# Woodstove question...hope it belongs to alternative energy



## Meinecke (Jun 30, 2017)

Hello...

I was wondering how you here prevent a woodstove from venting downwards into your living space when it cooled down for one or two days...
When our Chimney cooled down, we have a pretty intense downdraft into the living area...which first smells which is not so much of a problem, but also cools like hell...
I know about seal the house etc, but in a rental my options/willingness are/is limited.
And also sealed a lot but still...
So would be great it others found good solutions and have a tip
Thx in advance


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I have never heard of a down draft pulling cold air down a chimney.

Do you have a damper installed?


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## Meinecke (Jun 30, 2017)

Hello....and thx for asking...no, i have just the Chimney and a 1 yard pipe from the wall and a 90 degree and another 1 yard pipe right into top of stove...
Have no damper in it...but outside air adapter...which helped a lot in this house


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

Meinecke said:


> Hello....and thx for asking...no, i have just the Chimney and a 1 yard pipe from the wall and a 90 degree and another 1 yard pipe right into top of stove...
> Have no damper in it...but outside air adapter...which helped a lot in this house


You may want to install a damper, so you can close off the chimney.

Also I found this article on 'outside air adapters'
http://woodheat.org/the-outdoor-air-myth-exposed.html


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

We just close the air intakes on the woodstove. Since the woodstove is air-tight, if air cannot get in, air cannot get out (unless you have leaks).


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## secondhandacres (Nov 6, 2017)

I have the same problem with my chimney. The searches of the web I have done seem to point to chimney height as the usual suspect. Not sure your landlord would like you adding a section of pipe to your chimney but it’s worth a shot if he/she will allow it.


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## Meinecke (Jun 30, 2017)

Hello all...
Thx for the ideas...
@Cabin Fever...my wood stove is all but airtight...even the gap around the exhaust pipe and woodstove top is not even close to airtight...how can yours be?
@ET1 SS ...no matter what they might found out about the outside air...it works in my basement...i can def show it by temp defirrence, draft amount around door gaps etc...so i will keep that for sure...But i will def check for a damper...what ever helps...
Already thought of taking pipe out of wall opening on not use and cover with plug...but that would be pretty unpractical...
@secondhandacres ...when it is higher it has less downdraft? Isnt it the oposit? According to cold Air weight?!?!?

Thx so far


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

There are many air tite stoves built today.

But as a kid back in the good old days with the leaky (air intake for combustion) Pot belly stoves we never had air back draft into the house. First off the chiminey has to be built to draw no mater the out side temp, Back then many cooked on a wood burning range in the summer even.
A damper in the stove pipe will help with the back draft just like installing a damper when you build a fire place to stop the back drafgt from a porrly built chimney.


 Al


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Meinecke said:


> Hello all...
> ...when it is higher it has less downdraft? Isnt it the oposit? According to cold Air weight?!?!?
> 
> Thx so far


We had the problem in our old place. Chimney did not extend above the roof peak. We extended it up 3 foot and the problem stopped. Seems air currents going over the roof and down onto the chimney were causing the problem and when we extended it, the cap was above those air currents. I thought the guy was crazy when he told me it needed extended but it worked.

WWW


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## Meinecke (Jun 30, 2017)

Just took a look this morning...and Chimney is really not above roof top...intersting...but i think on a rental you dont really care in the beginning...
Will climb up there today and check for options to extend...
Only square clay type pipe sticking out with my cap on top...so lets see
And will def check on the damper...Is the position free or does it need to be close to stove or close to chimney?

THHHXX


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Meinecke said:


> Hello all...
> Thx for the ideas...
> @Cabin Fever...my wood stove is all but airtight...even the gap around the exhaust pipe and woodstove top is not even close to airtight...how can yours be?
> 
> Thx so far


My stove is made of plate steel and all the seams are welded. The firebox door has a gasket that seals the door. The only openings in the wood stove then are the air intake knobs. When the air intake knobs are closed, the firebox is sealed (except for the chimney opening, of course).


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Code in most places is 2 foot above anything within 10 foot. Being a rental you might be able to force the landlord to bring it up to code.

WWW


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## secondhandacres (Nov 6, 2017)

Looks like everybody else answered your question for me already. I’m no expert on the subject but the chimney is the engine of the wood stove from what I have read. And the taller the chimney the stronger the draft up. I have read the 2-10 rule wy_white_wolf mentioned on several articles. Good luck, I hope you and your landlord can come up with a fix. Also figured I mention you better make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector in the house. A down drafting chimney could fill your house with some dangerous fumes


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## farmrbrown (Jun 25, 2012)

Yep, when the chimney has a good draft, it won't have air going back down. I suspect it isn't quite tall enough. You may have a particular problem in that location with valleys, trees, etc. that are causing the winds to complicate it, making it necessary to add another section. Also check for leaks in the flue pipe. I couldn't tell from your description if you could inspect the flue that closely, but it's worth a try anyway.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

We had an old wood stove years ago that I thought had lost it's mind from age. It would on a regular basis blow cold air and belch smoke thruout the house. We'd close the flu at night and then be awoken at 2am by a smokey fog in the house. I swore it was just a junk stove that some settler had once drug out of their cabin 150 years ago and declared it worn out.
I finally had enough and bought a new $1000 stove. While I was removing the old stove I heard a couple of noises in the wall. Went outside and noticed a few soot marks along the exterior chase. Pulled the siding and panel and low and behold the pipe had separated! The stove wouldn't draft because the pipes had come apart.


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## Meinecke (Jun 30, 2017)

Hello...
The flow up is great as soon established...so no storm or so was ever able to blow smoke/exhaust back in. It only happens when the flew cooled down and no fire going...
So i assume the tips with the longer chimney, worn seals and damper will probably do the job...
Wish me luck with my Landlord discussion...


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## damoc (Jul 14, 2007)

had something similar happen starting a fast clean fire helps but often i would just turn on the swamp cooler if it wasnt covered up.


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## Hullspeed (Oct 29, 2018)

Meinecke said:


> Hello...
> 
> I was wondering how you here prevent a woodstove from venting downwards into your living space when it cooled down for one or two days...
> When our Chimney cooled down, we have a pretty intense downdraft into the living area...which first smells which is not so much of a problem, but also cools like hell...
> ...


What's happening is... when the chimney is cold, you have a plug of cold dense air in the chimney. This cold air is going to sink down and prevent a draft from forming - preventing the smoke from exiting. So you have to knock the cold plug of air out by displacing it with rather hot air that can upset and dissipate the plug. An easy way is to use a propane plumber's torch. Light it and hold it up near the damper or inside the firebox for 30 seconds or a minute. Then light your fire and continue to run the torch if needed (usually not long). Very quickly, the heat from your fire will be sufficient to maintain a draft. -Cheers.


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## Hullspeed (Oct 29, 2018)

Sorry.. Misread your question. I thought you were talking about starting a cold chimney.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Meinecke said:


> So i assume the tips with the longer chimney, worn seals and damper will probably do the job...
> Wish me luck with my Landlord discussion...


If you can't make changes, try burning a candle inside the stove.
A small amount of heat would create an updraft.
Buy some from a Dollar Store in tall glass jars and they can burn for many days.


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## jimLE (Apr 18, 2018)

I agree with what white wolf says.pluss i figure installing a damper as well.is a added plus



wy_white_wolf said:


> We had the problem in our old place. Chimney did not extend above the roof peak. We extended it up 3 foot and the problem stopped. Seems air currents going over the roof and down onto the chimney were causing the problem and when we extended it, the cap was above those air currents. I thought the guy was crazy when he told me it needed extended but it worked.
> 
> WWW


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