Solving Chimney Drafting Problems
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Nothing is more frustrating than a fireplace that doesn't draft well. Smoke coming back into your home.
Most homeowners have chosen not to use the fireplace because of drafting problems. There is no set
solution for each chimney. You may have to try several options before you find the one that works.
Simple solutions to try before you spend a lot of money.
1) If smoke rolls into your room when your first start a fire warm the flue before you lite the fire. Roll up a
piece of newspaper light it and hold it up in the smke chamber. This will start heat rising up the chimney.
2) Smoke comming into the room while a hot fire is burning. Make sure the grate is pushed all the way in
the back of the firebox. Get a few firebicks and place one under each leg of the grate raising it up a few
inches. By raising the grate essentially you are decreasing the size of the opening. If this works you might
want to consider a smoke guard. The smoke guard fits at the top or the opening and is between 3 to 4
inches. By decreasing the size of the opening the smoke rolls back into the smoke chamber and fises up
the flue. Anothe solution to this would be to installl a glass door with an upper draft control.
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Sweep Your Chimney
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Sweeping your chimney keeps the flue free of soot buildup and blockages. Carbon monoxide can come
back into your room without seeing smoke. Every home should have a carbon monoxide detector for
safety. How to Sweep a Chimney.
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Chimney Drafting Problems
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Article on Drafting problems and the solutions.
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