I have a new Travis 1750 stove that we bought last year to replace our 20 plus year old stove. It is in the basement connected through the basement wall to an outside concrete chimney with a clay liner. I have trouble with strong downdrafts when the stove is not being used, thus have trouble reversing the draft. Once it is going and warmed up it seems to work fine. The dealer we bought the stove from said if we have trouble with draft they suggested installing a liner in the chimney. I have done some research on line and talked to Volka Supply company and they have suggested installing a draft inducer. It seems to make sense to me and the cost is way less then relining the chimney. Does anyone have any experience with a similar situation?
Do draft inducer's work?
- Thread starter Firefighter4634
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Talk to them again. My bet is that the thing has to run constantly at least at a low setting to keep from frying it from the heat from the pipe. And then what happens on that cold night when you have a power failure. Not to mention your electric bill with it running all winter.
Line the chimney. Better draft, better performance from your stove, easier cleaning of less accumulation in the chimney and nobody saying "what is that burning smell" if you are heating the place with the power out.
Line the chimney. Better draft, better performance from your stove, easier cleaning of less accumulation in the chimney and nobody saying "what is that burning smell" if you are heating the place with the power out.
oldspark said:
The liner measures 6 3/4 x 6 7/8 I.D. The chimney extends about six above the roof line where it goes though the roof and is two or three feet above the roof line ten feet away. But it is not taller than the highest part of the roof. There are no taller buildings near by or trees.
How tall is the chimney over all?
Also, are there any appliances in the basement competing for air? examples: gas/oil hw heater, bath fan, dryer.
Also, are there any appliances in the basement competing for air? examples: gas/oil hw heater, bath fan, dryer.
BeGreen said:
I would estimate the chimney is 15 to 16 ft. overall. Yes, we have appliances in the basement that may be sucking air. gas hot water heater, dryer and bath fan. I have read about the stack effect and negative pressure in the basement all leading to poor draft and also I know the outside chimney does not help matters.
Too bad you do not have a cheap easy way to insulate the chimney to try that, I used to work with a guy who built a insulated frame work around his out side block chimney and it was like night and day.
It sounds like an outside air kit would help and maybe putting an insulated chase around the cement chimney?
Yes, if it's not too difficult I would think installing an OAK would be the least intrusive and least costly approach.BeGreen said:
Green Energy
Feeling the Heat
I have a similar problem with needing to get the chimney draft going in the right direction. The key is to get some heat into the chimney. As you mentioned, once the chimney is hot, it sounds like you have enough draft. Although, a16 feet of chimney may be closer to the margin, especially in shoulder months with not as cold outside temps.
First, I agree with BB that installing a chimney liner has many benefits, one of which is that it will help with establishing draft. It helps if you can insulate the chimney liner and your situation sounds tight for a liner wrap insulation. If you go with a liner, you would be a candidate for filling the space between the liner and the tile with loose insulations. There is threads on that.
But what I want to point you also to is a thread about pre-heating the stove/flue (there are several others, but here are two that I found useful):
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/41005/
The following thread is about using the outside air adapter as a "funnel" for a hairdryer or heat gun to preheat stove/chimney. I am going to try this technique this season. There are some caveats like turn off the forced air before you light the stove.
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/45544/
If you do not have a draft problem once your fire is going, than insulated chimney liner and/or preheating the chimney air may help more than a outside air kit.
First, I agree with BB that installing a chimney liner has many benefits, one of which is that it will help with establishing draft. It helps if you can insulate the chimney liner and your situation sounds tight for a liner wrap insulation. If you go with a liner, you would be a candidate for filling the space between the liner and the tile with loose insulations. There is threads on that.
But what I want to point you also to is a thread about pre-heating the stove/flue (there are several others, but here are two that I found useful):
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/41005/
The following thread is about using the outside air adapter as a "funnel" for a hairdryer or heat gun to preheat stove/chimney. I am going to try this technique this season. There are some caveats like turn off the forced air before you light the stove.
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/45544/
If you do not have a draft problem once your fire is going, than insulated chimney liner and/or preheating the chimney air may help more than a outside air kit.
Skier76
Minister of Fire
Heh, the "Wal-Blow"!
I've mostly retired that because I found with firestarters, I'm able to heat things up before the wood really starts to smoke. Also, I put the bottom heatshield on and that mostly blocks the OAK adapter. But, I still have everything "just in case".
I've found a very very easy way to pre-heat the stove: Sterno burners. Yep, the ones they use to keep things warm at the buffet tables. You can pick them up most anywhere; I got mine at Wal-Mart. Put one in the stove, light it, shut the door and let it do it's thing for about 5 minutes. You should have a toasty firebox in short order. Put it out, remove it from the stove (it's hot! Wear gloves and put it on the hearth), put your firewood in the stove then light things off.
