Main Frequently asked questions Why does a solid fuel boiler smoke?

Чому димить твердопаливний котел?

Heating during cold weather always takes up a large part of our attention! From time to time, users of solid fuel equipment are faced with a situation where the boiler is smoking. This is a kind of malfunction that requires intervention. What exactly contributes to this? Why does a solid fuel boiler smoke? How to avoid such situations? It is important to understand this to protect yourself from undesirable consequences.

Often the chimney is the cause of smoke, or rather its leakage or clogging. But these are not all the points. Therefore, it is worth considering this issue in more detail.

The boiler smokes and smoke enters the room

The reason why smoke enters the room during the operation of the equipment may be an improperly designed or installed chimney. As a result, the draft may not be sufficient to remove all the smoke to the outside.

To prevent this problem, it is important that the chimney is installed by a specialist. He will be able to correctly calculate the diameter, height and angle of the chimney, and select the appropriate materials. Smoke can also enter the room because the chimney is clogged with soot. This can happen if you connect the equipment incorrectly.

So, the reasons are completely different, but they can be divided into several groups.
The main reasons why a solid fuel boiler smokes:

    Improper operation of the boiler
  1. Technical violations during installation of equipment
  2. Insufficient traction
Let's take a closer look...

Improper operation of the boiler

  • Does the solid fuel boiler smoke during loading? Often among the violations of the malfunction of a solid fuel boiler is improper ignition. For example, there are top-burning and bottom-burning boilers. Therefore, it is necessary to burn fuel from the upper layer - in upper combustion boilers, and the lower layer - in lower combustion boilers, respectively.
  • When the boiler is in operation, the gate valve must be open. This must be checked every time, because it is also periodically forgotten.
  • Smoke can also appear due to excessive or, conversely, a lack of oxygen.In this case, it is worth reviewing the automation settings and correcting the situation with the «Regulator» parameter «fan performance».
    • One of the reasons for boiler smoke may be an unheated pipe. There is one proven way. For example, you can make the first fire with something that is easy to ignite. These are old magazines, newspaper, unnecessary waste paper, paper or wood chips. Then the stream of warm air will easily "break through" the cold stream. After that, you can make the main volumetric fuel layout. In order to avoid this cause, it is necessary to follow the operating rules, perform timely maintenance and regular cleaning from the formation of a large amount of soot with the help of special means, such as chemicals or manual cleaning with a scoop and brush (poker). This will be the key to good traction and the absence of smoke in the room. It is also not recommended to heat the boiler with wet wood or resinous wood. Because this is the cause of smoke and frequent clogging of chimneys.

    There are cases that when throwing firewood, the boiler smokes - this is more likely due to the moisture content of the firewood.

    Often, when buying equipment, the new owner does not even open the user manual. And in the process of use, a number of questions arise that could be avoided. Conclusion read the instructions! It is important!

    Technical violations during the installation of equipment

    Lack of tightness of the chimney (in this case, only a complete replacement of the pipe with high-quality sealed seams will help) and incorrect height of the pipe above the roof.It happens that the diameter of the pipes is smaller than necessary with sufficient height, in which case the solution is to add another meter or two to the height. This will stabilize the train. An additional one can be connected to the smoke channel, which is also connected to the solid fuel boiler. Insufficient tractionSmoke can go into the room where the boiler is installed because there is insufficient air flow.
  • A great solution for optimal draft is the minimum length of the horizontal sections of the pipe. Smooth transitions of chimneys at an angle of 45 are better than 90.
  • And weather conditions can also cause the boiler to smoke. In case of sudden gusts of wind, the draft may deteriorate. In this case, a cone can be installed at the end of the pipe, which carries a protective function against the wind. And when installing a weather vane, you can increase traction. Don't try to be an expert in all matters, and involve an installation technician who knows exactly how to install the boiler, make a chimney and other work. After all, it's about your safety!

    Reverse draft in the chimney

    What is a back draft in a solid fuel boiler? The cause of back draft in the chimney?

    When the boiler is operating properly, the smoke goes up and out. If smoke enters a house or other premises where a solid fuel boiler is installed, it indicates a violation. This violation is a back draft.

    Back draft is the downward movement of flue gases, in short. This is how the room becomes smoky! And if you do not respond to such phenomena in a timely manner, there can be serious consequences.

    So why does backdraft occur in the chimney? The causes may be the lack of supply ventilation, weather conditions, wind.

    To eliminate backdraft, you need to create the right ones. View the automation parameters or configure them manually. Make sure the slide valve is open. Check the chimney for leaks.

    What to do if smoke from the boiler enters the house

    Is the boiler smoke coming into the house? If the boiler is smoking into the house, the first thing to do is to create an air flow! Deal with the reasons described above! And if you can't do it yourself, call a master!

    Often people ask “Why does a long-burning boiler smoke?Take precautions and carefully read the instructions before using a solid fuel boiler! This will help prevent many issues and work proactively!
    I hope our recommendations were useful to you!

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