Wood Insert Not Drafting?

[Mallard1100]

This is my second season with a wood insert.  Fireplace X brand.  Had no issues last year at all. This year it doesn’t seem like it’s drafting well when loading and I’m getting some smoke back in the house. It’s nothing major but defiantly more noticeable then last year yet nothing changed. Cleaned it last season as well as this season and checked for blockages but can’t come up with anything. Any ideas?

[Woodsman416]

Leave the door open a crack to start drafting on a cold stove. You can also start a fast hot burn (paper and small kindling) to get the chimney pipe hot to help get drafting started on a stove that doesn't draft well.

[not on the rug]

How long is the flue? 

It's also been pretty warm lately.  Sometimes it's hard to draft when the outside temps are too warm.

Another idea...is your house super airtight?  If so, crack a window a little.  If that seems to be the issue, you might need some sort of external air intake to draw fresh air in.

[Rusty]

Open the air intake all the way and crack the door to let the fire get nice and hot before you open the door.  

[Mallard1100]

21 minutes ago, Rusty said:

Open the air intake all the way and crack the door to let the fire get nice and hot before you open the door.  

This is my standard procedure. Not really sure what has changed. House is older and certainly not air tight. 

[not on the rug]

12 minutes ago, Mallard1100 said:

This is my standard procedure. Not really sure what has changed. House is older and certainly not air tight. 

Flue length?

[Psehunter]

Make sure all your fans are off inside the house, could be pulling smoke when you open the door....I too get alittle bit of smoke back in when I open my insert but I know it's because of the fan I have going upstairs to pull heat. I've even had smoke come back in if my wife is cooking and has the range hood fan on high and I open the stove

[Mallard1100]

10 hours ago, not on the rug said:

Flue length?

Not positive. I will have to check. Not very long since it’s a single story ranch but I will check 

[Mallard1100]

15 minutes ago, Psehunter said:

Make sure all your fans are off inside the house, could be pulling smoke when you open the door....I too get alittle bit of smoke back in when I open my insert but I know it's because of the fan I have going upstairs to pull heat. I've even had smoke come back in if my wife is cooking and has the range hood fan on high and I open the stove

That’s good to know. I run a fan in reverse in the adjacent room. Maybe that’s it. 

[not on the rug]

9 minutes ago, Mallard1100 said:

Not positive. I will have to check. Not very long since it’s a single story ranch but I will check 

Most stoves and inserts require at least 15ft of flue to get proper draft.  Check the manual for that insert.  anything less than that can produce poor draft, especially if other conditions aren't ideal (like it's too warm outside, a fan is running, the house is airtight, etc)

[Lunatic]

5 hours ago, Mallard1100 said:

That’s good to know. I run a fan in reverse in the adjacent room. Maybe that’s it. 

I don't think ceiling fan has any effect on your chimney draft. Exhaust fans like kitchen fans, bathroom fans, or radon fans do  if your house is tight and there is no way to replace the exhausted quantity of air. It will not take much of an exhaust fan to reverse air flow in your chimney. 

Edited November 22, 2019 by Lunatic

[Farmshine]

Is your flue obstructed in anyway? Did you have it cleaned prior to start of this burning season?


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[Mallard1100]

2 hours ago, Farmshine said:

Is your flue obstructed in anyway? Did you have it cleaned prior to start of this burning season?


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Nope. All in my original post. 

[Lunatic]

5 hours ago, Psehunter said:

Make sure all your fans are off inside the house, could be pulling smoke when you open the door....I too get alittle bit of smoke back in when I open my insert but I know it's because of the fan I have going upstairs to pull heat. I've even had smoke come back in if my wife is cooking and has the range hood fan on high and I open the stove

if the range hood is an exhaust it will do that.

[Farmshine]

Nope. All in my original post. 

I’ll be damned, it was LOL. Well obviously if everything in the stove and up the chimney is the same then the issue is outside the stove. I assume any secondary burners within the stove are operating as they should.

 

 

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