problem getting a good starting draft

[revan]

Thanks in advance for your help guys! We have a new Hearthstone Craftsbury stove, just installed. Our first stove, though we are familiar with burning in a fireplace. My problem is getting a good starting draft, it has been very hit or miss with the half dozen fires I've started. Half the fires have created a large amount of smoke in the room before the pipe/chimney heat up enough to draw the smoke. We have the pipe going into an outside chimney, that is not lined. I've included a picture. I am burning biobricks with Fatwood as kindling. The last fire I started created a huge amount of smoke to draft back into the room. Do I need to put a liner an blanket into the chimney? Will this help with the updraft?

Also, we are getting condensation/creasote dripping back into the room - you can see it on the picture. How do we take care of that problem?

Revan

 

[savageactor7]

If you house is super insulated you may have to crack open a window or door...or maybe escalate to an OAK (outside air kit). Then again it could be a simple fix like keep throwing in a few sheets of crumpled newspapers in the stove while it's starting up...imo the fames will draft a lot better than smoke until the fire catches and becomes established. Good luck

You're going to have lock down the creosote leak too...esp against t a white wall. I suppose a chimney cap would help, burn only seasoned wood and hotter fires like around 500-650* stove top. Also I think if the flue pipe went into a thimble to the chimney that would pretty much solve that problem.

 

[branchburner]

The dripping and the drafting are related and, yes, a liner would help. With an exterior unlined chimney you will be cooling smoke quickly. Colder weather may help with the draft but may make the dripping worse.
When you say "unlined" I assume you mean lined with clay tile and not with a ss liner. What is the size of the flue in the chimney?

 

[trailblaze]

hmmm not sure about the smoke/ creosote since i am not familiar with bio-bricks...

but it could be a chimney insulation issue? do you use newspaper to start with? fire starters? that usually puts enough heat off to get things going

 

[begreen]

Line the chimney, preferably with an insulated liner.

http://www.woodheat.org/chimneys/evilchim.htm

 

[revan]

The dripping and the drafting are related and, yes, a liner would help. With an exterior unlined chimney you will be cooling smoke quickly. Colder weather may help with the draft but may make the dripping worse.
When you say "unlined" I assume you mean lined with clay tile and not with a ss liner. What is the size of the flue in the chimney?

Correct - the chimney is lined with clay tile. I don't know how big the flue is - though I will look into it. The worst amount of smoke happened today with an outside temp around 45. I know that I'll have to learn alot more about drafts and what to do and not to do in the house - I'm assuming that the smoke is really caused by user ignorance. The stove is located on the lower level of a split, if that makes any difference. I really don't want to spring for a SS liner , but I am guessing tat is the best solution.

Revan

 

[snowtime]

Build your normal start up load in the stove then crumple up about 3 sheets of newspaper. Put that near enough to your starting pile to get it going be sure to light the paper furtherest from the start pile. The idea is the extra paper will get the draft going then start your start up pile. Also it works better if your crack the door a bit. Leave it cracked until you have a good fire.

 

[Chettt]

Revan the smoke has to find it easier to go up the flue than out into your room. Try the "top down" starting method with your heavy wood on the bottom and kindling/fire starter at the very top and rear of your stove. Starting the fire at the bottom, the smoke has to fight its way up to the flue and may find it easier smoke up your house. You want quick heat not smolder for awhile then hot. As mentioned crack a window near the stove and make sure the clothes drier, central furnace or any other device that sucks air out of the house is off.If you've been away for a couple of days and the house temperature is near the outside temp, you'll have trouble getting a draft as well.

Let us know how you make out.

 

[BIOBLOCKDanny]

I am a builder that has had experience with bad drafts. One possible reason is your chimney is not high enough. If the top of your chimney is not above the peak of your roof enough, or too close to a over shadowing building or house, on a still day it may not get a breeze to pull the air. Another problem with newer homes is that with all this technology of insulation and tightly sealed doors and windows, your home may not have enough air leaking in to allow a draft. On several occasions I have had to install a pipe through the ext. wall of a home and have it go directly near the draft opening of a stove to supply enough air to draft. A simple thing to check is that your flue is open ccompletely and that your chimney is clean of creosote build up. Creosote in time can block chimneys, especially a clay tile one. Always burn dry wood to eliminate cresote and smoke.

 

[kalevi]

What I do when the insert is cold is make sure I have 3 or so crumpled up newspaper sheets right at the top near the outlet of the insert. I open my patio door a crack, light the newspaper at the top, close the insert door most of the way, let them catch which starts the draw in the insert, then I light the newspaper that gets the kindling started. If I don't do that, I get a lot of smoke into the house until the chimney start to draw.