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STOVE, FLUE OR OTHER
COMPONENTS GLOWING RED
• Prevention
The Primary and Secondary Air controls, as well as the
Thermostat Control, should be immediately closed
to let the fire die down to an acceptable level and to
reduce the heat output which will in turn eliminate
the glow from the over-heated components. At the
same time ensure that water within the system is not
‘boiling’. Your central heating system should have
the requisite safety valves to prevent this, but if in
doubt run off excess hot water and ensure the central
heating pump is working to dissipate the excess heat
and hot water. Over-firing is dangerous and could
permanently damage or warp your boiler stove and
its components. The effects of over-firing are fairly
obvious to anyone in the stove industry and will
invalidate your stove’s Warranty. Check the stove, the
flue system and the central heating for any signs of
damage or system failure before you re-use the stove.
• Causes: Over-Firing
This is caused by using the
stove at a higher output than recommended for
prolonged periods of time and / or over-filling the
firebox with fuel. The excessive heat in the flue system
produced by over-firing could potentially also lead to
a chimney fire (
See ‘Chimney Fire’ above)
. Ensure you
are using the correct fuel load. See page 5
SMOKE AND FUMES ESCAPING
INTO THE ROOM
When properly installed and operated your stove
should not normally emit fumes or smoke into the
room. When first using the stove it is normal to
experience paint fumes or see light smoke rising from
some of the stove’s painted surfaces, but these should
eventually pass as the paint cures. Occasional minor
smoke escape may also occur during the refuelling
process. However, persistent smoke or fumes could be
dangerous and in this situation you should take
immediate avoiding action.
• Prevention
Open doors and windows to ventilate the room and
let the fire go out to allow the stove to cool. Never
pour water onto the fire as this could cause the cast
iron components to break.
Most importantly
, never re-light the stove until the
problem has been identified and solved. If in doubt, in
the first instance always seek the expert advice of your
approved installer, or authorised Precision dealer.
There are a number of factors, either alone or
combined, which could cause such problems:
• Causes: A blockage
When safe to do so, examine
the flue-way above the baffle plate as well as the
chimney system via any inspection hatches and clear
any soot blockages. Excessive deposits could also
indicate that the chimney or flue itself also needs
cleaning.
• Causes:
Inadequate supply of combustion air
Check that any permanent air vent fitted to supply the
extra combustion air required for the stove has not
been accidentally blocked. Remember there should
never be an extractor fan in the same room as a stove.
A simple way of checking whether or not the stove is
receiving enough combustion air is to open a
window in the same room as the stove whilst the
stove is operating. If this improves the problem then
this would certainly indicate that the stove is being
starved of combustion air and the advice of the
original installer should be sought.
• Causes:
Extreme weather conditions
High winds
or extremes of temperature can also temporarily
affect the performance of the chimney draught and
consequently its effectiveness in removing smoke and
fumes from the stove’s fire chamber. In the case of
freezing temperatures it is important to build a larger
pre-fire than normal to quickly provide the additional
heat needed to warm the flue system and to
counteract the much lower temperatures at the exit
point of the chimney. This is particularly important for
boiler stoves which have the disadvantage of the fire
chamber being surrounded by very cold water.
Unusually hot sunny days in the Autumn can
sometimes produce negative pressure which will
affect the up-draught and in these instances you
should open a window or door to the outside to help
re-balance the interior and exterior pressures which
create the up-draught mechanism. Once you are con-
fident that the up-draught has re-started you can then
close any doors or windows.
• Causes: High winds
If the problem is associated
with high winds and it becomes a regular
occurrence, then you will need to fit a specialist
chimney cowl. These are designed to provide a stable
draught and prevent specific types of problems.
Specifying the right cowl should always be left to an
approved installer.
• Causes: Flue Exit
Check, especially at the
beginning of the heating season, that summer tree
growth has not interfered with the free passage of
smoke and flue gases from the chimney top.
OVERHEATING AND EXCESSIVE
FUEL CONSUMPTION
This can be caused by a number of factors.
• Causes: Excessive Chimney Draught
This limits
the effectiveness of the air controls so that the fire
burns with very strong bright yellow flames and with
very little difference when the air controls are
operated. In such circumstances, and where possible,
an adjustable draught stabiliser in the flue system may
need to be fitted to ensure that the stove will always
operate under a stable draught to allow the stove’s
controls to function correctly. In the interests of safety,
because draught stabilisers limit the exit of flue gases
