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Smokey Liveaboard.

Tomm

By Tomm
in Living Afloat

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Tomm Engager

Tomm

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hi,

 

Been living aboard for a fair few mounths now... loving it but my only niggle is that I have been venturing into collage smelling of smoke. I know its obviouse how to avoid smelling of smoke and I have got better but I just wondered if anyone could give me any tips on how to stay smoke free.

 

To start with my changing my coal which should help.Is this a commen problem or am I just being extreamly stupid?

Edited by Tomm
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Paul C Veteran II

Paul C

Posted
Posted

You shouldn't be smelling of smoke because if the stove is on, you'd be inside, and the fumes would be outside. I know occasionally the door of the stove is opened, and a small amount of the smoke/smell can get back into the boat. I'd suspect you're burning the 'smokier' end of the solid fuels you can burn. What are you burning at the moment?

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Grace and Favour Veteran II

Grace and Favour

Posted
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Yes I believe I was burning smokey coal but will move to smokeless brickettes. The problem was smoke would billow into the cabin when I put the coal in.

 

Hmm - - smoke shouldn't billow in!!

 

Are your chimney and flue kept nice and clean?

Do you have a good draw in your fire? (Is your chimney long enough? )

Do you keep your grate riddled

 

And yes - - a reasonable quality smokeless fuel will also make a difference - try using Excel, Glow, Supertherm or Taybrite

 

Yeah stove door. What even if the coal is very smokey?

 

could the problem be that the top vent (the ones you turn to reduce oxygen in stove) is locked shut?

 

Why would you lock the top airvent when you're actively burning fuel?

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BlueStringPudding Veteran II

BlueStringPudding

Posted
Posted

My stove does that if the flue and chimney needs sweeping, Tomm. Give it a good sweep to clear any soot and rust and crud and it should help the problem a lot. You can get a flue brush with a long bendy handle from chandleries or ebay for just a few quid. And a clear clean flue pipe will be safer for you inside. Hope you have installed CO alarms.

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Grace and Favour Veteran II

Grace and Favour

Posted
Posted (edited)

Yes to all above. I didant choose to lock it. its stuck... Haha. Well problem seems to just be my coal then. Many thanks.

 

Well - - when the stove is cool, with some judicious use of a good penetrating oil, free up the top vent! - It will make a difference to the burning (it allows the gases (escaping from the fuel) to ignite, giving an hotter and cleaner burn!

Edited by Grace & Favour
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nicknorman Veteran II

nicknormanDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Our stove smokes on door opening only if the flue and top baffle plate needs cleaning, which is quite often! Running the stove slowly seems to accumulate crud in the flue / top plate fairly quickly. If you crack the door open an inch, wait a few seconds for the smoke velocity in the chimney to increase, before fully opening, that might help.

 

Just for clarity, you have checked for accumulation of crud above the top baffle plate, haven't you?

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pquinn Rising Star

pquinn

Posted
Posted

Hi,

 

Been living aboard for a fair few mounths now... loving it but my only niggle is that I have been venturing into collage smelling of smoke. I know its obviouse how to avoid smelling of smoke and I have got better but I just wondered if anyone could give me any tips on how to stay smoke free.

 

To start with my changing my coal which should help.Is this a commen problem or am I just being extreamly stupid?

maybe your smoking the wrong kind of fuel,Tomm.if ya'knows whats i means. :P;):DB):lol:

 

sorry but i couldnt resist.when the words smoke and college come up you gotta go for the throat. would you happen to be moored in a particularly windy area ,in an exposed area or maybe on a height.if so it could allso be the problem and a spinning cowl may answer your problem.do a search on here as tis problem has come up before.good luck.paul

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DeanS Veteran II

DeanS

Posted
Posted (edited)

do you have a rain hat thingie on the top of your chimney.....you should have...to stop leaves and rain falling down the chimney...

 

If you crack the door open just a little ...it should cause the pressure in the stove to equalise better, and then open the door......rather than just opening it from scratch. You'll also get much more smoke if there is unburnt wood etc in there. I also open the door, throw in some coal..close it (while getting more coal), open, throw it in..close...etc. There is no way that "smelling of smoke" is normal. We've had a stove going since October (5mths) and although you might smell of smoke for a minute or so...you shouldnt still smell of it when you get to work. (are you washing your clothes and drying them on the fire perhaps?)

 

Also..make sure your door seal is good...as CO poisoning is more to worry about than smoke...

 

 

eta - are you sure you arent smelling charcoal on your skin...(wash hands with something nice smelling).

 

also...deoderant might help. I only mention it cause my teenage son seems to forget deoderant exists, and you may suffer from a similar issue :)

Edited by DeanS
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dmr Veteran II

dmr

Posted
Posted

Try to refuel the stove before its burned right down.

Fully open any air controls (that are not rusted solid) and wait a while.

Open the door just a fraction and wait a few seconds.

Now open the door fully.

However if the fire is almost out then a bit of smoke might be unavoidable.

Burn good quality seasoned wood, the smell is then rather more attractive than coal smoke.

If all else fails I suppose there is always Lynx, though its probably better to live with the woodsmoke aroma!.

 

...........Dave

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