Expert: James Ball - 10/3/2008

Question
I just installed a Regency wood stove in my log home. New chimney liner, new stove pipe.Flu is clean with no cap on top. I have a fireplace in the basement,which is all closed up. The wood stove and the fireplace do not share a flu. Since the install I have smelled smoke. The flu seems to need to get warm for there to be a updraft. But even when it heats up and has a good draft going,I still smell smoke.
Thank you for any information.

Answer
Hello Mark, with the stove not on, try lighting a piece of incense and watching the smoke trail when you hold it in front of the stove. If it goes away from the stove you might have a negative pressure issue if the smoke goes away from the stove open a window in that room, give the room a minute to settle then see what the smoke does it should go into the stove. If this works you need make up air in the house all the time to feed the house (hot air is getting out some where in the house)your house is a better chimney than you chimney.
hope this helped
James Ball