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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Maryland
    Posts
    32

    Default soot on toilet when using self cleaning function on an LP gas oven

    OK, let's see if I can get this laid out clearly. Have a house built in 2013, on a crawlspace. When the home owner uses the self clean function on the LP gas stove she gets black soot on the toilets and two printers in the house. Forced air HVAC but only happens when cleaning the oven. The range vent is via a built in microwave above the stove top. No breaches noted in the duct line when checked in the crawlspace. Air ducts are clean upon visible inspection, same with AHU in crawlspace. The vent exits the house through the crawlspace but on the opposite side of the house from the rooms with the issues. Printers are on shelving at about the same height as the toilets. Upon further observation I did note some apparent black coloring high up on the white window shades; about 6' off the floor. One room only. The bathrooms and two bedrooms with the noted issues are on opposite sides of the house from the oven. Only the room with the coloring on the window shades shares open air space with the kitchen. Got me stumped, any suggestions?

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    Crawl Space Creeper

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia, electrical only
    Posts
    444

    Default Re: soot on toilet when using self cleaning function on an LP gas oven

    Fascinating, Mike, and way outside my area of expertise. I will ask, though:

    How does the air handler draw make-up air?

    Is it worth trying to run self-clean with the HVAC system shut down, to see where the soot goes?


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Fletcher, NC
    Posts
    28,032

    Default Re: soot on toilet when using self cleaning function on an LP gas oven

    In addition to what David suggested:
    - verify that the oven to microwave vent does in fact vent to the ductwork (and that the microwave was not installed as recirculating, or even that both are blocked or restricted)
    - place a large bowl of water in various other rooms at the same height as the toilet bowl water is, check for soot on the water of those when during self-clean function of oven
    - does it happen with every self-cleaning of the oven, or was it just the first one possibly due to it never having been done before, or not done for a long time
    - the printers may have a slight static charge build up on then and may attract the soot - lay a piece of cloth or paper over the printers to reduce/block/eliminate any static charge build up
    - does your tick tracer go off when held near the printers, indicating a poor or no ground, if so, unplug the printers and check again with the tick tracer
    - does the soot still get on the printer if left unplugged overnight (to allow any static charge to dissipate

    Just some things I thought of checking.

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Posts
    1,592

    Default Re: soot on toilet when using self cleaning function on an LP gas oven

    I can't even picture what is being described.
    Where on the toilet is there "soot"?
    In the bowl? On the porcelain tank?

    At any rate, the self-clean feature on a gas range is known to produce smoke, odor, possible CO, etc.
    As with burning candles, or using fireplaces, soot sometimes sticks to cold or damp surfaces.

    Have the gas range/oven serviced and have the home's ventilation (any HRV or ERV) checked for proper functionality.


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