Baffle plate advice

[Mik the Miller]

Excellent solution... i'd have gone for a thicker plate, if you run the stove at full chat the chequer plate may not last more than 1 season.

Well done HOP Engineering ...

[AnthonyK]

MORE HELP NEEDED.

Well... having enjoyed one successful fire, last night the stove started pumping out think white smoke from the top vent when I let the kindling wood / paper / firelighter. Equally worrying was a small amount coming from the join where the top part sits on the body, pictures attached.

1. When I closed the bottom vent the smoke stopped coming out from the top vent, normal? Am I just not very good at this?
2. Is my new baffle plate too close to the top vent? I have left about an inch gap for the smoke to be drawn over and up the flue. Enough? I can have this cut further.
3. Do I need the WB repaired as the leak is also from the top joint?

I'm not in a position to replace this but it does appear to be a challenge, any advice welcome, thanks.

[AnthonyK]

Video might work below:

[John Skinner]

I would say the BP is way to close at just 1". On mine the plate sits much further back. Looks like you are forcing the heat/smoke out the front vent, rather than up to the flue. Might just need a wee trim.

 

Another thought ... Was the new BP coated? You might also be burning off any coating the BP had on it, which would account for the white smoke 🤔

[openspaceman]

It's probably because the chimney is a bit cold when you start the fire so rather than push the cold slug of air up the chimney it takes an easier route out the vent. More modern stoves do not have this vent direct from the room but rather the air is preheated by the back of the stove and is ducted to the same point just below the flue exit and slightly below the baffle (this is so any unburned gases have a chance to meet some air before passing up the chimney. Once the chimney is hot air should be sucked from the room through the vents.

 

It does seem a bit worrying seeing as how the baffle is not quite the same as the original design, do you have a CO alarm? Can you shut the top vent during lighting? The main problem would be if the fire dies down to coals and the chimney becomes cold, allowing carbon monoxide into the room

 

The white smoke is a mixture of pyrolysis offgas and partially burned wood/paper. This is because a fire at the bottom of a heap is hot enough to pyrolyse the wood above and create offgas but the conditions are not hot enough to support a flame.

 

One way round this is to light a small heap of kindling on top of the main logs. It tends to be a little slower to heat up the stove but creates less smoke as a flame establishes at the top.

[John Skinner]

12 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

 

 

The white smoke is a mixture of pyrolysis offgas and partially burned wood/paper. This is because a fire at the bottom of a heap is hot enough to pyrolyse the wood above and create offgas but the conditions are not hot enough to support a flame. One way round this is to light a small heap of kindling on top of the main logs. It tends to be a little slower to heat up the stove but creates less smoke as a flame establishes at the top.

 

Top down method of lighting is my go to method for lighting 👍

 

 

 

[Bolt]

Which vents were open when it was smoking in the video?  Top, bottom, none or both?

[AnthonyK]

Wow - thanks all.

Both vents were open when the white smoke was billowing out of the top vents. When I shut the bottom vents the smoke actually stopped coming out of the top vents, but the fire slowed and there was still some leakage from the top right of the WB where I don't think the seal is fully intact.

Yes, we have a main CO detector in the room just in front of the WB. Amazed it didn't go off, though we did air the room quickly.

There were no large logs on the pile of kindling, just kindling, firelighters and a bit of paper.

I'm trying to get a repair company to come and check the WB seals are intact.

Will also light kindling top down.

How would you have the vents when lighting first; top open bottom closed? Or top closed bottom open? Reluctant to have both open as that was the scenario before.

May also get my baffle trimmed another inch, have attached a picture of the gap; thoughts?

Thank you all so much for the ongoing information.

[John Skinner]

You want the bottom vent open to force air into the stove grill and feed the flame. I also have the top vent fully open (MFS not WB) to maximise the draw from the flue. You want the flue warm aspa, that will help draw the heat up and keep the flames lower down going. The top down method helps with this, as all the heat is at the top of the stove.

 

 

 

 

[John Skinner]

Another thought. Is the flue clean? Nothing up there causing a blockage (low flying emu, etc) that could be causing a lack of air draw?