Why does the stove smoke - possible causes and their elimination. brick ovens

You are faced with an unpleasant problem - your stove fills the house with smoke instead of heat. It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question - WHY - without a thorough clarification of the reasons. There can be many reasons, from very simple ones that do not require special efforts to eliminate them, to complex complex ones that require repair or even complete reconstruction of the entire furnace. To begin with, it is necessary to separate the old (working) stoves from the new ones (recently built), since the causes of smoking of old and new stoves can be different.

Consider some of the causes of smoke in old stoves and how to eliminate them.

1. You arrived at the dacha after the winter, put more firewood in the firebox, light the stove, and it began to smoke. Why? The fact is that the draft in the furnace occurs due to the temperature difference, and in the spring, as a rule, the air in the house is colder than on the street and a reverse draft occurs. To avoid smoke at home, you must first check the presence of traction. To do this, you need to bring a burning match to the open furnace door and make sure that the fire draws in. If there is a draft, then you can kindle the stove with torches, and then lay firewood. If there is no draft in the firebox and the stove smokes, try opening the cleaning closest to the pipe and bring a match. If there is a draft (even if it is reverse), light the paper in the cleaning and cover it. Hot gases rising up will push through the standing cold air in the pipe and draft will appear in the furnace. If there is no draft in the pipe, it is necessary to inspect the pipe for the presence of foreign objects. There may be pieces of fallen bricks, ice, a fallen bird, and so on.
2. There is draft in the pipe, the paper burns well, but there is no draft in the firebox. Channels need to be checked. Either they are clogged with ash and soot - then the furnace needs to be cleaned, or the brick has collapsed and repairs are required.
3. The stove is kindled, but it burns sluggishly and smokes, and the fire in the furnace is red (should be orange-yellow). Most likely the oven needs to be cleaned. If the stove has been cleaned, but there are no improvements, it is possible that the channels have become overgrown with a hard, hard-to-remove glassy layer due to the use of raw wood, as a result of which the cross section in the channels has decreased and the stove is suffocating. A characteristic sign of poor combustion of fuel in the furnace is a pungent, hardly weathered sour smell. Exit: if there is a direct stroke channel, you can try to burn through the furnace, and when there is sufficient warm-up, burn through all channels. If it is not possible to burn through, then either a major repair is needed, or a new furnace is built.
4. The stove always smokes when kindling until it warms up. There may be several reasons: insufficient pipe cross-section, the first channel lowered too low, unswept chimneys - in general, design errors due to the fault of the stove-maker. Such problems can be solved only by repairing the furnace.
5. The stove begins to smoke in strong winds. Reason: insufficiently high pipe.

Your stove is smoking

Causes of smoke in new stoves

Why is the new stove smoking?

1. New ovens may smoke if they are not completely dry. Drying a new oven can take two weeks or more, depending on the conditions and size of the oven. How to know if the oven is dry or not? After at least two weeks after the construction of the furnace (provided that the valve and blower are open), heat the furnace for at least 30 minutes and inspect the cleaning doors from the inside. If there is moisture on the doors, then the stove is damp, if not, wait for the fuel to burn out completely, close the valve, wait about five minutes, completely pull out the valve and inspect it. If it is dry, then the stove has dried out, if there is condensation on the underside of the valve, then the stove has not dried out and needs to be dried.
2. Since the construction, enough time has passed for natural drying, but why does the stove smoke? Due to some design miscalculations that arise due to the low qualification of the stove-maker.

Furnace operation and fuel selection

In principle, the stove can be heated with any firewood, various garbage, everything that burns. The whole question is what will happen to the oven later. If you take this issue seriously, then first you need to say what you do not need to heat the stove.

• Do not use garbage, such as sawdust, as small particles during combustion are picked up by the air flow and, falling into the channels, burn out there, thereby clogging the entire furnace.
• Also, do not use glossy and similar paper to ignite the oven, it does not completely burn out and quickly clogs the grate.
• Regardless of the type of wood, you should not heat with raw firewood. When raw wood is used, the resulting combustion products are mixed with water, which contributes to the rapid accumulation of soot in the channels and drastically reduces the efficiency of the stove, because. soot and ash are good thermal insulators. In addition, a hard-to-remove glassy layer can form inside, which in the future can lead to the complete inoperability of the furnace.

