Backdraft Problems

[MTP55]

Last fall we bought a new Ashley/US Stove forced air wood furnace. Ran beautifully. No issues at all. This year we ran it and it was fine but since the weather's been cooling more it's having issues with what I'd say is backdraft or negative pressure. Generally the night before a rain or snow storm hits. Smoke pours out of every spot it can find even after the flue seems warm. Our house is not airtight by any means. Does anyone have any ideas as to why we would all the sudden have an issue this year even with everything the same as before? The only difference is that our wood is 100% dry this year where last year it occasionally has moisture in the bark from snow. Thanks in advance.

 

[066blaster]

check your chymney and stove pipes. maybe some creosote flaked off and plugged something. is draft on the furnace open? Is the fire burning good? is it just when you first light it

 

[U&A]

I was going to suggest a good cleaning of the stove and pipe. Especially since it is new to you. Did you clean it yet? Cleaning gives you info on how it is performing and if your procedures are letting it burn efficiently.

I cleaned my new stove only 2 months after I started using it. Glad i did. Gave me some good insight.

And after cleaning the draft increased substantially though it was never a problem


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[MTP55]

Sorry I forgot to mention I just cleaned the pipe and chimney. Draft fan is running. Generally acts up when you try to relight it or if it burns down. It is difficult to get the wood lit. Even putting a ball of paper in doesn't seem to help.

 

[MTP55]

I clean the chimney and pipe at the least once a month. Generally only get a handful out of either part. I cleaned the furnace out thoroughly and replaced all fire bricks before we started it in October. Tomorrow I'm going to go on the roof and check the 10-2 rule. I just think it odd that it burned fine all last winter and into spring.

 

[U&A]

How tall is the pipe?

How hot so you operate the stove? Temp 18” above stove or what is the atove top temp?

Do you let it run for a while to get it really hot with a new load?

I rrach for 600 stove top and try to hold it there for a good 15 mins. Then run it down to 550-500 for another 15-30 min. Then damper down to to a reasonable level


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[066blaster]

split the wood to smaller size to start it. use cardboard, you need to get it going faster. i leave the door open a bit at first to get some air flow. i think splitting the wood to kindling size will make all the difference.

 

[U&A]

split the wood to smaller size to start it. use cardboard, you need to get it going faster. i leave the door open a bit at first to get some air flow. i think splitting the wood to kindling size will make all the difference.

Good advice,


Once the stove is nice and warm from the previous load i can get 500 stove top in 10 minutes by simply un-locking the door but pushing it closed. This leaves about 1/32” gap at the door rope .


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[MTP55]

I burn it pretty hot. I've seen what cool fires do to chimneys. We use newspaper and cardboard to start. I've got some smaller stuff but it's a bit damp still from rain. Going to split some Ash this weekend so I'll make some small pieces.

Someone suggested that there may be a crack in the fire pot and it's drawing air out of the ducts. I don't see that happening without a flaw from the factory.

 

[066blaster]

not sure how your exact furnace is configured, but on my dads i use to pull open the ash pan a little to get some serious draft going during start up

 

[MTP55]

Ok. We have a valve type deal on the ash pan door. Normally open it full bore but may have to try just opening the whole door. The draft fan is above that then a slide controls the flow to the chimney. We also have a manual damper in the stove pipe.

 

[MTP55]

I got a fire going quickly with some small dry stuff and smoke still comes out the hole where the sliding door up top is. Ash pan door is open, draft fan is running and I have a window nearby open. I also swept the chimney again today just to be sure.

 

[U&A]

Is it possible that the draft fan could be causing an issue as in creating too much airflow in trying to push it out other areas versus up the chimney


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[MTP55]

Is it possible that the draft fan could be causing an issue as in creating too much airflow in trying to push it out other areas versus up the chimney


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It could be. I'll try toning it down.

 

[U&A]

Is it possible that the draft fan could be causing an issue as in creating too much airflow in trying to push it out other areas versus up the chimney


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Let me say i know nothing about that type of stove. But i dont understand the reason for a draft fan... the way i see it is if a stove is built right and the chimney is set up right the natural convection created by the system should have more than enough drafting ability to feed the fire. Hence the reason we close the intake to slow it down.


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[4seasons]

I may have missed it as I read thru quickly, but is just a problem when starting a fire on a cold chimney or does it continue smoking after keeping a fire going for days?

A cold masonry chimney (especially on an outside wall) can take a long time to warm up. I used to have a house full of smoke when I would start a fire until I figured out with my setup I needed a hot chimney.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS! Because of my outside chimney and clean out, and particularly my familiarity with my setup, I will throw two full sheets if newspaper wads in the clean out and light them. This starts the draft in the right direction and starts to warm up the chimney faster.
Again depending on the setup you could also light a paper was in the stove pipe to help get the draft going. I would not turn on the draft force fan until the fire is up and drafting on its own just from an open ash door and a hot chimney.

 

[MTP55]

I didn't think of starting in the clean out. This furnace came with the draft fan. I got it going this morning and it hasn't smoked since. It mainly seems to be when the fire is out or just embers and the air outside is heavy.

 

[U&A]

I didn't think of starting in the clean out. This furnace came with the draft fan. I got it going this morning and it hasn't smoked since. It mainly seems to be when the fire is out or just embers and the air outside is heavy.

Your embers/coals at the end of a burn cycle creat lots of smoke? That is the time of the least amount of smoke. Coals are just pure carbon. Nothing left to even creat smoke.

My bet. If you turn that fan off at the beginning of a burn cycle and at the end you will stop the smoke.

Just a guess


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[U&A]

Is it ok to run that stove without the fan at all?

Im still not sure about this draft fan.


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[MTP55]

No smoke at the end. Just when you're trying to get it to reignite. When the fan turns off it's because the thermostat tells it to. It will burn without the fan but not well.