Hi guys. Any good options to stopping the cold air from coming down the chimney and into my house when the stove is cold if Im not using it for a few days?
Stopping downdraft when stove not in use?
- Thread starter nojo
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joat717
New Member
never really noticed an issue i guess. With all the modern stoves being "air tight i'm not sure how you would notice much effect from it. close the damper would be an obvious start.
joat717 said:
Air tight is a relative term... Closing the damper doesn't close the secondary air. Also it doesnt close the primary all the way either. I have an outside masonry chimney and it blows cold air pretty good if the stoves cold.
LLigetfa
Minister of Fire
The down drafting chimney is just a symptom. You need to fix the pressure deficit in the home caused by stack effect. Alternately you could install a draw collar to keep the flue warm enough to forward draft.
Northern NH Mike
Feeling the Heat
Mine is cold most of the week as I am primarily a weekend burner. I haven't noticed anything, but will be looking in the next few days. Would a flue damper help? By closing it off you are in effect interrupting any air flow into the stovebox and subsequently through the primary and secondary opening. I realize it won't "seal" the pipe, but it should act as a pretty good dam.
oconnor
Minister of Fire
LLigetfa said:
+1. OAK may alleviate the problem by isolating the flue from the pressure issue in the house.
I have the same problem with my out side chimney, S/S liner helped but it still smells on occasion. I haven't found a good way to stop it. As a last resort stick an old towel in the pipe some where.
Pine Knot said:
and don't forget to stick a notice inside the firebox that says "towel in flue" :lol:
hareball
Member
The small stove that sat on my second hearth had that problem. I took a few sheets of newspaper and held it over the opening and shut the door. It was enough to make a seal.
bogydave
Minister of Fire
nojo said:
Mine does the same thing. I have the stove in the basement & the outside flu is 19 feet
On sub-zero days, I've had it start to smell when the fire is smoldering,
mostly because I had it turned down to the "low" position.
The air is heavier on colder days.
I've learned to burn it a little hotter to keep the "up draft" working.
I have a "clean out T" on the "metal-bestos" just outside the house. When I'm not going to burn for a while,
I wrap an old pillow in a plastic bag, pull the clean-out plug & stuff the pillow in the 8" pipe going into the house.
Then I put the "clean out plug" inside the stove, that reminds me to remove the pillow plug before starting a fire.
You could do the same thing from inside the stove, just stuff it up into the pipe.
Put something in the stove to remind you the flu is plugged.
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Pine Knot said:
If you temporarily plug the chimney tape a large note to the front door of the stove.
For negative pressure, try finding a source of either negative pressure, like a whole house fan, radon fan or something that exhausts air from the house frequently.
Try to locate leakage on the floor above. This could be unsealed recessed light fixtures, an unsealed attic door or attic fan vent, or a window kept slightly open in a bedroom.
LLigetfa
Minister of Fire
nojo said:
Sounds like the source of the problem has been defined. Get out the Great Stuff and start sealing.
LLigetfa
Minister of Fire
From their FAQ.
http://www.drawcollar.com/TroubleshootingFAQs/tabid/117/Default.aspx
* How much power does the Draw Collar use?
- It uses roughly 4.1 amps (about 500 watts). In Utah, for example, this amounts to 2-3 cents per hour to run.
http://www.drawcollar.com/TroubleshootingFAQs/tabid/117/Default.aspx
* How much power does the Draw Collar use?
- It uses roughly 4.1 amps (about 500 watts). In Utah, for example, this amounts to 2-3 cents per hour to run.
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