More adventures with woodstoves!

[SailinAway]

OK, I know I've worn out my welcome a hundred times over, but I have another heating mystery.

I had the pipe on my woodstove replaced and the door latch fixed three days ago. Latch now closes well and door gasket is tight to stove. Furnace cement was used on the pipe joints. A damper was installed in the pipe over my strong objections and against the manufacturer's clear instructions not to install a damper.

The cement smoked visibly and had a strong odor for about an hour; then that subsided. However, I'm getting a smell of smoke in the house that wasn't present at any point prior to this. Right now I have windows open because the indoor air quality is so poor. I have a headache every day. This cannot be good for one's health.

I believe the smell is wood smoke rather than the furnace cement. There is no visible smoke coming from the joints.

Yes, the damper is in the horizontal position. Still, I'm wondering if a damper installed on a stove that's not supposed to have one could have a harmful effect, even when it's fully open. Below is a photo of the setup.

Any idea what could be causing this poor indoor air? The only other clue I have is that to create the holes for the damper rod, the guy used a 22 pistol. Hence the rod is bent slightly.