Hearthstone Quality Home Heating Products, Inc
®
Model 8370
26
If your chimney is the proper size and a strong
draft is not easily established, there is the
possibility of the chimney being too cold.
Again, hot chimneys promote a stronger draft.
Other draft guidelines are as follows:
AN
"AIRTIGHT" HOUSE:
If your home is
super-insulated or especially well sealed, the
(infiltration) air supply to the interior of the
house may be inadequate. This phenomenon of
air starvation within the building can be
exacerbated if exhaust fans, such as clothes
dryers, bathroom fans or cook-stove exhaust
fans, are in operation within the home.
Outfitting your stove with the optional outside
air supply adaptor connected to an air duct
which leads to the outside of the building should
correct this problem.
TALL TREES OR BUILDINGS:
These
obstructions, when located in proximity to the
top of the chimney can cause chronic or
occasional downdrafts. When selecting a site
for a new chimney, take care to consider the
placement of other objects in the vicinity of the
proposed chimney location.
WIND VELOCITY:
Generally, the stronger
and steadier a wind, the stronger (better) the
draft. However, "gusty" wind conditions may
cause erratic downdrafts.
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE:
Chimney
drafts are typically sluggish on balmy, wet or
muggy days. This is a weather-related
phenomenon, which generally is self-correcting
as the weather changes.
BRISKNESS OF FIRE:
The hotter the fire in
your stove, the hotter your chimney and,
therefore, the stronger the draft.
BREAKS IN THE VENTING SYSTEM:
An
unsealed clean-out door at the bottom of the
chimney, leaky stovepipe joints, a poor
stovepipe-to-thimble connection, or a leaky
chimney may cause inadequate draft.
SEASONAL FACTORS:
Early fall and late
spring are generally difficult seasons in which to
establish proper drafts. The colder the outside
air (relative to room temperatures), the stronger
the draft.
Operating the Stove
There are days when a draft is not easily
established. As outlined above, seasonal factors
or a cold chimney may be the cause. Try
starting the fire by using small kindling and fuel
to obtain a quick, hot fire. Tend the fire
frequently with small fuel until the chimney is
hot and the draft is well established.
