New Bizarre wind problem

[Ravenswood]

I posted about wind a while back and my problem with the flue not drafting, and most of you stated that it was probably due to the chimney being cold. That seemed to work until last night. We had the first real wind storm of the season.

I woke up to a very strong smell of smoke. I checked the fire, and it was still hot and flaming, 400 degrees on the stovetop Rutland. It had been running all evening, so the flue was plenty warm. As I was watching, a strong just of wind hit the house, and the firebox went dark! Smoke started pouring out of the intake dampers too. When the gust ended - WHOOSH, instant flaming hot firebox! Just like someone had hit a switch.

I get a LOT of wind here, and a I certainly can't survive getting smoked out every time the wind blows. Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[snowtime]

Just some ideas. Whats your chimney height? Seeing your situation I would probably add more pipe. A Good draft can fight off a big wind. If you have a tight house an outside air supply could be the way to go. There are caps that rotate to fight the wind I think you would have to be more vigilant about cleaning the chimney to keep the cap very clean. Have you checked the chimney for creosote build up. A partially blocked chimney will defeat the draft and let the wind win. Good luck.

 

[jtp10181]

Can you post a digi pic showing the roof and chimney, also the surrounding area (trees other structures, etc).

The wind may be blowing in a way that creates a down pressure where the cap is. Raising or lowering the chimney height might defeat this.

Also along the lines of snowtime's thinking, how tightly built is your house? Lots of air leaks or pretty well selaed up tight? When you open a window or door a crack can you feel a rush of outside air trying to get in?

 

[Ravenswood]

The Chimney is 21' total, 9' inside the house (high ceiling). It's brand new, only about 10 fires with very dry wood, so I doubt it could be a creosote buildup. Anybody used a rotating cap?

Thanks.

 

[pyro68]

if that only happens when the wind blows, try a windbeater cap. Designed to stop wind induced down drafts.

 

[Ravenswood]

Here is a pic of the inside. It goes 12' above the roof on the outside.

 

[jtp10181]

Would like to see a pic of outside when you get a chance. Just so I can fully evaluate and ponder the situation. And if you could answer my other questions please

 

[Ravenswood]

Sorry, yes, the house is pretty tight. It's only about 5 years old. There is a daylight (walkout) basement below the side of the house where the stove is, and no other structures or trees withing 30-40 feet.

 

[jtp10181]

What pitch is the roof (looks like 12/12 or close to that). Where is the cap in relation to the peak, how far away and how far above or below the peak.

 

[webbie]

You should try one of the directional wind caps - in fact, they are made in the Pacific NW just to solve problems like this!

Maybe the skyrider....like:
(broken link removed)

 

[BJ64]

It sounds like you have some wicked down drafts. In the rough hills and hollows around here some folks have this same issue and this is how we fix it.

We build a special cap. Some call it a Denver Flue; I have no idea what the real name of it is. If you know somebody with a mig wielder and don't mind buying another cap to tear apart to wield this apparatus on to, I am sure it will fix this matter.

Get 3 stove pipe T's and necessary fittings then arrange them in a manner similar to this crude stick drawing I cooked up. Wield this contraption to the modified cap and see how it does.

On second thought I like Craigs idea better.

 

[Ravenswood]

What pitch is the roof (looks like 12/12 or close to that). Where is the cap in relation to the peak, how far away and how far above or below the peak.

Yep, it's 12/12. Code requires that the top of the pipe be 2' higher than 10' from the roof (therefore the 12' length). So the top is 12' from the adjacent roof, but probably 4-6' below the peak.

 

[jtp10181]

When the wind problem occurs is the wind blowing at the cap from over the peak of the roof? Could be causing a pocket below the peak if thats the case.

 

[pyro68]

may want to check some of these out
http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Chimn...=google_caps&gclid=CMG6k-3u4ZYCFQKJxgod3R14Ow

 

[snowtime]

Now that we know the height of the pipe in relation to the roof I am thinking more height is the answer. If the prevailing wind is from the opposite side of the roof from the pipe its just a matter of having the right wind speed to effect that pipe. The 10' 2' rule is not a guarantee that everything is going to work. Thats just what is mandated because it takes care of most situations. Clearly you need to go beyond that and extend your pipe another 3'.

 

[struggle]

We had a similar problem like you mentioned on our old stove set up and I had cap built by my neighbor (owns a machine shop) and it was basically a super sized version of a gas appliance cap with baffles and slots to allow it to vent.


