When it comes to smoking fireplaces, no two fireplaces work the same way. There can be many reasons why your fireplace is not working properly and smoke is entering your home.
chimney height
There is an appropriate measuring ruler to follow for every fireplace. If the measure is followed, you should not have any problems with your fireplace, however, there may be exceptions. To determine if the rule has been followed, you need to measure ten feet from the chimney to the nearest object. This object can be the roofline, where an addition begins, or the peak. Once you find the ten foot mark, measure out two feet and that is how tall your chimney should be.
The chimney must be at the right height to catch the wind. The chimney does not need to be taller than the peak of your roof. If the spike is in the ten foot clearance area, then it should. This is because the wind will be blowing across the roof and should make an updraft and blow the smoke up.
Sometimes it is necessary to raise the height of your chimney if a certain pressure situation occurs. Some products have been introduced on the market that can help with the price of raising your chimney.
You can use a flue extender to raise your chimney up to three feet. They are usually made of copper or stainless steel and have been shown to eliminate the problem of drafts. It is much less expensive to use one of these than to have the chimney raised. Chimney pots are another method of eliminating draft problems in your chimney. They have been around for centuries and were originally made of clay.
Newer fireplace pots are made of copper. They are more expensive than the clay pot variety, but they are very beautiful and can enhance the look of your home. When copper ages it will turn a green color which is quite beautiful.
For those chimneys that are metal with no clearance, you will need to get the manufacturer’s model number and manufacturer’s name so that you can get the size of pipe you will need to raise your chimney. There may be a regulation in your city that requires you to lock up the pipe in a chase.
This could cause you to have to build the chase to the new height. This may solve some of your problems with smoke coming into your home, but if it doesn’t, there may be more problems with your chimney.
Chimney caps like Vacu-Stack or Windbeater are another solution to your draft problems.
They are specifically made to create an updraft when the wind blows over the roof and chimney.
The cap will stay in place and the wind will circulate around the cap and make an updraft. This works quite well with masonry chimneys, solid pack chimney pipes, and metal chimneys. You can find a variety of sizes and adapters that will work in most masonry fireplaces.
If you have a metal chimney you will not need an adapter. You can measure the inner tube if you have an air-cooled chimney tube with two or three tubes inside. An outer tube collar comes with the Vacu-Stack for these types of chimneys.
If you have a draft problem with your furnace or water heater, you can usually find smaller sizes to fit these.
