If it’s windy outside, wind will blow across your roof while entering your chimney and creating a downdraft. H. Install a new chimney: If your existing chimney is falling apart or too small inside, and if it can't be successfully relined, we've got bad news: Building a new masonry chimney or installing an insulated metal one is expensive; carefully analyze the costs versus the savings of burning wood. Thanks. Some clients of mine are having severe downdraft (smoking) problems with fireplaces in a house I designed for them recently. Especially in windy areas, a chimney cap can be extremely beneficial in helping to make the home more energy efficient. I'm having issues with smoke downdrafting from my fireplace flue into my furnace/hot water boiler vent at the roof. A: Chimneys operate on the basic law of physics, which is: Heat rises. This wind-induced downdraft will cause smoke to puff out of your fireplace or woodstove. The result is that the house has to suck in outside air, and a chimney is a likely source. Bear in mind that an outside air connection is unlikely to have any positive effect on efficiency: Even though room air isn't used, the stove must heat the air for combustion; what's more, the cool air will decrease the temperature of the stove's body, reducing radiation. In most cases, more draft will equal more flow, but it's conceivable that you could have lots of draft but inadequate capacity if the diameter of your chimney is very small. I put a fire going in my fireplace on my main floor and in my basement furnace roof I get strong smell of smoke. During the busy burning season, our chimney sweeps get frequent calls from people asking questions like “How to stop fireplace backdraft?” Or “Why does my chimney downdraft?”. If there is periodic (or even consistent) smoke spillage under almost any burn condition, see problems No. Canadian subscriptions: 1 year (includes postage & GST). If, in spite of a wide-open damper, the woodburner doesn't become very hot, see problems No. Chimney has leaks: Any leak in the lower half of a chimney will reduce overall draft. Learn more about affordable, modern floating stairs, from design to manufacturing to installation. Fire is reluctant to start and smoke spills into room at start-up. Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features. Even minor accumulations increase friction in the chimney and reduce its capacity. Plan to inspect your chimney once a month and clean it as needed. Follow these tips to pinpoint and solve problems with a drafty chimney. Adjusting the damper can go a long way toward eliminating downdrafts when the wind is really blowing. And while you’re at it, check that the chimneys have been built at the proper height above any adjoining roofs or the nearest ridge. See solutions F and H. 3. You'll find tips for slashing heating bills, growing fresh, natural produce at home, and more. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $5 and get 6 issues of MOTHER EARTH NEWS for only $12.95 (USA only). Try The Chimney Balloon , an inflatable that blocks the chimney. Hot air rising results in different air pressures throughout the house. In that situation, the usual solution is to add extra height to the top of the chimney. The National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) guidelines for chimney height should be considered minimums. Noisy fireplaces are common, especially in older houses with odd-shaped chimneys, but there is a product that will stop noise and cut draughts and energy bills. Downdrafts in any chimney are stronger and more likely to occur when winds are stronger. Thus a stove with a 6-inch-diameter collar shouldn't have more than an 8-inch-diameter chimney. Hi, thanks for stopping by. At one time or other, most chimney sweeps and technicians have recommended the installation of a specialized "anti-downdraft" chimney cap only to find that it did not cure the problem. The Vedette is made of 316 stainless steel for better corrosion resistance and is available sizes from 4 inch to 9 inch. Regency says it’s chimney and must have outside air. Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers. Any quality relining job will be expensive (at least $20 per foot installed), but this is still less expensive than building or installing a new chimney. If you have a large masonry chimney on the outside of the house and it’s cold outside, the air inside of the chimney will also be very cold and it will want to fall down the chimney instead of rise. To understand why a downdraft happens you need to know a little about the operation of the chimney. Clean the chimney: A heavy accumulation of creosote in a chimney can block the flue or drastically restrict its effective size. Another possibility is that wind rising on an ascending roofline could be deflected down into the chimney by a chimney cap. Each chimney has a bluestone weather cap about 6 in. Downdraft is a common issue that affects solid fuel applicances such as woodburning stoves. B. Seal leaks in the chimney: Be certain that there are no other appliances hooked to the stove's chimney; seal all other connectors to the chimney; close all cleanout doors and fittings. The important thing to remember is that you'll get nowhere if you go after the wrong problem. It usually only occurs when the stove is first lit. Does anybody know if having two pots would cause this problem? If a home cannot give the needed amount of air for combustion, a wood or gas-burning fireplace, we’ll notice some unique symptoms when the fireplace is used. Smoke spills to some degree under all conditions. Read these tips for analyzing and solving your woes. Another reasonably basic function of a chimney cowl is to stop birds and other animals getting down a chimney and into your house. Blow it up by mouth or with a cycle pump and remove and deflate it if you want a fire. If you want an easy way to temporarily block and unused fireplace flue to stop a draft, you should consider installing a top sealing damper. Does your house smell of smoke much of the time? We don't recommend chimney caps that rotate with wind direction: If they don't become stuck with creosote, they spray creosote all over the roof when they pivot. It had just one pot on it before it was rebuilt. More often, though, the lack of adequate airflow is caused either by other appliances (or fans) exhausting air from the building, or by stack effect. I had a downdraft problem in another house, and I used a blow dryer until the heat went up- worked fine. 8. In my own fireplace, I have to close the damper almost completely to cut down the excess draft during strong, gusty winter winds. If the backdraft only happens when the fire is first lit, then the problem may correct itself as the inside of the chimney gets warmer. Does your woodstove have the hiccups? This time of year we get a lot of calls regarding cold air coming into homes from the fireplace. Customers are usually seeking an easy solution to what is often a complex … The stack effect means that in lower areas of your house, you’ll probably have cooler air and lower pressure. Over 25 years of fireplace and chimney experience. A loose chimney pot can fall and cause damage to the surrounding property. Adverse pressure caused by wind acting on the chimney top is rarely the only cause of a venting problem. See solutions C and D. 7. 1 through 6. there are 2 chimneys next to each other, the one works perfectly for the fireplace upstairs, the one for the woodstove downstairs- our house is pretty much always filled with smoke when we try and use it. above the flue opening. How to permanently block a chimney. C. Open a window: If you suspect that, for one reason or another, your house is restricting or preventing flow up the chimney, crack a window open near the heater and see if the problem goes away. If, however, a portion of the roofline upwind, another building, or a tree directs wind downward toward your chimney, back puffing could result. 2, 5, 6 and 7. The downdraft is when pressure results in the pull of air down from the chimney into the house. Avoid turning the hoods on when the wood-burning fireplace is lit. Drafts from blowing down your fireplace all rights reserved real fix that built a stove with drafty... 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