SULFUR SMELL

I HAVE A NEW KEYSTOKER KOKER 160. STARTED IT UP 4 DAYS AGO. I NOTICED RUST COLORED LIQUID JUICE NEAR THE STOKER UNITPUDDLING ON TOP OF THE BLOWER. WET COAL??. NOW I AM GETTING A EGG SULFUR SMELL IN THE BUILDING. I NOTICE A LITTLE PUFF OF SMOKE COMING OUT BETWEEN THE HOPPER AND THE STOKER. CAN THIS BE SEALED. THE WORKMANSHIP OF THE METAL BETWEEN THE HOPPER AND THE STOKER IS NOT GOOD , NO GASKETS ETC.... THE SMELL SEEMS TO COME FROM THE REAR. ALSO WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THE UNIT ALSO ALOT OF SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE REAR BEWEEN THE HOPPER AND STOKER UNTIL THE FURANCE GOT HOT ENOUGH TO MAKE A DRAFT ANY SUGGESTIONS

First, do you have CO detector in/around the stove area? If not, get one.
Sulphur smell "can" be exhaust gases escaping somewhere from the stove.

Sounds like a draft issue or wet coal. Yes, the black stuff is probalby from the wet coal,

Have you checked/calibrated your baro damper and stove with a Draft gauge? You may get some smell if you first get it started and the draft isn't there until it gets warmed up. How's your chimney? How Tall? etc...Do you have a power vent? etc...

There is usually no gaskets between the hopper and stoker part, my Keystoker hopper just sits on top of the stoker unit. Shouldn't be an issue, most stoves are under a vacuum from the chimney, so it should actually pull air thru the hopper to a certain extent.

THE STRANGE THING IS IT ONLY STARTED LATE YESTERDAY. 4 DAYS LATER. THE ONLY THING WE DIFF WAS 1 1/2 DAYs AGO WE INCREASED THE FEED & OPENED THE COMBUSTN DAMPER 95%. THE TEMP HERE ROSE TO 36 DEG YESTERDAY FROM 28 DEG BEFORE??? MAYBE TO WARM FOR DRAFT?? THE BARO DAMPER NEVER OPENS EVEN W WEIGHT AT EXTENDED POINT... I WILL EMPTY THE HOPPER TODAY AND SEAL W/ HT SILICONE & GASKET WILL ALSO SEAL ALL FLUE JOINTS. I WILL ALSO CHECK DRAFT. THIS IS IN A WAREHOUSE OF OURS. ALL NEW FLUE INSULTD SST.
FLUE IS ON TOP ON FURNACE. HERES THE MEASUREMENTS GOING UP FROM TOP OF FURNACE ...10" FLUE FROM TOP FURNACE/ BARO DAMPER/10" FLUE/ 90 DEG (to horizontal) / 12"FLUE HORIZONTAL ADAPTOR TO METALBESTOS FLUE/ 3 FT HORIZONTAL METBSTS FLUE TO OUTSIDE/ ELBOW /12FT VERTICLE METLBSTS OUTSIDE GOING STRAIGHT UP. 30" ABOVE FLAT ROOF LINE SAME SETUP AS OIL FURNACE 2 FT AWAY. CAN THE GRATES GET PLUGGED??? HOW SHOULD WE INCREASE DRAFT IF NEEDED??

RONO123 wrote:WE INCREASED THE FEED & OPENED THE COMBUSTN DAMPER 95%.

You may be over pressuring the stove from opening the combustion blower adjustment.

I agree with Gambler,, try reducing the blower setting back to near where it was.. it doesn't take much of an increase in the opening to the fan to increase the airflow through the fan quite a bit.. try the original setting first, then increase the opening only an 1/8" at a time. Unless you have an increase in unburnt coal in the ash you don't need more air.

I'd try this adjustment first, it is one of the things you changed that brought about the smell, so I'd change it back.. One change at a time, wait for a result..

The Hopper/stoker do not need to be sealed,, like mentioned above, they are under a slight vacuum.. IF the chimney is drawing correctly..

There are 'draft inducer' s availble,, do a Ebay search or a search on this site, there are a few members that use them.

The dimensions of the chimney you posted, are these inside diameters?? if so they are pretty large.. I would think that 8" would be plenty,, unless this is a much larger unit than I'm visualizing.

Even in a warehouse you should have a CO detector.


And PLEASE !! turn off your caps lock.. typing in all capitals is considered YELLING !! Thanks..


Hope this helps.. Greg L

The baro Damper weight should be near the CENTER of the slide, not toward the outside, that is MORE weight on the flapper (that is like .06-.08 draft settings). Most stoves operate around .02-.04, so bring it closer to the center of the flapper, and it depends on if it's mounted vertically or horizontally which side the weight goes on.

Yes, push the cover back on the combustion blower, should not be changed much unless there is something wrong with the stove. My 90K is about 1/2 covered with the inlet plate.

Is it on IDLE when you smell it or a full burn or both? Could be just the draft, you may have to increase your idle timer to get a bit more heat on idle if that is when you smell it.

Also, depending on you piping, make sure the joints are sealed good like you said.