How nice to bask in a cold winter evening by a warm stove or fireplace! The crack of logs coming from the firebox has a very relaxing effect on the human body. The heart becomes warm and light.
What is smoke draft?
A person who recently became the owner of his own house with stove heating is interested in what if back draft in the chimney occurs, what to do. This phenomenon is noticed immediately and occurs in the chimney area. It is formed as a result of the fact that the heating and the chimney duct do not work correctly. As it turns out, there are many different factors that lead to this phenomenon. In order to choose a way to deal with this problem, you need to carefully understand this issue.
The return draft is a stream of flue gases, not aspiring upwards, as any stream of warm air is supposed to, but to the room where the stove is standing. The main reason for this phenomenon can rightly be considered an indicator of the difference between the pressure created in the furnace and street pressure. As a result, the flow is directed along the path of least resistance.
The formation of back draft occurs when the flue gases, which, in fact, are formed during the combustion of fuel, are not sent through the pipe to the street, but move down, that is, into the house. Also in parallel with the concept of reverse thrust, there is such a thing as its overturning. In this case, the smoke also rushes into the room. So, we will try to give answers to the question of what constitutes reverse thrust in the chimney, what to do, how to restore the system’s operability.
Draft standards
A person cannot help but be upset that there is a reverse thrust. What to do - you can solve only by carefully understanding the origins of the problem. It is very important that the chimney channel works in full mode. In the event of a malfunction, the fuel does not burn completely. This, in turn, leads to the accumulation of smoke in the furnace area. It reaches a certain volume and after that it begins to stand out in the free space, which is the room. This does not fit into any fire safety standards and adversely affects human health.
It is not good that traction is excessive, as this leads to excessive heat loss. In view of this, the furnace heats up very much, which can cause its deformation and even fire. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the entire heating system. The average pressure in the chimney should be 10-20 Pa.
Chimney return draft: what to do?
Reasons for the appearance:
- Low chimney. This results in a small pressure difference. As a result, very poor smoke draft or its complete absence.
- Incorrect installation design. This is an incorrect ratio between such parts of the heating system as the combustion chamber, height, and also the diameter of the chimney duct.
- Wind support formed by the fact that nearby is a higher structure.
- Poor ventilation, as well as insufficient supply air.
- Atmospheric indicators.
- If the ridge of the roof is located above the level of the external chimney, then in strong winds the draft can overturn.
- Clogged pipes with a wide variety of debris.
Only when it is known what caused the back draft in the chimney, what to do and how to improve the operation of the furnace will it be immediately clear.
Backdraft Detection
In order to answer the questions about how strong the back draft in the chimney is, what to do, what methods of control are suitable, it is necessary to initially determine the fact of its presence. It is possible to determine that there is a return draft in the area of the chimney channel using a special device - an anemometer. Such a diagnosis is the most affordable. It should be noted that the determination of the presence of reverse thrust is possible only if at the time of verification there is a sufficient wind flow, the index of which exceeds the mark of 1 m / s. If its value is lower, then determination is impossible. It is very bad when, according to indications, it is established that there is reverse draft in the chimney. What to do to eliminate?
Since it is not always possible to use special devices, then in this case proven folk methods will come to the rescue. First of all, determination is possible with the help of simple visual perception. If it is noticed that there is no smoke in the room, this is direct evidence that there is direct draft. Special attention should be paid to the color of burning fire. If white predominates in the flame to a greater extent, we can talk about high traction. In addition to color, this is evidenced by the sound that comes from the firebox. It is more like a hum. An orange flame indicates that there is no draft. For the correct level of traction, the golden color of the fire is characteristic.
When determining cravings, the most ordinary matches or a sheet of paper will come to the rescue. If at the moment of burning a match or a sheet of paper, a deviation of the flame is observed, then this indicates that there is traction.
In the case when you need to determine the absence of smoke draft, you just need to look into the middle of the furnace. If there is a lot of smoke in the cavity, this means that there is no draft. It is necessary to treat this phenomenon with a high degree of responsibility, since this can lead to the fact that gases begin to escape from the furnace and accumulate in the room. If it is found that there is a return draft in the chimney, what to do should be decided as soon as possible.
Deflector installation
If it was possible to understand the main reasons, and it turned out that as a result of deviations of the air flows there is a reverse thrust, a deflector will decide what to do with it. This is a special device whose operation is based on the aerodynamic effect. It reduces the pressure level as quickly as possible in the event that obstacles arise in the path of air flows. The high quality of this device is noted in strong winds.
Stabilizer installation
The stabilizer is installed in the cavity of the flue channel. At the bottom of the case there is a special hole due to which free air circulation occurs. Due to the fact that the stabilizer has a special design form, it has the ability to completely control the air pressure in the pipe. The operation of this device is carried out in conjunction with a special sensor that monitors the temperature of the exhaust products of combustion. If the draft suddenly deteriorates, and as a result, smoke accumulates in the pipe, which leads to heating of its walls, the sensor immediately triggers.
Using a rotary turbine
A rotational turbine will help if reverse draft is present in the chimney. What to do and how to fix it, it will help to decide. The work is carried out through the use of wind energy generated in the turbine. It is installed directly at the very top of the chimney. Due to the fact that the turbine constantly rotates in a certain direction, it dilutes the air in the area of the smoke channel. But this is not the only function that this device performs. It prevents debris from getting inside. Despite these significant positive features, the rotary pipe has its own definite drawback. The thing is that it continues to work continuously even at the end of the heating season, that is, in the summer. This, in turn, leads to a strong increase in draft level in the chimney area.
What threatens the malfunction of the heating system
A good and safe mode of operation of the heating system depends on the level of smoke draft. If the very first signs of a problem appear, you need to check, and if you find any malfunctions, you need to eliminate them as soon as possible. In some cases, poor traction causes carbon monoxide to enter the room. As you know, it is very dangerous for human health and in some cases can even lead to death. Most existing faults are quite possible to fix with your own hands. If there is no experience or skills, it is better to seek help from specialists in this field who, as soon as possible, will efficiently perform all the necessary work.
Temporary backdraft
In some cases, backdraft is not a permanent, but rather a temporary occurrence. We answered the question: "If there is back draft in the chimney, what should I do?" Restoring a normal process will take very little time. Often the main reason is the cooling of the stove and chimney. The fact is that during this period of time, cold air accumulates in the combustion chamber, which is heavier than heated air, and it prevents normal traction. Typically, smoke can completely fill a room in a short time. In such cases, a traction stabilizer installed in the chimney cavity will help to get out of this situation.