Woodstove "plastic" smell?

[Una]

You say you notice it when the *fire* is hot, not when the *stove* is hot. That suggests the problem is related to creosote buildup in the chimney.

Una

[HerHusband]

Just a poor choice of words...

The smell is most noticeable when the woodstove has heated up and I get a good fire roaring in it. If I damper it down, the smell dissipates.

I thoroughly clean our chimney every summer with the appropriate wire brush and rods, and completely remove the previous winters ashes, including vacuuming any ash that falls down the chimney and builds up on the top of the firebricks.

It has to be paint related, as it's the same smell we had when we first got the woodstove. I expect it the first few fires, but eventually I would think it would cure or burn off...

Anthony

[jim]

The procedure for "seasoning" new stoves is to burn several small fires before burning a long, hot fire. During these "seasoning" fires, most of the paint burn-in will take place. But the first few times you fire the stove high, you may get some residual burn-in odor. After five or six fires, it should stop as it does with ours (1-2) burns. I know it's a hassle but if your continues to off gas paint odors I'd consider removing it, sandblasting the thing and repainting it then do a good seasoning of the stove. Or you can continue breathing in toxic fumes.

[Una]

This is more consistent with creosote than curing paint, but since you say the odor was strongest when the stove was new, curing paint likely is the culprit.

Brushing won't remove much creosote.

Una

[HerHusband]

How would you clean your chimney then?

My woodstove manual, and EVERY chimney care maintenance I have ever read recommends a properly fitting wire chimney brush and annual cleaning.

Anthony

[Una]

By brushing. The chimney benefits from brushing anyway, because creosote isn't the only issue. But to deal with creosote you have basically three options: burn only well cured low resin wood or be very judicious about which kind of wood goes in the stove when, use a stove that has a catalytic converter, or be prepared for periodic chimney fires.

Una

[hartsong]

responding to

hartsong wrote: We are using a wood stove in our basement to supplement heat and I have started to notice a \"plastic like smell\" especially when I've rekindled a fire and got it going nice and hot. Any ideas? Haven't used any paint etc. just burning a lot of wood keeping the fire going for heat in the house. Thanks for any input.

Bob

[hartsong]

responding to

hartsong wrote: Anthony, Did you get any answers?

We are using a wood stove in our basement to supplement heat and I have started to notice a \"plastic like smell\" especially when I've rekindled a fire and got it going nice and hot. Any ideas? Haven't used any paint etc. just burning a lot of wood keeping the fire going for heat in the house. Thanks for any input.

Bob

[willshak]

hartsong wrote the following:

Originally posted October 17, 2007.

[HerHusband]

Bob,

That was an old post from a few years ago, and I don't remember hearing a reasonable explanation for the plastic smell.

Thankfully, the plastic smell eventually went away on it's own, as inexplicably as it started.

Anthony

[Steve B]

Whatever it was burned up.

[HerHusband]

Perhaps, though I had burned many hot fires previously and the smell remained. I never burn anything except clean dry wood (usually alder, fir, or cedar).

Every summer I clean the woodstove and chimney thoroughly. This includes scooping out all the ash, then vaccuuming out any remaining ash. I have fine filter bags in my vac to avoid blowing ash all over the house. :). I also vaccuum all around the outside and back, and wipe everything down with a damp rag (water only).

So, I suppose there may have been something in the ashes that gave off the smell and removing it got rid of the smell. I really don't know, but am thankful it has gone away.

Anthony

[jim]

I've a PE woodstove and the previous owner did not follow the instructions for the bake in of the paint. The smell was there 10 minutes after start up every time. It recently required a touch up on paint but I decided to kill 2 birds by having the unit sandblasted. I repainted and followed instructions on bake in - problem solved. I suggest If all else fails you do what I did.

[jmorrison]

OMG! I had the same problem and just couldn't figure it out! I read your post and sure enough, there was a damn little car in one of the blower vent tubes! I owe you one! Thanks ColbyT (-:

[bud--]

Colbyt was around in 2007 (date of the post).

Why would you think he is around now?

I haven't seen him for years.

[Stormin Mormon]

Why are we reading message from 2007?

[Stormin Mormon]

Nursing home, and doesn't have internet?

[drearoach]

I am writing as have similar issue in two different stoves. The nasty che mical smell was very similar in both cases. The first stove i had was a " f ake : gas stove. The kind with flames but you cant burn wood in it. It was newly installed. When I complained about the smell that came and went ...bu t was most strong if the stove hadnt been used in a while. The installer sa id it was the smell the insulation emitted at high temps from the insert b ox. Fast forward 10 years , different country. Had a wood burning stove fo r 8 years...then moved and had to get new pipes to fit right. the bottom o nes are black heavy metal ones...hiher up they are shiny stainless steel ( I think) but the upper part is wrapped in rockwool covered in that metal looking wrapper. exact Nasty chemical smell again ..So it definetely eithe r the new black pipies or the insulation...( the stove never had it the sme ll in 10 years.( or th eolder black pipes either which at one time were new to me) .I thought it was the insulaion ...but could be the paint on the bl ack pipes. I am very sensitive to this chemical smell . I need to fix it ,,,, any ideas.

[jbirdjtrain]

The ceramic sealant for the door/glass may be the odor you smell.  It's h orrendous, and you're likely to smell it in areas furthest from the stove.   Definitely chemical smell.  Solution:  disassemble the door.  Cle an all of the sealant off thoroughly.  Replace gaskets with a thicker sea lant (more caulk-like than runny black crap that comes with gaskets).  Us e the absolute minimum amount of sealant with new gaskets (Follow recommend ations).  This will help a lot, but may not solve completely.  Circulat e the air in your home, open windows.  Spaces where heat gets trapped emi t stronger odor.  Another option is to not burn so hot, and makes sure yo ur chimney and stove is cleaned regularly.

Paint smells similar, but slightly different.  So if unit or paint is fre sh, take unit outside and burn off out there for 4-8 hours first.

[mszenja]

Possibly the carbon build up on the inside of the unit itself. When the damper is closed just a little too much(not enough to emit smoke)on ours, we experience a very unpleasant smell. This didn't start until the unit was at least 2-3 years old.