englander 28-3500 smoke into house

[88bomber]

I have a 28-3500 (been using for 2 years now), single wall stove pipe with 1-90, 1 more 90 in the 6" chimney pipe, then about 25ft of chimney pipe. I just cleaned the chimney pipe 2 months ago and cap. Draft has never been an issue.

My baffle is pushed all the way back with lip facing down in front during burns (I sometimes pull it forward when I'm building a new fire). I'm burning 2 year oak at the moment.

Still, with all that, and with the blower off, even if I crack the door open (during an established burn), then open to about 1", smoke begins spilling out. I've tried all sorts of combinations of upper and lower damper positions while I do this with no real impact.

Of course, I could just wait until the load is burned down to coals that don't smoke, but that's not ideal. The only thing I can think of doing is to get a shorter baffle, so that the smoke has more time to make the 180 degree turn - going toward the door, then up and back toward the stove pipe connection. Anyone ever do that? Any other ideas?

Thanks.

 

[laynes69]

Have you peeked down the chimney lately? 2 months is more than enough time to crap things up.

 

[newyorker]

do you open everything for a minute to let fire get hotter before opening the door? that will create much more draft

 

[woodchuck357]

Open the damper and pull the baffle forward when loading. If the baffle can't be operated with the door closed, adapt the stove so that it can.

 

[flotek]

You may need to add another length section to your chimney flue in order to gain a stronger draft

 

[CWME]

Might try two 45 elbows instead of one 90.

 

[brenndatomu]

If you have a chimney cap with any kind of screen on it, may be plugged up

 

[88bomber]

Thanks guys. I checked the cap again, screen is still clean.

I'm going to pull the stove pipe again and maybe try 2 45's.

When I cleaned it last, I wasn't able to get much of the creosote off the stove pipe, so it does have about 1/8" coating on the inside of it, but I didn't figure that would matter that much. Do you guys normally just replace the stove pipe after a while?

That is not the case with the chimney pipe - it was totally clean after I brushed it.

 

[88bomber]

Well...I'm shocked...I just pulled the stovepipe apart and its clogged up pretty bad...worse than before I cleaned it just 2 months ago (which was over a year's worth of burning). I did burn some ash last month and noticed it was producing a lot more ash than I get with oak or locust. I'm guessing it is the culprit. Hard to believe it can get that bad that quick...

 

[woodchuck357]

Well...I'm shocked...I just pulled the stovepipe apart and its clogged up pretty bad...worse than before I cleaned it just 2 months ago (which was over a year's worth of burning). I did burn some ash last month and noticed it was producing a lot more ash than I get with oak or locust. I'm guessing it is the culprit. Hard to believe it can get that bad that quick...

The horizontal run can get filled up quickly. Most often with smoldering fires in warmer weather.
I can often tell a chimney needs cleaned when stepping into a house by the smell.

 

[laynes69]

The 1/8th inch coating was likely glaze that couldn't be removed. Even though it's not that thick, when it gets hot or ignites, it expands multiple times it's thickness. It's basically like those old snakes you light, and it quickly plugs a flue. What I used to do with the old furnace was remove the pipe and take it outside, place a ball or two of newspaper in it and burn it out. Once it cools, then brush out the ash. Glad you found it, especially before something bad happened.

 

[blacklocst]

I did burn some ash last month

How long was it seasoned?

 

[88bomber]

about 6 months (cut/stacked in early summer 14)...I know that's on the low end, but I thought it would be fine...I guess not.

 

[blacklocst]

I had issues with Ash that wasn't seasoned at least a year. Did you notice if it hissed and bubbled in the stove?

 

[brenndatomu]

about 6 months (cut/stacked in early summer 14)...I know that's on the low end, but I thought it would be fine...I guess not.

If it had been a standing-dead tree for a while, then maybe, but, if it was live, a year would have made it a lot better!
If you had split it small and stacked it in single rows where it could get sun/wind almost all day long, then you could have possibly got it down to primo burning range. If you have some other REALLY dry stuff (ECO blocks or scrounged pallet wood works too) to mix in with the so-so stuff, that can help you get through to dryer wood.
I've been where you are now in the past, wet wood, chimney pluggin all the time, smoke smell in the house. It sucks, go cut as much wood as you can get your hands on so you can get 2-3 years ahead and this will be a bad memory/good lesson by next winter

 

[88bomber]

It was green. A windstorm blew down a couple of big limbs in my front yard, so I just cut/stacked it up where it fell. I knew it wasn't well-seasoned, but I wanted it out of my front yard, didn't want to move it twice, and didn't figure a small truckload of 1/2 seasoned wood would do this much damage. Now I know!

I have plenty of longer seasoned stuff waiting to be burned...but I definitely need to get started on expanding next winter's stash.

 

[flotek]

The Englander shouldn't be choked down on air because they burn dirty if the air control isn't watched .