I went to start a top down fire and noticed an unusual amount of smoke and when I opened the door all of the smoke was coming out of the door, which is unusual. I also noticed smoke leaking in the ash drawer underneath and leaking out from there. I've never had this happen before and had to put the kindling out while smoking up my house. Anyone know what the issue could be? I'm operating a PE Super Classic. Could it be the warm tenps causing a draft issue? Current temp is 55 but temps are going to drop.
Draft Issue
- Thread starter Draughts15
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
Classic draft reversal. Caused by warmer outside temperatures, and often exacerbated by competing appliances (bathroom exhaust, radon system, kitchen vent, clothes dryer). More common on short chimneys than tall, I have this happen a few times per year on my 15' pipe, but never on the 30' pipe of similar construction.
Your top-down method is usually a good prescription for resolving it, but since that failed, you may try a hair dryer, heat gun, or even a torch pointed up the flue for a few minutes, to get things warmed and flowing the right direction, before lighting off.
Your top-down method is usually a good prescription for resolving it, but since that failed, you may try a hair dryer, heat gun, or even a torch pointed up the flue for a few minutes, to get things warmed and flowing the right direction, before lighting off.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Cool. Keep that handy spring and fall, when it’s warmer outside. If you still need it in winter, then you’ll likely want to extend your chimney a few feet taller.
I've just incorporated heating the flue with a heat gun into my cold start routine. If I aim it up the flue and feel hot air blowing back at me I know I have to fix the draft reversal by continuing to use the heat gun. If I don't feel it blowing back at me the draft is going in the correct direction, then I usually just continue for 45-60 seconds. Quick easy check to make sure I don't smoke myself out and fires start quicker
A couple weeks ago, 49 insides/49 outside, weekend camp.
Ok no problem, fire up the oil furnace first. Check.
Fire up the fireplace. Check.
Start my typical bottom up fire in my stove. Check.
What's that smell? Look at the fireplace, it's catching great. Walk into the stove room, and smoke is pouring out of the doors, ash drawer, air intake.....AH WTF. Hurry up and grab a starter piece, put it on a plank of wood, get it blazing and hold it up in the flue. Within a minute the air reversed back up into the flue and quickly all the smoke in the box went up with it as well.
Lesson learned.
Ok no problem, fire up the oil furnace first. Check.
Fire up the fireplace. Check.
Start my typical bottom up fire in my stove. Check.
What's that smell? Look at the fireplace, it's catching great. Walk into the stove room, and smoke is pouring out of the doors, ash drawer, air intake.....AH WTF. Hurry up and grab a starter piece, put it on a plank of wood, get it blazing and hold it up in the flue. Within a minute the air reversed back up into the flue and quickly all the smoke in the box went up with it as well.
Lesson learned.
As a kid I was taught to hold a lit piece or two of newspaper up near the flue to get the draft going. Works every time on stoves or fireplaces.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
haha! Brings back memories, as it was usually my job as a kid to do the balled up lit newspaper up the flue thing. I was shorter and more flexible than the parents, and less afraid of fire than my siblings. Our most-oft used fireplace was the one on the shortest chimney, and it would compete with the radon ventilation system for draft in all but the coldest of weather.
My SIL and husband emphatically told me that their fireplace does not and would not work, ever. I suggested burning some newspaper up the flue and they adamantly told me no way, it would not work, so I let it go. A month or so later she sheepishly told me that they had a nice fire in the fireplace, by establishing draft with the newspaper trick.
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