Quick Note -

[tsquini]

It's hard to establish a good draft when it is 12* out. At least I know my smoke detectors work.

 

[ddddddden]

Hmmh. . .raft usually increases when the outside temp drops. One of the nicer wrinkles of heating with wood: when you really need it, the stove/chimney is really ready to rock draftwise, due to the greater difference in outdoor vs. indoor temp. Even our old dragon insert, which was just slammed into an exterior masonry chimney with a flue that was way too big for a stove(bad recipe for draft), would draft like a champ when temps went into the teens. Getting a good draft on a 45* afternoon was nearly impossible. There are other atmospheric factors that may have been affecting your draft, but, generally, your stove should be at its best when it is clear & cold out. If not, you need to check your setup.

 

[begreen]

Wait, didn't you just post that it was drawing really nicely after just cleaning it? Normally I'd say check the flue, starting with the cap to make sure it's not plugging up. Maybe make sure the flue is still up there? :gulp:

 

[Big Al]

Hmmh. . .raft usually increases when the outside temp drops. One of the nicer wrinkles of heating with wood: when you really need it, the stove/chimney is really ready to rock draftwise, due to the greater difference in outdoor vs. indoor temp. Even our old dragon insert, which was just slammed into an exterior masonry chimney with a flue that was way too big for a stove(bad recipe for draft), would draft like a champ when temps went into the teens. Getting a good draft on a 45* afternoon was nearly impossible. There are other atmospheric factors that may have been affecting your draft, but, generally, your stove should be at its best when it is clear & cold out. If not, you need to check your setup.

Agreed. Sometimes it drafts too well at those temps.

 

[begreen]

When the stove was cleaned was the top removed?

 

[lowroadacres]

We have found with the new duravent liner we put in last season the mesh on the cap can get "fuzzy" when we are not burning ideal wood.

It doesn't take much to block off a portion of the mesh screen. This combined last week with a very warm day with no wind and we had one morning where we had a hard time getting the little stove to take off. Most times we have a draft that is almost too good...... I know I know... A draft can never be too good.

 

[Big Al]

We have found with the new duravent liner we put in last season the mesh on the cap can get "fuzzy" when we are not burning ideal wood.

It doesn't take much to block off a portion of the mesh screen. This combined last week with a very warm day with no wind and we had one morning where we had a hard time getting the little stove to take off. Most times we have a draft that is almost too good...... I know I know... A draft can never be too good.

Yeah, if the screen gets excessively wet from poor fuel, solids tend to stick to it.


When my draft is too good, the pipe temps soars and the stove temp lingers well below 300. Smoke alarms go off because the paint is burning off the pipe. I'm glad I have that built in damper in my flue collar at those times. Seems to happen every once in a while on reloads in very cold weather, but i guess it depends on the specifics of the load.

 

[bogydave]

It's hard to establish a good draft when it is 12* out. At least I know my smoke detectors work.

You let the fire go out & the stove & flue got cold I bet.

 

[tsquini]

I did just clean it. We were way for a day and the fire went out. When I was about to start it up I could feel the cold air coming out of the stove. I placed some paper some small splits to get the heat built up quickly. It was still smoking. After my post I read some comments on using a hair dryer to start the draft. I just read another post about the stove hood running creating a reverse draft I have never noticed that problem before. What do you think?

 

[Battenkiller]

You may have been experiencing an air inversion. These aren't as common in mid-winter as they are in the spring and fall, but they can occur following a warm period as the temperature drops quickly. During an air inversion, high-density air gets trapped at chimney top level and the smoke will flow sideways or even flow downward. Getting a good draft in those conditions is tough, even when the actually temp outside is cold. I've driven through low-lying areas in the early morning when temps are below zero and the air was as still as it can get. Chimney after chimney released smoke that almost seemed to hit an invisible ceiling and flow in a straight line right under the inversion layer. Spooky.

Is your home in a low-lying depression?

 

[begreen]

I did just clean it. We were way for a day and the fire went out. When I was about to start it up I could feel the cold air coming out of the stove. I placed some paper some small splits to get the heat built up quickly. It was still smoking. After my post I read some comments on using a hair dryer to start the draft. I just read another post about the stove hood running creating a reverse draft I have never noticed that problem before. What do you think?

Sounds like negative pressure reversed the draft. Turn off all exhaust fans before starting the stove. A big cookstove hood will move a lot of air.

 

[oldspark]

Maybe open a window a little to get it going.

 

[tsquini]

You may have been experiencing an air inversion. These aren't as common in mid-winter as they are in the spring and fall, but they can occur following a warm period as the temperature drops quickly. During an air inversion, high-density air gets trapped at chimney top level and the smoke will flow sideways or even flow downward. Getting a good draft in those conditions is tough, even when the actually temp outside is cold. I've driven through low-lying areas in the early morning when temps are below zero and the air was as still as it can get. Chimney after chimney released smoke that almost seemed to hit an invisible ceiling and flow in a straight line right under the inversion layer. Spooky.

Is your home in a low-lying depression?

I am about 10 ft above sea level and about 3 miles from the ocean. I have never heard of air inversion. It's very cool theory. I'm not sure that was the issue but, it was warm out yesterday a with a cold front passing over making for the conditions explained on wikipidaia page on air inversion. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_(meteorology))

 

[Battenkiller]

This pic from that article is just about exactly how it looks when I've seen it before.

I've also experienced it myself here last fall. I woke up in the middle of the night with the smell of smoke really strong in the house. I ran down to the basement to check the stove but it was fine. I grabbed a flashlight and ran outside to look at the chimney, and there was smoke flowing straight down the roof and down to the ground. It was very foggy as well, and it looked very bizarre mixed with all the smoke. I figured out that the stove was drawing smoke from ground level right into the house.

 

[Smokey Bear]

Do you have a forced air furnace that was running at the time? I have a great draft typically, but if the furnace is running
when I light the stove, the draft is not nearly as good