Any type of wood found in our strip can be used as fuel. Oak, birch, aspen, ash, alder, pine, spruce, poplar, willow and others. But, perhaps, the best firewood is birch. Birch has the highest calorific value, comparable to oak, beech, ash and white locust. It burns for a long time, calmly, does not shoot, which is very valuable for fireplaces. But the willow is completely unsuitable for fireplaces - it shoots more than it burns.

In stoves, it is also very inefficient, it gives little heat and leaves unburned firebrands, which you have to either throw away or add firewood to them. For the firebox of the furnace, it is necessary to select firewood approximately the same in thickness, for their uniform and simultaneous combustion. Do not put more than one third of firewood into the firebox, for sufficient air intake.

It is necessary to regularly clean the ash from the ash pan and prevent clogging of the grate, otherwise it will burn out quickly, clean the channels from soot in a timely manner, do not overheat the stove and it will last you a long time.

Despite the fact that in the modern world wood stoves are gradually giving way to gas and electric appliances, they are still very actively used. Firewood is used for kindling fireplaces, traditional stoves, bourgeois stoves, as well as Buleryan stoves. Most often you can find stoves in baths. All these structures have a rather complex structure and require systematic maintenance. A malfunction will be indicated by black smoke coming from the oven. Let's try to figure out why the stove smokes in a bath or living room.

Smoke from the oven is a serious malfunction of the device.

There are two issues to be separated here:

• Smoke comes from a new stove;
• The stove has been in use for a long time.

If you have a brand new stove that smokes when kindling, the following reasons are possible:

• If there is condensation on the inside of the door for half an hour after the firebox, then most likely the stove is simply not completely dry. In this case, you must leave it to dry;
• If the stove has dried out, then, probably, some flaw was made in the design of the stove, which led to the fact that the smoke from the stove goes into the house. It is better to immediately call the wizard to troubleshoot.

There are quite a few reasons why the stove, which had always worked properly before, suddenly began to smoke during kindling.

Causes of smoke

So why does the smoke from the stove go into the house? To find out, it is necessary to conduct a major inspection and identify what caused the smoke. Let's look at the possible reasons below.

Smoke in the room due to improper functioning of the furnace

External causes

Such factors have nothing to do with the operation of the furnace. Sometimes the reason that the stove smokes in a bathhouse or house is some object that mechanically prevents the outflow of air from the chimney. Such an object may, for example, be an overgrown tree. In this case, the problem is easily solved by cutting off extra branches.

Another reason why the stove smokes during kindling may be the ingress of precipitation into the chimney, as a result of which the smoke cools too quickly, which leads to condensation and an air lock. In such cases, a metal umbrella or cap is installed above the pipe.

Poor quality firewood can affect the appearance of black smoke from the chimney.

If the stove has not been used for a long time, the reason why the stove smokes in the house may be an unheated chimney. You can eliminate this cause by using a piece of matter that needs to be ignited inside the chimney.

Attention! Furnace equipment must be cleaned regularly to avoid malfunctions. Such cleanings should take place annually and be accompanied by a thorough inspection of the oven in order to detect faults in a timely manner.

Causes related to the design of the furnace

In some cases, the possible reasons why the stove smokes are related to its device.

• The laying of the furnace was carried out in violation of the established rules. An inappropriate section of the chimney may be the reason why the stove smokes in the bath. In this case, smoke may enter the room. To eliminate this reason, it is better to call the wizard;
• Wind can also be the reason why the stove smokes into the house. To eliminate this cause, most likely, you will have to lengthen the chimney. You can also try to change the shape of the visor mounted on the head;
• The stove smokes during kindling, when a phenomenon called "draught overturning" occurs. If the stove has not been fired for some time, the air flow can change direction, which happens at any time of the year, and causes the stove to smoke. It is necessary to increase the temperature inside the chimney. For this purpose, you can open the burs or the topmost door, providing access to the inside of the pipe. In extreme cases, the already described method with a lit cloth is used;
• Defects in the laying of the well can also cause the stove to malfunction in a private house. It happens that the stove smokes in the bath with the door open, while when it is closed, no deviations are observed. In this case, poor-quality masonry of the entrance to the well can become a source of problems. The well will need to be redone. If this is not possible, it will be necessary to build a wall inside the stove in such a way that its upper edge is slightly higher than the furnace door;
• Another reason why the stove smokes when kindling is often the aging of its parts. This can manifest itself in the narrowing of the chimney due to accumulated soot, the formation of cracks, the partial or complete destruction of individual structural elements. If the reason why smoke comes out of the stove into the house is due to wear and tear, then it is necessary to thoroughly clean the contaminated parts and repair the destroyed ones;
• Another possible reason why the stove often smokes when the door is opened may be the installation of a defective iron door during installation, through which cleaning is carried out. As a result, it does not close tightly, which is the reason why the stove smokes when the door is open.

