Smoke

[monk680]

I cannot stop smoke from coming in the house. When I am filling up somke always rolls out. I have a buck insert. Does my chimeny liner need brushed? I have tried everything. I got up early to open up the air controls and let it run wide open for 30 minutes and still smoke. Wind is zero. Don't mind the smell of smoke but this is nuts. I did not have this problem last year. What should I trie? Please stop my smoke.

 

[Woodsrover]

When was the last time you cleaned your chimney? I burn 5-6 cord a year and clean mine 3 times a season. If you were getting a good draft last year and none this, that's what I would guess.

jim

 

[Foghorn]

Woodsrover: Sounds like Monk hit the nail on the head - start with cleaning your chimney!

My sister and bother-in-law's house always smelled like smoke and the culprit was a boat load of creosote in the chimney. The chimney sweep guy was amazed he didn't have a chimney fire.

The next thing is start burning both SEASONED and DRY wood. It's amazing what some people call seasoned and dry. I tried to tell my bother-in-law that a dead tree laying in the woods for three years doesn't make it ready to burn. BUT he wouldn't listen - sort of like :deadhorse:

Let us know how much creosote you get out...opcorn:

 

[sawinredneck]

Also, is you're chimmeny higher than the peak/highest part of you;re roof? The dirty chimeny sounds like the place to start, but if the chimeny isn't tall enough you will never get proper draw from it,and have smoke in the house all the time as well.
Andy

 

[12guns]

below is a good link about fireplaces and inserts, I think there is a place that discusess the correct size pipe based on the size of the insert, if you do the math, the best draw requires much smaller pipe than most people use. For instance, an open fireplace, roughly 30" square and 28" deep needs 6" pipe...mose people use a wide open (12") chimney, others use 10" pipe. The information says for best draw you actually need between 4 and 6 inch pipe. interesting I though.

http://www.rumford.com/

 

[12guns]

I found a website that said fireplace box to flue size should be 10:1. I assume that goes for inserts as well. Oh yeah, don't forget to clean your first. that may solve the problem and needs to be done anyway.

 

[12guns]

I found a few other sites that say the opposite. I'm fighting the same problem w/ an open fireplace at my cabin. It has the org chimney (has been cleaned once in 52 years, by me last year) It was fairly clean and is rather wide. no liner, only has 6 or less fires built each year. My dad seems to think a pipe w/ hood assy would smoothen' up the flow and solve our problem. Anybody know the correct ratio from firebox to flu?

 

[Woodsrover]

I run a Vermont Castings Vigilant through 24’ of 6” 3-wall stainless chimney pipe and it drafts just fine. The stove is supposed to have 8” pipe but it’s fine with 6”. I can tell when the chimney is getting dirty when I start to get a little smoke when I fill it…usually every 2-3 cords worth. The VC stove burns upside-down and runs a pretty cool chimney temperature, reading between 200-225 deg. 2 ft. off the stove. With a hotter temp I probably wouldn’t need to clean it as often.

 

[MIspecial]

I had trouble with this also. I have my fireplace and furnace exhaust both in the same chimney but with seperate chambers. Our house is well insulated, new doors and windows and with the draw of the fire place we had neg. air in the house and smoke was being drawn back down the chimney and coming out of the furnace. Our basement was quite smokey. We had our chimney cleaned and were suggested to crack a window while having a fire and that worked. I then added a skuttle. This is like a dryer vent that has a butterfly valve on a weight and the allows outside to air to come in as needed. No more smoke in the house.

 

[12guns]

I had trouble with this also. I have my fireplace and furnace exhaust both in the same chimney but with seperate chambers. Our house is well insulated, new doors and windows and with the draw of the fire place we had neg. air in the house and smoke was being drawn back down the chimney and coming out of the furnace. Our basement was quite smokey. We had our chimney cleaned and were suggested to crack a window while having a fire and that worked. I then added a skuttle. This is like a dryer vent that has a butterfly valve on a weight and the allows outside to air to come in as needed. No more smoke in the house.

cracking a window also works for my, but in a one room 14' x 21' it gets awfully cold when it's 15 degrees outside! I added a homemade "throat" that helps the smoke flow more smoothly. it also has a 2" lip hanging down in the front of the box. seems to work better, even w/ all windows and door shut.

 

[pyromaniac guy]

Also, is you're chimmeny higher than the peak/highest part of you;re roof? The dirty chimeny sounds like the place to start, but if the chimeny isn't tall enough you will never get proper draw from it,and have smoke in the house all the time as well.
Andy

andy,

would this really be the problem if he wasn't getting smoke last year? just curious...

 

[monk680]

I will clean it first. The chimney is lined with a piece of 8" flex stainless about 20 feet. Thanks everyone.

 

[laynes69]

Also what were the temps outside? Warmer weather can produce less draft on some chimneys. I would sweep the chimney and the flue also and you should be good to go.

 

[sawinredneck]

andy,

would this really be the problem if he wasn't getting smoke last year? just curious...

No, it shouldn't be an issue if it wasn't last year, there is something else going on there then.
Andy

 

[monk680]

Also what were the temps outside? Warmer weather can produce less draft on some chimneys. I would sweep the chimney and the flue also and you should be good to go.

this morning it was 24 degree but has been pretty warm here