I'm sure it happens to others. Once in a while, when the stove is cold, I will have problems getting the draft started and smoke will belch from every orifice. I know it's due to the stovepipe being filled with cold, heavy air which resists being pushed upward. I have tried using the propane torch inserted into the opening at the top of the firebox where the smoke exits, with limited success. This, of course, while the room is filling with smoke, much to the displeasure of my wife. Just wondering if anyone has found an easy way to prevent this.
I've had limited backflow problems, some smoke, but not immense amounts. Did forget that our upstairs exhaust fan was on a couple of times, that did fill the room. If your chimney height is good, perhaps a draft inducer is a good option.
That isn’t much fun. My basement stove has the same problem. I hold the propane torch into the chimney opening longer than I think I should and it works fairly well. There are draft inducers and other things that might work. Hopefully someone with more experience than me will chime in.
The problem, of course, is that it's always AFTER I've lit the fire that I realize I should have preheated. Maybe leave a light bulb burning in the stove overnight or wrap a heating pad around the stovepipe.
Yeah I get the "oops" part of that statement...that's why I included the Don't usually have issues with this here, but once in a while, when the weather is warmer...but not warm enough to warm the house! Light bulb is probably a good idea if you are just trying to maintain draft between once a day fires or something...
When I start my basement stove from a cold start I open my cellar door some which causes an updraft.Once the stove is going I make sure it doesn't go cold by refueling every 12 hours.
Open the nearest window or door to the outside a bit before lighting. Make sure your clothes dryer isn't running, as well as stove hood vent fans, and bathroom exhaust fans. A few things that compete with your stove draft during startup. By chance is your stove a basement install? Those seem to complicate the additional available air even worse.
Not a good idea. For sure the heating pad is not a good idea. Most times the draft problem exists because it is not that cold outdoors. It is the only time we have a problem. The simplest and easiest and even the quickest is to simply light some newspapers and hold them right up to where the smoke exits the stove. Sometimes it is a good idea to do this twice. Then light the wood and it should do fine. It also sometimes could help by opening a window or door a crack if it is next to the stove. Also make sure nothing like an exhaust fan is not being used in the house, like a fan over the cooking stove or fan in bathroom or even a clothes drier. Those would be working against getting a draft in the stove working.
Generally the following is not needed unless the chimney draft is being real stubborn. Set your wood and kindling and newspaper inside the stove...have it ready to light. Here’s the most important part... Close the damper...crack the stove door open...close air vents if you can. The only air you want going into the stove is through the slightly cracked door. Stick the propane torch into the crack and hold it there for several minutes. Let the heat build up inside the mass of the stove for several minutes...3 to 5 minutes or more...more is better. Again, the idea is not to let a little heat up the chimney, rather one big blast at once... so keep the damper closed. Do not let flame near the wood or paper...not yet. After the time period is up, the mass of the stove has already started to warm up by this time and the holes in the damper have already let a minor amount of heat escape into the chimney...but it has stopped allowing cold air to drop into the stove. Then crack the stove door open a little more...just enough to light the paper or kindling as quickly as possible. When it lights and catches, reach up and open the draft real quick, return the door to slightly cracked. This does two things... 1. It allows a surge of heat from the warmed up stove up into the chimney. You’ll see the flame reach high at this point while... 2. ... simultaneously cold air from the room rushes into the slightly cracked stove door opening. It’s an exchange... cold air rushing in low where it remains under the fire and forcing a rush of oxygen into the stove. The residual heat built up inside the stove has nowhere else to go but up...and it’s a blast of warm air at once. Once you feel good about the draft close the doors, open vents and run stove as normal. Give this a try next time your draft is real stubborn.
