Warming the flue

[Spaceman]

I have a Supreme Lumis 22 wood burning insert. It works great, but I find that I do need to warm the flue or I can get smoke coming into the room. After the flue warms, all good. So wondering what is the most efficient way to warm the flue without creating smoke doing it. I have used a propane torch, but wonder if anyone feels there is a better method, or maybe that's the best. It has a baffle at the front, but it also has a clean out cap inside the box which leads directly to the liner, so I figure it's better to open that and warm directly there. Anyway, just wanted to see if anyone has any views about doing it.

Also, do you find that warming the flue is more or less necessary when it is colder outside. I live in Vancouver, so it's only about 10 degrees C right now. Winter does not get as cold as out east.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

I have a camp up in Maine where it gets quite cold. On a cold start when we first get up there, I do my best to split some very small kindling and do a “top-down” fire to minimize smoke coming into room. But yes, a cold flue will cause smoke to come back on you for a short time. Once we have been there and keep the stove going, no issues.
10 defrees celsius is mild so your draft is going to be weaker at the moment.

 

[NickW]

A hair dryer works too, but be careful where you point it. It's a lower temperature but higher volume.

 

[kborndale]

I've always just held a flaming piece or two of newspaper up near the flue, once the draft is established there will be a whoop noise and the flame gets sucked up letting you know your draft is good to go.

 

[Spaceman]

I have a camp up in Maine where it gets quite cold. On a cold start when we first get up there, I do my best to split some very small kindling and do a “top-down” fire to minimize smoke coming into room. But yes, a cold flue will cause smoke to come back on you for a short time. Once we have been there and keep the stove going, no issues.
10 defrees celsius is mild so your draft is going to be weaker at the moment.

Interesting that you say the startup draw is worse when it's not as cold outside. I would have thought that being colder out would mean a colder air plug, but I guess it's about the difference between outside and inside temperature.

 

[Spaceman]

I've always just held a flaming piece or two of newspaper up near the flue, once the draft is established there will be a whoop noise and the flame gets sucked up letting you know your draft is good to go.

I used to do exactly that when I had an open fireplace because I could hold the newspaper right up into the flue, but now that I have an insert with a baffle, I find that if I hold it at the baffle, because it's at the front, it invariably results in smoke in the room. Because my particular insert has that cap at the back, as pictured, I use that, but then I found it neater to use a small propane tank with a nozzle. Do you burn paper at the front or does your insert have a direct opening to the flue?