Coalpail.com Forum

This is my 2nd year heating with an AHS-130. I fired this up last week and I noticed a sulfur smell in the basement. I didnt have this problem last year. The only thing different is that this coal is from Superior. I have a draft inducer fan that I have been running due to the warmer weather and still have the odor. Carbon monoxide detectors read zero. Any idea on what may be causing this?

Thanks in advance

Is you coal damp or wet? I have the same smell from my stoves, my coal in really damp, but no CO on the meters either.

I do store my coal outside under a tarp, but it does not appear to be wet or damp. When I load the hopper there some dust visible.

You may already know but there is another good thread going about old carbon monoxide alarms. make sure your alarm is not over 7 years old may not work if it is. Just hate to see something happen because of an old detector
Chris H

Thanks, I bought 2 Kiddie night hawks just last year when I installed this unit.

your being visited by old sins?

Have you inspected your chimney to make sure there's no obstruction?

I took the vent pipe apart and cleaned everything at the end of the heating season last year. I did inspect the chimney prior to starting the stove; everything looks good. With the draft inducer fan running there is plenty of draft, which is why I am surprised I have this odor.

Dott,

Something has changed. You should not have any sulphur smell in the house. That indicates flue gases are leaking somewhere into the home and along with them carbon monoxide. Some CO dectotors do not sound until a high threshold has been reached and sustained for a period of time. Get one that has a digital display and a history feature. There is either a problem with your chimney, vent pipe or gaskets in the coal burner. I would discontinue burning it until it can be found and resolved.

I agree with coalkirk. The first year that I burned coal in a stove that came with the house that I had just purchased I had a sulfur smell in my house. It appeared one day and I thought it was from wet coal. The house got flooded with CO that night from a blocked pipe. Since unblocking the pipe, replacing the gaskets, and keeping a eye on fly ask build-up, I have not smelled it.

I removed the inducer fan in the spring to clean out the boiler and recycled the gasket where the inducer fan connects. It appears to be in pretty good condition, I just flipped it over. There is also a ceramic disk where this connects, so I don't want to over tighten this connection. I did tightned it up a little more last night and it seams to have eliminated the problem. I still don't understand why the CO detectors reads zero. I'll keep a close eye on this.

Thanks for all the help!

I still don't understand why the CO detectors reads zero

Your CO detector may not be working. Test it by putting it by the exhaust of your auto.

Any status on this? have you found the source of the smell?