Important! Do not underestimate the danger of emerging smoke. This phenomenon can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Solutions

So, you are faced with a situation where the stove smokes in the house. To fix the problem, you need to study its nature in more detail:

• If the potbelly stove smokes when the firebox door is opened, the possible causes are similar to those of a traditional stove. It is necessary to clean it and check the correct installation of the pipe. It is better to melt it with high-quality fuel, without using sawdust or straw;
• The reason why the fireplace often smokes may be poor-quality installation or mistakes made during its design. The height of its pipe should be higher than that of a conventional furnace. An inappropriate depth of the firebox can also be the reason why the fireplace smokes in the house. This discrepancy must be eliminated by placing a metal plate on the smoke tooth or by filing the edge of the tooth. Also, sometimes the reason why the fireplace began to smoke into the room may be the presence of forced ventilation. You can try turning it off;
• The iron stove smokes in the bath - the dampening of its walls, as well as the installation of an oven under it. It will help to build a brick wall between the stove and the cabinet;
• The reasons why the buleryan smokes can be associated with the low temperature of the outgoing gas, as a result of which the inner surface of the chimney may be contaminated with soot. Cleaning the pipe will help.

Equipment cleaning methods

The following methods are used for cleaning:

• With the use of chemistry. From time to time, special substances are added to the oven, due to which the accumulated contaminants are peeled off;
• Furnace vacuum cleaner. Can help with not very strong pollution;
• Mechanical. The most time-consuming - using brushes and scrapers.

So, if you are looking for possible reasons why a fireplace smokes, a stove in a bathhouse or a house and do not know what to do, use our tips. They will help restore the normal operation of the furnace equipment.

Owners of country houses often face the problem of smoke during combustion. If the stove smokes, it is dangerous for people's health and the safety of the heated building, and also indicates excessive fuel consumption. If the stove initially worked well, then you can fix the problem on your own. To do this, it is important to conduct an inspection, analyze the method of operation and identify the source of problems.

Smoke in a room is always a deterioration or lack of draft. Incorrect movement of flue gases is caused by several reasons.

Note: Draft is the main force that causes flue gases to rise up the chimney. The physical process is based on the pressure difference at the bottom and top of the chimney.

With good traction, the fuel burns completely, releasing maximum heat. When bad - the stove smokes. There is not enough oxygen for combustion, volatile combustion products (smoke) are formed, which rush into areas with low pressure and high vacuum - into the room.

Reason #1 Wrong chimney height

One of the main causes of smoke in new stoves is a violation of the smoke exhaust system. Pipes are installed in accordance with the following parameters:

• The height of the chimney is 500 mm above the highest point of the roof with a ridge distance of up to 150 cm.
• The height of the chimney = the height of the ridge, if the distance between them is 150-300 cm.
• Not less than 10º relative to the horizon of the ridge, when moving away from it further than 300 cm.
• The minimum length of the smoke exhaust duct is 5 meters, counting from the stove.
• If the chimney is more than 120 cm above the level of the ridge, then it is reinforced with stretch marks.

Note: if the ventilation and chimneys are located close, their height is made the same (SNiPs), or the chimney is made higher (European experience). Otherwise, combustion products will penetrate back into the house.

Reason #2: Poor ventilation

If the oven is installed in a room with sealed plastic windows and

Finding out the reasons why the stove smokes should begin by answering the following questions:

1. What circumstances accompany smoking?
2. When did the smoke start: immediately or after some time?
3. How long has it been since the smoke started?

So, other observations will help to determine the causes.

Furnace smoke can be caused by the so-called overturning thrust. It usually occurs after the stove has not been heated for several days. At the same time, traction was excellent before. Such idleness leads to the fact that the air flow changes direction to the opposite and does not go out into the street, but enters the dwelling. This phenomenon is absolutely independent of the air temperature outside and can manifest itself both in heat and in frost. The reasons for the reverse thrust were found out, let's move on to eliminating them.

To eliminate back draft in the chimney it is necessary to quickly increase the temperature of the air in the chimney. This can be done in several ways:

When normal draft can be restored, it is maintained in the future with regular heating of the furnace. Thrust tipping should no longer be a concern. You can meet another - popular - the name of this phenomenon - "air lock". It is completely unfair to blame the stove-maker for its occurrence. It absolutely does not depend on his work, and tipping over of thrust can occur in any stove.

