the IS since the beta test in 2013.

 

I had back puff couple of times but if probe is 800 should have draw is what I was thinkun...

 

yup or Unhdsm

 

thanks mods.. thinking Woodstove ideas instead of stove specific ideas.. good points both...

 

On a side note, why are you letting the cat get that high before engagement?

Did you have any other things running in the house that might have effected the draft? Bathroom or kitchen fan? Gas dryer? How tight is your house? Do you have an outside air kit hooked up? Last time the chimney was swept? Screen on the chimney cap?

 

Weather has been causing some weird things here the last couple weeks also.
I had a bad down draft last week on a cold start. Had to open a window for a while that time.

 

Oh.. and you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that are functioning right? Double check those too.

 

All good questions - answers below.

Yes, multiple smoke and co detectors in the house. Smoke detectors are working - actual smoke test. Self tests on the co detectors pass.

Stove has a oak - I made sure it was not plugged with snow

Chimney swept 1/15 - just flaky creosote - although I have a horizontal section through the wall and then up, I did not sweep that horizontal piece - I'll check that tomorrow once stove cools.

Total chimney height is 19 feet - 3 ft from stovetop to horizontal section and 16 ft above the horizontal section to the cap. Draft has not been an issue even in 50-60 degree days. I do occasionally get smoke in the room at reload, more so on windy days.

I usually engage cat @500-600 degrees on the probe, temp rose above that while I was in kitchen. It's been that high (800) before prior to cat engagement with no issues.

No screen on the cap, cap is one of those rotating high wind caps. Suposed to prevent downdrafts.

Nothing else in the house running.

I'm thinking downdraft - although I need to check the flue.

I'll update tomorrow eve

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

 

Not argumentative... wanting to learn.... About the high wind cap - same cap I've had for three years, a ICC high wind cap. See pic. How would that cap get buildup? Flu gasses have almost a direct unobstructed access to atmosphere. I have seen many wind caps in which I have no idea how flu gasses get through... We're you speaking of those kind?

Gpsfool

 

Vented air is blocked up somehow. Either a cold plug in the chimney, creosote, or a physical obstruction. The stove is acting like it should in that instance. Ordinarily it would be coming out the bottom (and it is) because that is the path of least resistance but you have that routed outside (OAK).
I've had 2 similer chimney setups to yours with this stove. 2 years with the first one and creosote was never an issue. I haven't checked the new one but my guess is it's fine so I don't think it's your setup. I have had a couple cold plugs at startup that did exactly what you describe, and usually when the air outside is kind of foggy and thick- but not on a warm chimney anyway. I almost wonder if it is always doing it but only got bad after the bimetallic piece warmed up and opened the intake. The newer felt version may act as a makeshift gasket.