Firenzo contessa Fire problems

Hi

I have just built a new house and had my installer install a Firenzo contessa Fire AG10 model with a 3kw wet back. I have been having problems with a puff of smoke coming out the door when stoking the fire. It has a outside air adapter which goes into my garage as the fire is on a internal wall of the house. We have also added another half length of flue to try increase draw and installed a rocket cowl still having no luck. Manufacturers not being very helpful.

Anybody have any ideas what to do next?

Thanks Ryan

Does it have a damper? If so, make sure that is open when you open the firebox. Another thing you could try, is to open the latch and leave momentarily to allow it to draw through the small opening before you open the door wider.

With our Contessa, it has a dampener knob with an arrow pointing to which direction is open. This arrow points in the wrong direction......If you have a dampener, the fire burns hotter when the dampener is open, and smoulders when it is closed.
If you are getting this right, then I suspect that your wood is damp. With pine, that needs 2 years to dry out, willow and poplar takes at least 1 year, gum and other hardwoods takes 3 years ..... and that is in Nelson where the relative humidity is relatively low.

Hi pipjohnston55,

My olds used to have a Contessa (talking about 10 years ago or so - I do not know how different the new model is). The knob on the right hand side of the fire is an air intake control, not an exhaust damper - wide open means a faster fire and more heat. Lovely to bask infront of on a cold day (unlike the heatpump that they replaced it with...)

I found that to stop it from smoking into the room, you need dry wood and you need to open the air intake wide for a minute or so to let the fire roar and get a good draft going up the flue before you open the door. It might also help to open the door slowly so that the draft up the flue has a chance to catch up with the increased airflow when you open the door.

PS: burning wet wood can make the refractory ceramic tiles inside the fire crack, and it also clogs up the flue with tar (especially when the air control is turned down), which makes the fire even more likely to smoke into the room when the door is open.

Cheers

The fire is brand new so the flue is clean also the pine and munuka I am burning has been cut roughly 4 years ago and stored in a shed. And yes I do turn on high for 1 minute and open door slowly and still smokes. Any other ideas?

Does it do it every time? My Yunka does it occasionally. You have already done two things that have cost you. I'd be inclined to put more pressure on the manufacturer. Sounds very annoying and not good at all.

Tall trees near the house, and/or the flue not being high enough over the ridge of the roof can both cause the fire to not draw correctly.
Check if the wind direction affect the smoking.

I had the same brand and seem to remember a bit of the same.
Is your flue high enough to get a good draw?
It might be new, but have you checked for any blockages such as a birds nest - although you would hear birds if they were nesting in it

Hi the flue is 5.4 meters long and about 1.5m above the ridge. There is no trees or hills anywhere near my house and I have checked flue and defenitly no blockages.
It smokes most times except when it's blowing southerly.

Muri what did you do to yours to stop it smoking?

I dont remember, it was some considerable time ago.
So why do you think its only when its a southerly that it doesnt smoke, surely that is the key?

At least you can have it going when it is coldest!

Hmmm ..... mainly or only southerly.
With ours we get puffs of smoke only when it is blowing southerly. I think that this is because the roof ridge in east west, there is a ground slope to the south, so the wind is blowing downhill when it hits the flue.
Is your flue on the south of the roof ridge? If so it should draw better when there is a southerly. If the flue is on the north of the ridge, and especially if it is near the ridge rather than the side of the house, then perhaps the wind is being directed upward by the slope of the roof.

I have noticed the fire draws much better and doesn't smoke when there is a strong wind regardless of which direction the wind is blowing. Any other ideas.? Does any body have a contessa that never smokes??

www.fluecube.com/

Have you considered a different cowl on top of your flu? There are numerous types claiming great results.

I have a Contessa that doesn't smoke (unless the chimney is blocked) but we have a very long flue. Are you absolutely sure the flue isn't partially blocked. I know it's new but did a bird try to nest in it before the cowl went on or a bit of packaging get stuffed into it. We've had either a Lady Kitchener or Contessa for the last 15 years and they've been great.