Why is there smoke when I use my heater?

1. Your heater is new and thin smoke is coming out of the unit’s surface.
   Solution: This is normal when your heater is new and has never been used. The paint needs to be "cured". You need to heat your appliance two or three of times before the curing process is completed. Simply open a window in the room where the unit is located. The amount of smoke produced by the curing process should be very limited. If the area is well ventilated, there is no health hazard.

2. The chimney in under negative pressure.
   ** Solution #1:** The chimney may simply be too cold. Light-up a small quantity of newspaper in the appliance, as close as possible to the flue outlet. Leave the door slightly ajar. This small fire will slowly heat-up the chimney, until it is hot enough to create a normal draft inside the exhaust system. If needed, slowly increase the quantity of newspaper. When you realize that smoke is being evacuated normally through the exhaust system, you can build a normal fire. If your chimney runs along the outside wall of your house, it is possible to cover it up in order to protect it from the wind and the cold. A covered chimney will heat-up faster.
   Solution #2: Negative pressure may be caused by air-moving devices, such as a range hood, a bathroom fan, or an air exchanger. Check if smoking problems occur when those devices are working. If it is the case, make sure you turn them off when you use your heater. Otherwise, you need to make sure that the air leaving the room is replaced by air from outside the house. For instance, you can open a window slightly (by one or two inches). Ideally, the source of fresh air should be located as close as possible to the heater. A good, permanent solution is the installation of a fresh air intake. It should be located as close as possible to the unit. The appliance will draw its combustion air from this nearby supply. It will prevent the house from falling into negative pressure. Some units are designed to receive an adapter on which the fresh air supply pipe can be directly connected. This way, the appliance will always draw its combustion air from outside the house.
   Solution #3: Negative pressure may be caused by wind, due to the interference from a nearby structure. In order to eliminate such interference, the extremity of your chimney should be at least two feet higher than any structure located within a ten-foot radius.