with a wood insert is it neccessary to prime the chimney? i usually just ball up a peice of newspaper light it and wait for it to burn out before i light the primary fire. i have done it with or without priming and i dont see much of a difference.
priming a chimney
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Not always. It all depends on your draft. Some have to the and the luckier ones don't. There are a lot of variables that go into the equation - chimney type, location, trees, insert brand, outside temp, etc. If you don't have to then it's all the better for you. Keep in mind that there may be times that you need to depending on the conditions. Happy burning!
thanks for the reply. i guess im a lucky one and i will use one less sheet of newspaper in the future.
bogydave
Minister of Fire
It's probably a good idea to do it every time you start a new fire in a cold stove. Is easy & if you have a draft issue develop,
you only have the newspaper smoke in your house.
I always do it when starting a new fire, every fall, the first fire I get the draft started with newspaper.
Just to be sure.
I let the fire go out, usually sometime in April.
you only have the newspaper smoke in your house.
I always do it when starting a new fire, every fall, the first fire I get the draft started with newspaper.
Just to be sure.
I let the fire go out, usually sometime in April.
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
I've never worried about it a bit nor have I done anything to induce the draft. I just light the fire, close the door and wait for the heat.
The design and location of my flue are so awful that the kind of priming that you describe would never work.
I have a wood stove with a short flue installed on the single floor addition of a two story home. The negative draft is so strong that lighting a newspaper and holding it right up to the draft inlet results in a steady stream of smoke pouring out of the wood stove.
There are two ways of overcoming my problem:
1) Never let the stove go cold, which is what I usually do.
2) If the stove ever goes cold, use a WOMAN'S HAIR DRYER on the high setting, blowing right up into the flue inlet, for a few minutes until the draft becomes positive. To prevent the counter-flow from blowing all the ash into the room, I must reach with my entire arm into the wood stove, and deliver the blow-dryer air into the corner that is farthest from the side-load door through which my arm goes in.
I have a wood stove with a short flue installed on the single floor addition of a two story home. The negative draft is so strong that lighting a newspaper and holding it right up to the draft inlet results in a steady stream of smoke pouring out of the wood stove.
There are two ways of overcoming my problem:
1) Never let the stove go cold, which is what I usually do.
2) If the stove ever goes cold, use a WOMAN'S HAIR DRYER on the high setting, blowing right up into the flue inlet, for a few minutes until the draft becomes positive. To prevent the counter-flow from blowing all the ash into the room, I must reach with my entire arm into the wood stove, and deliver the blow-dryer air into the corner that is farthest from the side-load door through which my arm goes in.
bogydave
Minister of Fire
AlexNY said:
You expect my wife to let me use her hair dryer inside a dirty stove pipe to get a draft started.
WOW. Now I understand why you never let the stove go cold. (pain)
LOLBut it works. Necessity is the mother of invention.
Good solution.
Makes me glad & lucky my flue is set up different & the burning newspaper works.
Worse case was one winter after a vacation we came home to -15°f with a large "high air pressure" weather front.
I had to pull the chimney "clean-out" plug on the bottom of the "T" outside of the house . Lit some newspaper in it, good to go.
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