Draft and temperature

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
dmmoss51

dmmoss51

Feeling the Heat
Oct 28, 2013
355
Michigan
So wanted to defer something I think I noticed so some of the experts here.

I'm well aware that during.higher outdoor temperatures it can be hard to get a good draft because you don't have the temperature difference needed.

Is the opposite true? As it gets colder does the draft het stronger?

My reasoning is the last couple nights have gotten down into teens and I feel like I'm burning through wood faster even.with same air settings and same wood.

Draft sucking more air through same opening would make sense and I can slow it down by adjusting the air and damper.

So am I on the right track or off in left field?

Thanks
 
it is true about the draft in the cold. alot of troublesome stoves work great when it's cold out. if your having trouble just go by your stove thermometer.
 
Yes, it's certainly true. If you had an ideal flue (one without any back-pressure) and a stove that created the same temperature and composition of exhaust, the change in draft would be inversely proportional to the temperature.

Another thing that might be affecting your stove in this latest cold snap is the wind. I don't know what's going on in Michigan, but up here in Maine we've been getting a lot of wind as the cold front moves in. Wind gusts up to 40 mph last night and the gusts were every 30 to 60 seconds. This will cause a strong venturi effect at the top of your chimney and increase the draft considerably in short bursts. This can really eat through wood.

I live on the edge of a lake and have a 35+ foot chimney. I had to put in a barometric damper to calm things down. Otherwise my stove runs poorly and very erratically. Last night it was swinging open and closed like the bathroom door at an irish pub.

Well,

Time to walk the dog and stock the stove.

--joe
 
Different loads of wood will burn very differently also. Going from a load to oak to a load of soft maple will give you a much shorter burn time. This could contribute very easily to stacks of firewood that disappear.

Matt
 
It's a lot like playing an instrument, or like playing a different instrument every time.
 
EatenByLimestone said:
Different loads of wood will burn very differently also. Going from a load to oak to a load of soft maple will give you a much shorter burn time. This could contribute very easily to stacks of firewood that disappear.

Matt
Click to expand...

Thanks Matt, note in the OP it's the same wood just burning faster.


So sounds like I am on track with the increased draft at the colder (an windier) conditions.

Looks the the main thing I am able to do is get the supply air down even lower when it's cold out. Also I experimented with slowly closing my flue damper to about 50% and these seemed to slow down the wood consumption without any adverse effects.
 
dmmoss, are you still burning with the air control full open?

edit: Scratch that... had you mixed up with member ApalachianStan.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

I
  • Locked
Do I need a key damper?
Replies
68
Views
2K
Pacific Energy
begreen
begreen
M
Finally found a solution to my short burn times and my fire going out.
Replies
4
Views
458
The Boiler Room - Wood Boilers and Furnaces
mjstef
M
Andrew V
Hearthstone 8492 too much draft?
Replies
5
Views
440
HearthStone
Narsil487
N
R
Does Outside Air increase the Efficiency of woodstoves?
Replies
115
Views
8K
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
Prometeo
Prometeo
E
Strong Draft and Flue Temps
Replies
11
Views
644
Travis Industries: Lopi, Avalon, FPX
EbS-P
EbS-P
Top Bottom
Back