Why does the heating boiler smoke and what to do in such a situation

Sometimes, immediately after lighting the boiler, smoke comes into the room. This may be due to the weather and a long pause in the operation of the unit - the temperature in the room has become equal to that outside and the draft has disappeared. In this situation, you just need to wait until the chimney warms up and normal air circulation is restored. If combustion products return to the room frequently and regardless of the temperature difference, you should be wary. After all, this indicates serious problems in the system.

Causes of boiler smoking

Some signs help determine what to look for first when smoke and soot appear in the room. Conventionally, the causes of smoke can be divided into 4 groups:

1. A clogged chimney pipe is one of the most common problems. This could be either a foreign object that has entered from outside, or the result of using low-quality fuel.
2. The discrepancy between the chimney and the boiler power or the height of the building is less common and is detected almost immediately, during the first fires. In a situation where at first everything was fine, and then it began to smoke, this reason should not be considered.
3. Damage to the chimney is the least likely case.But if the boiler is smoking at the beginning of a new heating season, then inspecting the pipe should be one of the first tasks.
4. Weather conditions affect natural draft in only two cases: low chimney height and incorrect location of the fresh air inflow point.

ATTENTION! A problem that occurs immediately after installing the equipment indicates errors made during the installation process.

The smoker must be raised above the roof ridge. The diameter of the pipe is selected in strict accordance with the power of the boiler: a small cross-section simply cannot cope with the removal of smoke from a serious firebox. You should also avoid right angles in places where the pipe changes direction - this impedes air circulation, which does not have the best effect on traction. A visual inspection allows you to identify these shortcomings and eliminate them.

If the gas boiler smokes

In addition to errors associated with improper installation of equipment, the quality of the fuel plays an important role in the operation of the unit. This issue is especially relevant when using liquefied gas from a cylinder.

After the combustion of clean fuel, a small amount of dry soot remains. Flakes of this substance accumulated in the pipe can be easily eliminated. It is enough to tap the chimney from the outside and remove the crumbling soot through the technical window.

After the combustion of gas with a large number of impurities, greasy soot adheres to the walls of the chimney, gradually narrowing the lumen. This substance is quite difficult to clean off. A regular pipe brush may be useless. In such a situation, it would be best to disassemble the smoker and clean its components separately.

Quite often, a gas boiler smokes due to improper adjustment of the flame intensity.If the user, in violation of all instructions, turns on the burner of a cold boiler at full power, then the appearance of smoke will be a natural result. The problem can be avoided by gradually increasing the combustion temperature after kindling.

Problems with a solid fuel boiler

Sometimes the heating device smokes due to the banal filling of the ash pan. Before looking for another possible source of problems, you should empty the ashpit and check the condition of the grate.

The second most common problem with a solid fuel boiler is a clogged chimney. The reason is poor quality fuel. When using damp firewood or wood with a high resin content, not only soot is formed, which easily crumbles after tapping on the chimney casing. Resinous soot with a high moisture content adheres firmly to the walls, after which it hardens and narrows the diameter of the pipe.

ATTENTION! If damp firewood is used and the smoker is not properly insulated, this leads to the formation of condensation. In combination with soot, it turns into a caustic substance that can damage the chimney. When the pipe is corroded, traction is disrupted.

What to do if the boiler is smoking

Regardless of why the smoke began to appear, it is necessary to stop the kindling and conduct a visual inspection of the equipment for damage.

IMPORTANT! Particular attention should be paid to the traction stabilizer if it is built into the exhaust gas exhaust system. Sometimes it is enough to adjust the confuser or check the condition of the interrupt valve to get rid of problems for a long time.

Smoke immediately after installation of the equipment indicates errors made during installation.In this case, it is necessary to double-check all components and connections to ensure the integrity of the chimney and its correct installation.

At the beginning of the heating season, smoke in the boiler room indicates clogging or damage to the exhaust gas removal system. Usually, after eliminating the problems, traction is restored.

If a gas boiler smokes when starting up, and then everything gets better, then it makes sense to check the burner. When clogged, it not only produces soot, but also reduces the performance of the unit. In a solid fuel boiler, the cause of the “starting” smoke is often the low quality of the firewood.

Backdraft - why it appears and how to eliminate it

It is recommended to install the boiler in such a way that the vent and smoker are located on one side. Failure to comply with the rule in a small building is infrequent, but there may be no consequences. In a high-rise building in windy weather, this can cause a pressure difference. Violation of the norm in this case leads to the appearance of reverse thrust.

Often a previously unsmoked boiler lets out clouds of smoke into the room at the moment of lighting after it has completely cooled down. For normal exhaust gas removal, it is necessary that the boiler room be warmer than outside. Violation of this rule leads to a natural result - the draft will not be restored until the heating equipment warms up.

REFERENCE! Determining the direction of air flow in the chimney is simple: you should bring a lit match to the firebox door. A flame stretching towards the boiler indicates that everything is normal. If the light flickers or deviates in the opposite direction, then this indicates the appearance of reverse thrust.

You can restore normal air circulation using a simple technique - light the paper, after placing it closer to the chimney. In this case, the ash pan is left open and the firebox door is tightly closed. Attempts are repeated until smoke appears from the chimney, indicating the restoration of normal draft. After such a signal, you can safely start the heating boiler without fear that it will start to smoke.