You have decided to spend a pleasant evening by the fireplace with your loved one. You tried to set everything perfect to make the night memorable. However, one thing got out of hand: when you lit your fireplace, all the smoke filled the room. All the fantasies and expectations of the evening fell apart, and you spent the night refreshing the room.
Whether you have a stove or a fireplace, you can face this problem. Chimney downdrafts are not a problem to be ignored. Not only will the walls of your room have to paint frequently, and you constantly feel smoke, but the carbon monoxide you breathe in can be just as dangerous. This seemingly harmless problem can damage your and your family’s health. Carbon monoxide is smoke that has no smell or taste and is very difficult to notice. This “silent killer” took the lives of many families across the country.
That is why regular maintenance of the fireplace and its control are mandatory during the heating season, and even after it. With very little effort, you can prevent chimney downdrafts and enjoy the warmth of your home.
How does the fireplace work?
The main purpose of the fireplace is to emit smoke from the house so that CO is not retained and accumulated. The chimney is connected to the fireplace, stove and other heating objects. It must be completely open, without any blockages, to function. Only then can the hot smoke from the furnace push the smoke out of your house. The density of warm air is lower than the density of cold air, so fresh air is sucked in through the chimney and hot air is expelled. Each chimney has its own “traction,”, i.e., the pressure that expels air. Draft depends on its construction, which is why industrial chimneys have a large capacity and are very high. The height of the head (the part of the chimney above the roof of the building) is defined by regulations. To function normally, this should be higher than the highest point on the roof of the building.
However, the height of it should not be too high, because even that can be a problem. The efficiency of the chimney increases together with its height, until the friction forces become so strong that they cancel the growth effect.
In addition to height, two important characteristics of the chimney, on which its functioning depends, are the material from which the chimney is made and its circumference. For standard fireplaces in houses, it is best to use a good old brick. If the smoke still contains chemicals and high acidity, stainless steel and molybdenum chimneys are recommended. The optimal shape of the chimney is a cylinder, and when building it, the most attention should be paid so that the inside of the chimney is not rough.
Like the height, the diameter of the chimney is not measured deductively. The aerodynamic calculation of the chimney is necessary during its construction. The heating power, but also external conditions (air humidity and meteorological conditions in that area) are taken into account.
Why is chimney downdraft happening?
There are several reasons why a fireplace will not work properly. Sometimes these are some little things that can be easily fixed, and in some cases, these problems can be very serious. Very often, problems with the chimney require the careful intervention of the chimney sweep. Professional people, like those from https://doctorchimney.com/ are trained to cut chimney problems, and ensure your and your family’s safety in this regard. Below are some of the most common chimney problems.
Dirty chimney
It often happens that soot accumulates in the chimney and thus affects its functioning. Soot layers physically limit flue gases, and reduce free space for ventilation. Deposits of only 1 cm can reduce chimney efficiency by 15-30%.
To solve this problem, it is necessary to keep the chimney clean regularly. Professional cleaning is recommended at least once a year, and more often if necessary.
Clogged chimney
The chimney does not have to be clogged just because of soot and the accumulation of combustion deposits. It can be thickened with other foreign tiers. Practice says that this usually happens due to a strong wind that blows foreign particles into the chimney and loses its function. Also, birds, hornets, wasps and other insects and animals see the chimney as a place of refuge, especially in the summer months when the chimney is not used.
If your chimney is suffocated by external particles or animals, never try to clean it yourself. This is a job for a professional service.
Lack of air in the room
For a fireplace to function well, it requires a large amount of combustion air. When it is in function, an air column constantly comes out through the chimney. The amount of air that comes out must be compensated, i.e., replaced with the new air outside. We usually close ourselves inside the house during cold days, checking every window and door to ensure it is well closed. However, it can cause side effects because the air that is lost cannot be compensated. This is exactly what causes the less fire in the fireplace and the circulation of smoke from the building to be unsatisfactory.
To avoid this situation, we suggest that you open the window from time to time, even better if the window is in the direction of the wind, to compensate for the lost air.
Cold chimney
The basic “engine” of any chimney is the difference in the temperature of the outside air and the hot smoke, i.e., the burned gases. You have to take care of this and how if your fireplace is on the outside facade of the house. The walls of the chimney cool down very quickly and thus the air in it. With chimneys like this, it is very difficult to light and maintain a fire and the circulation of smoke is very questionable.
For the fireplace walls to be able to maintain the temperature, our suggestion in this situation is to insulate the fireplace walls on the facade.
Conclusion
Regardless of whether you have already had such problems, if your home has a chimney, we advise you to clean it well before each heating season. Call your local chimney maintenance service and leave the whole story to the professionals. During the heating season, we suggest that you use only dry wood, and for that reason, buy them on time. Regularly check the room with a fireplace or stove, so that there is enough fresh air. Never leave a fire unattended, and its burning can tell you a lot about the condition of your fireplace.