The simplest way to reverse the draft for me is opening a window near the stove. Our stove is on the lower level....and has an 8" exterior chimney...that comes from a 6" stove. Opening the window makes a huge difference.
I've mostly retired that because I found with firestarters, I'm able to heat things up before the wood really starts to smoke. Also, I put the bottom heatshield on and that mostly blocks the OAK adapter. But, I still have everything "just in case".
I've found a very very easy way to pre-heat the stove: Sterno burners. Yep, the ones they use to keep things warm at the buffet tables. You can pick them up most anywhere; I got mine at Wal-Mart. Put one in the stove, light it, shut the door and let it do it's thing for about 5 minutes. You should have a toasty firebox in short order. Put it out, remove it from the stove (it's hot! Wear gloves and put it on the hearth), put your firewood in the stove then light things off.
The simplest way to reverse the draft for me is opening a window near the stove. Our stove is on the lower level....and has an 8" exterior chimney...that comes from a 6" stove. Opening the window makes a huge difference.
BeGreen said:
I should have mentioned the masonry chimney that is below the roof line is enclosed and insulated. But it is not very thick insulation, it has 2 x2 wood runners with 1 1/2 inch insulation between them, then sheet rock and then the vinyl house siding. I have thought about enclosing the part that is above the roof line, approximately 6 feet.
I also read that you can pour a material such as vermiculite between the masonry brick and the tile liner to help insulate it.
BrotherBart said:
I would love to line the chimney, but my dealer wants around 1000K to do so, and its not in the budget. Is there information on relining the chimney, I could do the work myself. The dealer was going to use a SS liner and then insulate around it. My question is when you put the liner down the flue does it stop once it reaches the into the clean out area? Or does it go to the bottom and then have a its own clean out door, not sure if I am explaining my question correct.
Wood Heat Stoves
Minister of Fire
Green Energy
Feeling the Heat
Firefighter4634 said:
Depends on your setup as to how to run the liner at the bottom. You can run the liner through the fireplace smoke damper (take out the damper and the frame) and down into the fireplace. I have a "T" with a clean out on the bottom and the flue pipe comes out horizontally to my hearth mounted stove. The stove's flue is discharging to the rear in order to meet the horizontal leg of the "T".
It is very nice when it comes to sweeping the chimney, just open the clean out cap and put a bag under it.
It is not a very difficult installation job if you have a straight chimney. However, yours sounds too tight to do the insulation wrap. If you buy just the liner, you should be able to get it for somewhere around $400 or less for a good quality stainless steel flex liner. The insulation costs additional. You might be a candidate for loose insulation that comes in bags. Just make sure you get the right kind rated for insulating chimney liners.
BLIMP said:
That was my thought also. I know that the SS liner will heat fast, but what will prevent it from getting the standing downdraft when not in use. I am leaning towards trying the draft inducer for this year, it is reasonable in cost and sounds to me like it should help solve the issue. The cost to run it will be minimal, the amp draw on it is very low. That does not cure the trouble completely I will look at lining the chimney some time and insulating.
laynes69
Minister of Fire
I always had problems with downdrafts in the summer and when the furnace would go out in the wintertime. We had a a 7x11 masonry chimney that was 32' tall. One of the problems was the stack effect, which I had done alot of airsealing in the attic and basement. Even then the basement would stink and when I would remove the flue pipe it felt like a fan in the chimney blowing air into the basement. This summer I installed a 5.5" rigid chimney liner. I now have draft no matter what. I haven't had the chimney reverse one time and I have better response from the furnace. Night and day difference.
BeGreen said:
Outside air kits
I really don’t want to high jack this thread. This is one part of wood burning that I've never really understood. When & why do I really need one? My house a ranch with a walk out basement. Upstairs my non-cat hearth stone works well. It has never back smoked even in low draft conditions. My new wood furnace in the basement. 1st. burn had a bit of a back smoking issue even though it was a low draft condition. I've read on various post about the benefits of an outside air kit, also on other stoves they recommend one also they also asked for a barometric on my stove. I understand those, even though I didn't in install one. “I couldn’t fine one to fit to my double wall pipe.” Any in sights on the OAK would be welcome and sourcing of a double wall barometric would be welcomed.
They can be helpful for when there is negative pressure in the area and no better solution. For example, if there are several devices exhausting air intermittently like bath, kitchen fans, dryer. And/or a furnace or gas HW heater that is competing for the air.
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