Woodburner lighting problem - room full of smoke
Discussion
Had a Stovax View 5 installed (with liner/cowl etc) last year.
The problem is on very cold days (zero or below) the cold air pushes down the flue into the woodburner and it takes forever to reverse the flow of air.
Tried opening the door to allow warm air from the room - doesnt work just have cold air from outside pouring in (even with door to the room open or closed)
Spoke to fireplace fitters and the manufacturer and they all say common problem and best thing to light 2 sheets of newspaper underneath the flue to warm it up (then air flow will reverse) - they say this is the best option, over lighting kindlying or fire lighters etc.
No heres the problem, when very cold it take about 4 or 5 sheets to work and by that time you have a room full of smoke (everytime its really cold). Mate of mine has different stove but exact same problem. Both our chimneys are on the outside
any suggestions? (was thinking maybe a hot lamp like in an aquarium - place it in stove facing up for 20 mins?)
The problem is on very cold days (zero or below) the cold air pushes down the flue into the woodburner and it takes forever to reverse the flow of air.
Tried opening the door to allow warm air from the room - doesnt work just have cold air from outside pouring in (even with door to the room open or closed)
Spoke to fireplace fitters and the manufacturer and they all say common problem and best thing to light 2 sheets of newspaper underneath the flue to warm it up (then air flow will reverse) - they say this is the best option, over lighting kindlying or fire lighters etc.
No heres the problem, when very cold it take about 4 or 5 sheets to work and by that time you have a room full of smoke (everytime its really cold). Mate of mine has different stove but exact same problem. Both our chimneys are on the outside
any suggestions? (was thinking maybe a hot lamp like in an aquarium - place it in stove facing up for 20 mins?)
I have the same problem. In one room we have a Stockton 8, but on the colder side of the house, we have a Stockton 5. it can be tough to light or fills the room with smoke.
I find that not all paper burns well - get some that burns hot and quickly. put in one or two sheets, let that start to burn. then put another 2 or 3 sheets on top, and it should be fine. When it's gone out, light your fire as normal.
I shred my unwanted post and put this in the fire when it's not lit. Then I've got a pile waiting for me when i light the fire next. it works every time.
I find that not all paper burns well - get some that burns hot and quickly. put in one or two sheets, let that start to burn. then put another 2 or 3 sheets on top, and it should be fine. When it's gone out, light your fire as normal.
I shred my unwanted post and put this in the fire when it's not lit. Then I've got a pile waiting for me when i light the fire next. it works every time.
A small gas burner like plumbers use when fitting copper?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GoSystem-QP8088H-Quick-P...
That'd heat the flue up very quick and a bottle would last all winter (imho).
Set the fire, use the torch for 20 sec, light the fire
Job done
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GoSystem-QP8088H-Quick-P...
That'd heat the flue up very quick and a bottle would last all winter (imho).
Set the fire, use the torch for 20 sec, light the fire
Job done
We had the exact same problem, chimney on outside of house downdraft through chimney, room full of smoke and very angry wife, 'you wanted that stupid stove!'
We ended up fitting a WindKat cowl from windkatcowls.co.uk which has solved the problem, almost. On very cold calm days we still get a few wisps of smoke when we first light the fire but think that's only happened a couple of times and it is only a wisp or two. The design of the cowl stops cold air from being drawn down the chimney and has the added advantage of creating better draw once the fires going. We installed it ourselves and it was an easy fit as it just slotted into the existing chimney pot with a bit of silicone to hold it in place. It was just getting to the chimney that was a little tricky!
The other thing the cowl seems to have stopped is the smell of ash we used to get on cold days when the stove wasn't on from the downdraught.
The cowls aren't cheap but for us they were worth it as the alternative was to rip the stove out and put a gas fire in!
The other thing you could try is to open the window in the same room as your stove. I've found that this seems to equalise the pressure between inside the room and outside and reduces the downdraught. Keep the window open until the stoves been going for a few minutes and you should be okay.
We ended up fitting a WindKat cowl from windkatcowls.co.uk which has solved the problem, almost. On very cold calm days we still get a few wisps of smoke when we first light the fire but think that's only happened a couple of times and it is only a wisp or two. The design of the cowl stops cold air from being drawn down the chimney and has the added advantage of creating better draw once the fires going. We installed it ourselves and it was an easy fit as it just slotted into the existing chimney pot with a bit of silicone to hold it in place. It was just getting to the chimney that was a little tricky!
The other thing the cowl seems to have stopped is the smell of ash we used to get on cold days when the stove wasn't on from the downdraught.
The cowls aren't cheap but for us they were worth it as the alternative was to rip the stove out and put a gas fire in!
The other thing you could try is to open the window in the same room as your stove. I've found that this seems to equalise the pressure between inside the room and outside and reduces the downdraught. Keep the window open until the stoves been going for a few minutes and you should be okay.
I was recommended to use the 'MI Ultimate' cowl by these people: www.fluestore.com/Chimney_Cowls/Static_Anti-Downdr...
Don't know if it works as installation not quite finished yet!
Don't know if it works as installation not quite finished yet!
Same problem - an independent chimney sweep told us the flue wasn't high enough over the edge of the house.
Newspaper greatly exaggerated the smoke problem. I use 2 Sainsbury's brand firelighters (less smoke than other's I've tried) and fairly small kindling pieces (about 5mm square). Build them in to a Jenga type block... Shut both doors in to the lounge, open a window, get out a kitchen blow torch - problem solved!
Newspaper greatly exaggerated the smoke problem. I use 2 Sainsbury's brand firelighters (less smoke than other's I've tried) and fairly small kindling pieces (about 5mm square). Build them in to a Jenga type block... Shut both doors in to the lounge, open a window, get out a kitchen blow torch - problem solved!
I once tried to have an open fire in my fireplace - and just filled the hosue with smoke that took days to go away. Only this week, when I had builders in, did we find the problem - two whole unused bricks in the flue! They had been there since the day the hosue was built - either fallen in or dropped in by some joker of a brickie.
TooLateForAName said:
Is your flue insulated or just running up an empty chimney?
Pack around it with rockwool (real rockwool, *not* one of the plastic containing alternatives)
not insulated, and the chinmey is external so I think this may helpPack around it with rockwool (real rockwool, *not* one of the plastic containing alternatives)
I'm not sure if buying an anti downdraft cowl will fix the problem because you don't get downdraft on windy (but above zero) days, only wehn zero or below (doesnt have to be windy) so it must be the cold pulling it down?
Think candle seems simplest solution!
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