If you have problems lighting the fire, it might be that you are using the wrong type of firewood or there is no chimney draught.
Chimney draught is created by the difference between the high chimney temperature and the low outside temperature. It can be difficult to light the fire, because the chimney is still cold during this process. The draught is therefore limited.
The firewood for lighting the fire has to be dry, and you have to start with small wood pieces when lighting the fire. By doing so, the fire will quickly grow, and create the heat necessary for a great chimney draught.
Smoke in the living room
The chimney draught is likely insufficient if smoke emerges from the stove/fireplace. If you own a well isolated house, especially with a cooker hood or ventilation system, the chimney draught can become too weak.
Another reason for smoke escaping the stove/fireplace is disproportion between the size of the stove/fireplace and the size of the chimney. It is important to know that natural draught can vary in accordance with the yearly outside temperature, and that it is influenced by the weather.
Factors such as the chimney height in relation to large buildings or similar structures in the vicinity can also influence the natural draught in a negative way. In some cases, it can create downdraught that may result in smoke spilling into the room.
Smoke smell and soot
When the door is covered in soot and you can smell smoke, this is due to poor combustion. The problem arises if you use wet fuel, if you have misadjusted the damper, or if you have insufficient draught in the chimney.
Good combustion requires high temperatures and sufficient air. If you reduce the air supply too quickly, it results in unburned gasses and particles going up the chimney causing soot and foul-smelling smoke.
The flames are dying
Good combustion needs a steady supply of air. It is the chimney’s job to remove smoke, and the chimney draught has to ensure fresh air in accordance with the amount of smoke the stove/fireplace generates.If the fireplace does not work optimally, it may be due to leaks in the chimney, the stove or that the fireplace doesn’t fit the dimension of the chimney
But it is not that you are handling the fire in the wrong way!
With a chimney fan system from Exodraft you get control over the draught in your chimney. The chimney fan is mounted at the top of the chimney, where it creates negative pressure, ensuring that flue gasses are pulled up through the chimney instead of out into your inside space.
Using the associated controller, you can regulate the chimney draught as needed, so you can enjoy a fire in your fireplace or in your woodburning stove with no annoying issues.
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