It instantly solved our problems. We could have 50 mph gust in the winter and not hiccup on the stove.

It was so bad before the I added the cap that once I started a fire on a windy and I had to carry the burning logs out of the stove in a metal trash can and throw them in a snow bank. It smoked our whole entire house up that day. I also was doing this in shorts and deck shoes walking out on the deck and throw the logs in the snow when the door closed behind me to the garage and of course locked me out of the house. Wife in frustration of my anger over the situation went for a walk and had a key but I was in shorts and it was near or below zero. Had to go wait at a neighbors house until she came home to get back in the house.

I know have a key pad thing for the garage door

Well anyway I a would try a specific wind cap like others said.

 

[Cearbhaill]

It was so bad before the I added the cap that once I started a fire on a windy and I had to carry the burning logs out of the stove in a metal trash can and throw them in a snow bank. It smoked our whole entire house up that day. I also was doing this in shorts and deck shoes walking out on the deck and throw the logs in the snow when the door closed behind me to the garage and of course locked me out of the house. Wife in frustration of my anger over the situation went for a walk and had a key but I was in shorts and it was near or below zero. Had to go wait at a neighbors house until she came home to get back in the house.

I know have a key pad thing for the garage door

Have you guys been able to laugh about it yet?
Because that's a really funny story, except I would have been beside myself not being able to get back to the fire.

 

[Corey]

I know have a key pad thing for the garage door

Those things can be life savers many times over. Actually reminds me I need to replace the battery in mine!

 

[backpack09]

Does your chimney have a cap already?

 

[Ravenswood]

Yes, just a regular cap.

 

[Jags]

When I first started burning in the config I have now, I had your problem (or at least very similar). My solution came by adding a 2ft section to the pipe, and changing the style of cap. The original cap was a simple cover with a screen, the new cap is the same as seen here: (broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5CO-77655)

The pic doesn't show it, but the internal part of that cap has angles that deflect wind downdrafts (or at least in my case).

Has never happened since.

 

[struggle]

It was so bad before the I added the cap that once I started a fire on a windy and I had to carry the burning logs out of the stove in a metal trash can and throw them in a snow bank. It smoked our whole entire house up that day. I also was doing this in shorts and deck shoes walking out on the deck and throw the logs in the snow when the door closed behind me to the garage and of course locked me out of the house. Wife in frustration of my anger over the situation went for a walk and had a key but I was in shorts and it was near or below zero. Had to go wait at a neighbors house until she came home to get back in the house.

I know have a key pad thing for the garage door

Have you guys been able to laugh about it yet?
Because that's a really funny story, except I would have been beside myself not being able to get back to the fire.

It happened about four years ago so it is funny now but it sure did not seem like it would be at the time it happened. I am just glad I did not burn the house down as the stove door I did not close when I took the logs outside and became locked out.

The key pad thing for the garage door is truly a must have.

 

[They Call Me Pete]

This just happened to me 2 o'clock this morning. Woke up to go to bathroom and could smell smoke/eyes were watering so I flipped on living room light to see thick smoke and more pouring out stove. Quickly opened front/back doors and remove the last couple logs. Never had this happen last year in 6 months of burning so I'll be checking flu tomorrow and possibly getting one of the above caps. We have a big field across the street and wind whips across it but today winds are higher than normal.

 

[raybonz]

It sounds like you have some wicked down drafts. In the rough hills and hollows around here some folks have this same issue and this is how we fix it.

We build a special cap. Some call it a Denver Flue; I have no idea what the real name of it is. If you know somebody with a mig wielder and don't mind buying another cap to tear apart to wield this apparatus on to, I am sure it will fix this matter.

Get 3 stove pipe T's and necessary fittings then arrange them in a manner similar to this crude stick drawing I cooked up. Wield this contraption to the modified cap and see how it does.

On second thought I like Craigs idea better.

That's a clever and simple design! Looking at it I would say that your design would actually enhance the draft under windy conditions instead of causing back puffing..

Ray

 

[beau5278]

In 1992,I built a new house in a hollow,the house sat north to south with a mountain to the south and a hill behind the house on the north side,the stove was an early catalytic stove,in the basement on the west side,the house was a cabin with a steep pitch roof,I thought it was the perfect setup.That stove used to give me fits,I never really figured it out,some of it was not being able to keep the chimney hot enough but some of it was air currents through that hollow.Hope you get your figured out.