Posted on 11/17/2012 10:29:15 AM PST by jsh3180
I've been heating my home primarily with a wood burning stove for two years. A Napoleon 1400. In the past couple of weeks, I've been getting a smoke backdraft into the room when I open to load more logs. The wood is well seasoned, but I'm guessing I may have an obstruction in the air intake, preventing a proper draft. Anyone have a similar problem in the past and how best to deal with it? I have supplemental gas heat, but much prefer to use the wood stove. Thanks in advance!
You need to contact a chimney sweep immediately before you burn down the house. You probably have a clogged chimney.
Have the stovepipe Damper wide open when you add logs.
Add a “T” in the stove pipe with a draft control flapper.
These work for me.
If there is blockage in the air vent, it is possible and likely you are getting Carbon monixide into the rooms. Very dangerous indeed.
Get on the roof and check it out, there might be a bird nest or a squirrel nest in the air vent. NOW.
Get on the roof and check it out, there might be a bird nest or a squirrel nest in the air vent. NOW.
I suggest you call a chimney sweep ... now. Do not pass Go, do not collect FR “solutions.”
Fix it before you burn more!!
Could be several issues... when was the last time your chimney & hood were cleaned?
Thanks,
I am going to rely on the gas heat until I can get a professional chimney sweep out here.
Have the flue checked for obstruction right away, as others have suggested. Other than that, I couldn’t offer an explanation as to why the sudden change in performance, unless you’ve been having usually windy weather lately. That can do it.
Could be as simple as a bathroom vent of a Kitchen vent running. Wind can cause downdraft in stovepipe.
Are you logged on?
Excellent!
1) Open damper all the way;
2) Open vents (if your stove has them);
3) Open the stove door a little more slowly than normal (opening it quickly can create a brief backdraft;
4) If you’re still getting smoke; call a chimney swift.
I’ve been heating with wood for thirty years. I will load it up and run it wide open until there is no smoke coming from the chimney (usually about twenty minutes or so - I haven’t needed to look outside for years). At that point I’ll close it down.
Running it wide open each time you load it will keep the chimney cleaned out for a long time; I usually get it cleaned and inspected every 5-6 years, and even then it only requires a light brushing.
“I’m guessing I may have an obstruction in the air intake..”
It’s not the air intake, it’s the exhaust (stovepipe). Sounds like your pipe is clogged. Not likely a bird’s nest this time of year.
Your stove pipe should be higher than your roof ridge for proper draft. Could be a lot of things. Heed other’s advice and call the chimney sweep immediately. Use your back up heat sources until you get the problem solved.
We don’t want to lose any FReepers because of a chimney fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.
Yes, I am logged on and my beeber is set to stune!
After you solve the problem make sure you put one of those ‘chicken-wire’ covers on the chimney top. Good luck.
When the outside air is equal to the inside air the draft is less which occurs on mild days.
As mentioned if there is an open window or vent on the same level as the stove the pressure will be close to equal and lessen your draft.This occurs for me on mild days,fall and spring.
If you have a cap out side I would go up and remove it and take a look inside.If its a straight shot into the stove you should be able to see down and or do the reverse with a mirror in the stove and powerful light and look up.
You should see light and a clear path.
I have a curve in mine so this dont work. I learned the hard way which is small slow fires suck and do more harm than good.lLong hot fires are mo-better.
A small unnoticed chimney fire(yes they can happen) causes creosote to ignight and it gets like cotton candy and expands cools off and chokes of the flue.
Its worth it to have a chimney sweep out every so often if you don't know how or are afraid to go up there.
I don’t know what your roof pitch or height is, nor your physical condition, but it is not difficult to clean the chimney yourself. If you have the 6” pipe all the way up you will need a 6” brush and enough extensions to reach down to the stove. If you have elbows involved, (that may be part of your problem), you may have to disassemble that section of pipe to access the interior for cleaning. There have been times I have not had a brush and have used a length of chain in the pipe swinging it around and pulling it up and down with good results.
My wood burning stove has fire bricks all around. Ashes will sometimed build up and start blocking the area around where the metal tubing exhausts out of the top of the stove.
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