Reason 2 - wind

The owners of houses with stoves are sometimes faced with the fact that with gusts of wind on the street, blowing smoke into the room.
Eliminate the cause You can, if you increase the height of the chimney head. It also helps to change the configuration of the visor on the headband.

Reason 3 - incorrect laying of the furnace

If the smoke of the furnace is observed from the very beginning of its use, then The problem lies in its design. The mistakes of the master stove-maker led to the fact that the thrust
not strong enough, and smoke enters the room. Most likely, flue cross section is too low.

Eliminate this cause without the help of an experienced master is impossible. Only a good specialist can fix the defect. It is better if this can be done without re-laying, but it may still be needed.

Reason 4 - furnace wear

It happens that the stove served faithfully for many years, but over time it began to gradually smoke. And the further, the more. In this case, the reason is aging structure. Soot and ash gradually accumulate in the chimney and narrow the cross section. It is possible that the internal masonry of the chimney collapsed. Depressurization of the masonry also happens, that is, cracks appear in the walls, hog or chimney.

To eliminate this cause you can clean the oven yourself. It is necessary to remove soot in all accessible places, free the chimney from collapsed masonry elements, seal all the cracks that led to depressurization of the furnace with furnace mortar. If all the measures taken have not restored traction, then you can not do without the help of a qualified craftsman. He will professionally inspect the stove and chimney and find a way to eliminate the defect.

Reason 5 - incorrect well laying

It happens that when the oven door is closed, it does not smoke at all, or very little smoke is observed. But if you open the door, immediately the stove begins to smoke heavily. And this happens all the time. Now we need to understand why does the oven smoke when the door is open? In this case, the cause is poor-quality laying of the furnace. The master made a gross mistake, which is illustrated in the figure:

Since in the design shown in the figure, the upper edge of the door opening is noticeably higher than the upper edge of the entrance to the well, it is easier for the smoke flow to go out through the door. And if the problem does not appear when the furnace hole is closed, then when the furnace is open, the smoke is very strong.

The specified cause is eliminated re-laying the entrance to the well. It must be positioned so that the top edge is a couple of centimeters higher than the top edge of the door opening.

Relaying the entrance to the well is not always possible. Therefore, you can use another method. Inside the furnace, you need to build a wall, the upper edge of which will be higher than the top of the furnace door by the same couple of centimeters. This will cause good draft, and a stream of smoke will rush into the well. This solution is shown in the figure:

Reason 6 - combustion does not occur in the furnace

Sometimes one can observe such a phenomenon when portions of smoke and sparks fly out of the furnace in whole bursts. This is due to the fact that combustion in the furnace does not occur in the furnace itself, but in the smoke channels, and is of a pulsed nature.

Eliminate this cause depends on the particular oven. There is no universal solution. In some cases, simple traction control will help. However, many furnaces will "shoot" hard at any draft. To cope with the problem, you can try to simply lay less firewood. This is better than waiting for the stove to "fire" and the room to fill with smoke.

Reason 7 - no junction box

If there are two stoves that use one common chimney, then the smoke in this situation is probably due to the fact that there is no distribution box in the chimney.

Eliminate this cause can be done in two ways: by building a distribution box or by using only one furnace at a time. How the junction box should be installed is shown in the figure:

Installation of a junction box in a common chimney for two furnaces

Reason 8 - the presence of cracks

Smoke in furnaces can be observed through small cracks that have formed in
at the junction of masonry with different elements of the design of the stove. However, the stove does not smoke because of the presence of cracks. Smoke in this case is explained by the reason, which is considered under number 4. Nevertheless, cracks must be fought. For their sealing use an oven solution.

The procedure is as follows:

1. The solution is prepared from sand and clay, which are mixed in equal proportions. A small amount of water is added to the mixture so that the consistency is thick enough. The solution must be well kneaded by hand.
2. You need to open the door and remove the mugs. Each slot should be moistened with water immediately before sealing.
3. The left hand must be inserted into the firebox. The palm will need to close the gaps from the inside. You can also use a piece of metal for this. The slots are closed to prevent the solution from falling out into the oven.
4. When the gap (or part of it) is closed, you can move on to the next one. Again begins with wetting, etc.
5. If cracks appear on the dried fresh mortar, do not worry: this is a natural phenomenon. They need to be sealed with a furnace solution. You may need to repeat the process a couple of times.
6. If there is lime whitewash in places where cracks have formed, then it must first be removed. The oven solution on such a coating will not last long. It lays down only on the cleared, previously moistened surface.
7. It is strongly not recommended to try to strengthen the seams with strips of metal. It quickly heats up and expands, therefore, being inside the dried solution, it will simply lead to the fact that the entire seam will fall out of the gap.

