Reverse draft??

[uptrapper]

I was gone all weekend and when i came home the room where my woodstove is smells like smoke very strongly I have not had a fire going for 4 days. I took a lighter and put in where the entrance to the stove pipe is and I actually have air coming down the chimney into the stove. I am new to burning so maybe this is normal sometimes. It was a very warm day about 20 degrees warmer than it has been for the last 2 or 3 weeks maybe thats it. We are supposed to have a 6mph wind accoring to the weather but I can not feel any wind outside. This is my first year with a wood stove, I've probably only had 15 fires or so but have never had any problems with draft. I lit a piece of newspaper in the stove and it lit on fire right away and the smoke went out the chimney but as soon as the flames went out smoke started coming out of the air intake into the house. I have a clay tile lined masonary chimney is this normal or is something wrong?

Mike

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Your house is acting like a better chimney than your chimney is. The best way I've found to stop this is to make sure all of the electrical boxes and the attic entrance is sealed as best as you can.

Matt

 

[woodheat]

I have this same problem sometimes. I find if I close the air intake all the way to the stove, the smell stops. Also If this reverse draft is going when you try to light a fire you will get a room full of smoke because the initial light of paper is not enough to reverse the draft direction. If this is happening I have found that opening a window in the room for a few minutes while I am getting the fire ready to light stops the down draft.

 

[FN_9]

I have the same problem - and based on recommendations i've read on the forum, making sure the outside cleanout door to your chimney is air tight, is very important.

 

[burntime]

If I run the furnace fan, the bathroom fan, and run in circles in the livingroom creating a vortex it happens by me too ;-P Really, close off the damper in warmer weather. It will cold enough soon!

 

[Diabel]

It will be cold enough soon!

What he said.

Just open a window close to your stove as you getting ready to light off

 

[uptrapper]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I just got home from work and lit a match and the draft is going the way it is supposed to now, nice and strong. Just worries me a bit that CO might get pulled into the house if the fire goes way down under the right conditions. I have 3 CO detectors guess thats what they are for. I will have to remember to close the bypass damper when the stove is not in use. I did have that problem with the clean-out door once, one of the kids must have opened it, barely got any draft until I closed it.

Thanks again

Mike