New guy with a problem from last year

Hey guys, just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Steve and I live in northeast South Dakota. This will be my second year burning wood to heat my home. I hope to learn a lot about the Do's and Don'ts when it comes to heating with wood by reading what you guys post. Now onto the issue I had last year.
Last year I completed my chimney on Feb 2nd.....it was 2°F that day. And I quickly ran into a problem. My chimney would draft backwards....into the house. After I got it going the right way, albeit with a lot of smoke in the house, everything was fine. But by the next evening, the draft was coming into my house again. Again, lots of smoke in the house, wife pizzed, kids choking. You name it, it was a mess. I tried everything I could read about fixing an issue like mine.....opening the door, lighting a small paper only fire. I even went as far as placing a small electric heater in the firebox for 20 minutes and then checking the draft again. The only thing I didn't do that I thought of was getting my air compressor and manually blowing air up the chimney to get it going the right way. I am not able to keep a fire going constantly because I work full time, and don't trust my boys or wife to have a fire without me home.
This year I will be burning all my trash wood. Mostly cottonwood and box elder. I picked up this wood before I knew how much of a difference it made having the right wood. I have about a chord or so in my basement now, all split and seasoned from 2 or 3 years ago. I have plenty of ash, elm and sugar maple mostly split and getting ready for next winter. I mainly use 3 or 4 pieces of pine to get some coals started fast, then spread those around and begin throwing in the hardwoods.
Tonight is the first night I have had a fire this season and had no problems. But I just wonder what the colder temperatures that lie ahead will bring.

Thanks!!
SD Steve

 

stack height, firebox temp as you have tried plays a role in it.
If your house is relatively new, it's probably pretty air tight, you might need to crack a window to help with the draft initially. Some people have installed what I think they call an OAK.
outdoor air kit, it brings fresh air into the stove to help push a draft.
Also any exhaust fans running will obviously contribute to this. Bathroom exhaust/kitchen/ circulating fans to help with the humidity in a new home construction.
By the way welcome, you will get the help you need.
Guys here who have had this problem will chime in with better ideas to pinpoint the issue.

 

Cool! Thanks! Yeah age of the house isn't the issue, it was built in 1928, so she's pushing 92.....

 

This is a prefab stainless chimney of proper height ?

 

she breathes plenty good than and it probably isn't a ventilation issue.

 

Yep, all stainless steel, 6 inch all the way, overbuilt wall thimble, I think I did a really good job on it. Spent double on it than I originally planned. But, hey, this is a heating system that works if the power is out. Thankfully, we haven't had to deal with that yet.
People in my small town have actually complimented me on how good it looks. It does have an offset, though. Maybe I should take some pictures of it and post them up here, too.

 

Offset? Are you offsetting to clear the roof edge or? Do you have two 45* elbows coming off the stove to make your wall penetration, or one 90* ? If one 90* elbow now, consider trying the two 45* elbows to enhance your draft.
Any fan/vent/clothes dryer etc. that is running while you are trying to start the stove will compete for available indoor air. Not good! Any chance this is a lower level install? Lower level installs can be especially tough to correct draft.
Next time you start the stove cold I would suggest cracking open the nearest window or exterior door to free up available stove air until the fire is well established. As mentioned already it sounds like it would be worth researching a OAK. Definitely fill us in on the entire vent setup. Including pics and pipe length from top of stove etc.
What stove are you using? Make and model?

 

Welcome, Steve.

Yes, pics inside and outside might be helpful.

 

Hi Steve, nice to meet you. You'll get the draft problem fixed. We almost guarantee it.

 

I have a similar issue. With the chimney outside the house, it gets cold when there is no fire. My chimney drafts down whenever there is no fire. I have installed a fresh air intake kit this summer to see if it will help. So far the only real solution I have found is to crack the stove door, light a propane torch and set it so just the tip is inside pointing towards the front opening of the firebox where the exhaust flows out of the firebox across the top stove plate to the chimney. Once the top plate starts warming up a little, it starts drafting up and I can light the fire.

I'm hoping the outdoor intake kit will help. I'm thinking it should as long as the door is closed. My air intake is on the side of the house that gets the prevailing wind and should be a slightly higher pressure than at the top of the chimney. Since the air at the top and bottom of the chimney are now the same temperature / density, I'm hopeful that this should help.

 

Reverse draft correction

 

I have used a propane torch to start a draft also.

 

And not smoky...good for those times when you find out after the fire is lit that you have reverse draft!

That works good...a hair dryer in the firebox/up the flue can work good too...

 

Welcome SD Steve to the FHC
This is a common problem this time of year. Pictures would help, my favorite way to cure it, is to keep the chimney hot by not letting the fire go out for 6 months

 

Welcome to FHC SD Steve !

 

Just watch where you point it...especially on high...could end up with a similar scene...

 

I use a heat gun. Seems better than my wife’s hairdryer and works well. Still takes a while, but with my basement install, and fairly tight house for an 1889, it’s needed at cold starts. Like was said above, I try to keep it rolling once November hits. It took me a season to get comfortable with stoning it up, setting the air, and leaving for work or even going to bed. But it’s a steel box, so hard for things to go too far south other than smoke if it’s set too low. I’ve tough my wife and older two daughters to run the air control and they will set a timer so as to not forget.

Tomorrow’s high is low 50’s with 40 for a low. May have a small fire just because, but shouldn’t be needed. I love the way the first month or so of fires each year draws the family to the stove room and away from the TV’s.


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