Conclusion

We've looked at 8 of the most common stove smoke problems. Summing up, we hope that the question “why does the stove smoke and what to do?” this article is fully answered.

Stove heating is still quite common in private city houses and country cottages. If it functions correctly, a comfortable atmosphere and coziness are created in the house. But if the stove does not work properly, smoke can pour out of it, which will not only become a source of an unpleasant odor, but can also threaten human health and even life. In this article we will talk about what to do if the stove smokes. In doing so, we will consider the probable causes and options for resolving the problem.

Conditions for the appearance of smoke in the house

If the stove smokes in the house - what to do in this case can only be understood by considering the conditions under which smoke occurs.

To do this, we will answer a number of questions:

• What are the contributing factors when smoke enters the house?
• At what point does smoke occur - immediately after kindling or after a while?
• How long has the stove been smoking?

There are several different reasons why the stove smokes. What they consist of, and what is the procedure for each of the cases, we will describe below.

Occurrence of reverse draft in the furnace

In cases where the stove has not been used for several days, a back draft may form in the chimney. This means that the air flows do not move outside, but into the room. This phenomenon quite often becomes the reason why the stove smokes during kindling. Please note that weather conditions have nothing to do with this phenomenon - reverse thrust appears in both warm and cold seasons.

It is worth noting that draft tipping is possible even in furnaces with an ideal design, assembled by experienced stove-makers.

So, the answer to the question of what to do if the stove smokes into the house is to increase the air temperature inside the chimney. Moreover, these manipulations can be performed independently.

Chimney heating can be done in the following ways:

1. Treatment of the inner surface of the chimney with a hot air gun through the open door to remove soot.
2. Gaining access to the chimney by dismantling or opening the hog in the attic and further heating it with a building hair dryer or other devices.
3. They remove the cap from the top of the chimney and throw paper on fire into the chimney.

Strong gusts of wind

Sometimes the reason why there is no draft in the stove at home can be a strong gusty wind blowing inside the chimney.

In this case, there are two options for resolving the issue:

1. Increase the height of the chimney, including the tip.
2. To slightly modify the structure of the visor mounted on the head.

Incorrect oven masonry

Often the reason why a new stove smokes is errors in the laying of the entire structure, or its individual elements. In particular, smoke accumulates inside the house if the section of the chimney is not enough for its timely evacuation to the outside.

You cannot solve this problem on your own - this should be done by the stove-maker. It is worth noting that the completion and repair of the structure will cost you less than a complete redevelopment of the furnace.

Wear and tear is a popular reason why the stove smokes.

Like any other design, each furnace has its own service life. Over time, its elements wear out and require major repairs or partial restoration.

Furnace aging is manifested in the following:

• A large amount of soot accumulated on the inner walls of the chimney, which significantly narrowed its clearance.
• Due to thermal loads, cracks appeared in the masonry, which led to the loss of the tightness of the pipe.

So, if the stove smokes due to wear - what to do, consider the steps:

• We carefully clean the inner surface of the chimney not only from accumulated soot and debris, but also from staggering or fallen parts of the brickwork.
• All existing cracks are re-sealed with furnace mortar, restoring the integrity of the masonry.

Such work can be done both independently and entrusted to the stove-maker. An experienced master will do everything very quickly and efficiently.

Miscalculations during the laying of the furnace well - what to do now?

In some cases, smoke enters the house at the moment when the firebox door is opened. When the door is closed, carbon monoxide gases are evacuated normally. In this case, the reason lies in the inexperience of the furnace master.

During the opening of the door, smoke occurs if the entrance to the well is located too low and the shortest path for heated air with carbon monoxide lies precisely in the direction of the firebox doorway.

For any responsible person, when the stove smokes in the house, what to do is the main and paramount question. You can solve the problem if you build a wall inside the furnace, the upper edge of which will be several centimeters higher than the upper edge of the door.

Thus, hot air with carbon monoxide will move to the well opening even with the firebox door open.

Results

In the article, we examined the most likely causes of smoke inside the house, as well as ways to deal with it. It is noteworthy that in most cases the work is not difficult and can be done independently.