Smelly woodburner?

lostinrates

I just lit the woodburner and when I came in notice how 'dirty' the room smells, Smokey.

The flue has been swept, but the seals are never very good on the door. I have checked outside and everything around the the chimney pot looks normal. Dh and family ( who aren't always here) tell me it's always like that and I simply haven't noticed often before.

Should I be concerned?

suki1964

Can you see any smoke leaving from the door?

My living room has a smokey smell when the stove is lit from just opening the door to load. It's worse If the wood isn't pure dry and smolders rather then clean burning

lostinrates

suki1964 wrote: »

Can you see any smoke leaving from the door?

My living room has a smokey smell when the stove is lit from just opening the door to load. It's worse If the wood isn't pure dry and smolders rather then clean burning

No, no smoke leaks front the dorner, open, or when closed. It doesn't quite smell like an open fire, but rather dirtier...difficult to describe.

mirabelle

I shouldn't worry. What you are smelling is the wood itself. I have noticed that same dirty smell on some of the wood that I have been burning which has been seasoned for about 2 years. Why not test it by burning a log in the garden to see if you notice the same smell. Alternatively, if your stove is multi fuel, try some taybrite. I am sure you will find it is the wood. You can buy replacement seals quite cheaply from the Manufacturer direct .

ericonabike

Same as Mirabelle. When we return to the house after a few days away we notice it in particular - may even be down to wind direction! We had our annual fire/chimney clean and service in the summer and he gave everything a clean bill of health. It's just wood/ash smell, nothing more.

muckybutt

could be a few things :

Sweep might not have done a correct sweep ! though you would smell soot if he hadnt done it right.
Could be debris on top of the register plate.
Could be a down draught problem.
Could be smelling your own smoke or neighbours.
Weather conditions affect chimney and stove draw a lot as does the surrounding area.
Could be the fuel you are using.

There are loads of variables on this, ultimately see how it goes for the next day or so, get the liner warm and hopefully that should clear things up. If not get the sweep back to do a smoke test to see if it is drawing ok.

If you havent already got one, get and fit a carbon monoxide detector for the room where the stove is situated, they save lives for a few quid.

PaulF81

Could be dust burning off as I bet you are using it for one of the first times this year.

The_Economist

I have just started using my wood burner the other week. But before i started using it i had re-sprayed it all over and re-oiled the slate as usual.I changed the glass seals this time too. Boy did it smell realy bad. I knew it was gonna smell because it always has after leaving it idle for the summer. But i think i can safely say that the type of smell has not changed. Its a kind of metallic smell rather than a smokey smell so one hopes its not leaking fumes. As someone said make sure you have a carbonmonoxide detecter fitted. MOST IMPORTANT!!!! For peolpes information whats the name of the stove do you have fitted?

Gloomendoom

The_Economist wrote: »

As someone said make sure you have a carbonmonoxide detecter fitted. MOST IMPORTANT!!!

I wonder if many people were gassed when open fires were the norm or is there something different about a closed stove that makes carbon dioxide poisoning more likely?

Man_Overboard_2

Gloomendoom wrote: »

I wonder if many people were gassed when open fires were the norm or is there something different about a closed stove that makes carbon dioxide poisoning more likely?

I think the obsession with carbon monoxide poisoning has crossed over from the gas industry

There are many case of CO poisoning from faulty gas burning, but I have seen no figures about CO poisoning from faulty solid fuel burning

Gloomendoom

Man_Overboard wrote: »

I think the obsession with carbon monoxide poisoning has crossed over from the gas industry

There are many case of CO poisoning from faulty gas burning, but I have seen no figures about CO poisoning from faulty solid fuel burning

I do remember one case a year or so ago where a lad was living in a shed in his parents' garden. Carbon monoxide from a woodburner that his dad had installed was identified as the cause of death.

Here are some cheery statistics...

http://www.co-gassafety.co.uk/deaths.html

Solid fuel room heaters and, surprisingly, cookers seem to be very well represented on that list. There are three deaths from open fires.