Keeping Proper Draft
Keeping Chimney Draft Efficient
If you had a balloon with holes in it, no matter how hard you try to inflate it, the air just keeps escaping the wrong way. A similar problem could also happen with our chimneys. There may be instances when we wonder why there’s smoke coming out of the fireplace instead of going up the chimney. When this happens you can almost immediately assume that your chimney draft has been compromised.
Some people might think that somehow the problem can fix itself, but it won’t. There’s something seriously wrong going on inside your chimney that needs to be addressed right away. This requires the expertise of a professional to check what is going on with your chimney. Beach Stove and Fireplace can tell you everything you need to know about chimney draft and how to keep the smoke going out the right way.
About Chimney Draft
Chimney draft is the term used to describe the passage of air through the flue when the combustion process starts. Draft inside your chimney is necessary because it allows hot air and unwanted smoke to go out of the house in a uniform manner.
The draft inside your chimney is better when the temperature outside is cooler and the warmth created in the fireplace can be felt more. The reason behind this is that the difference in temperature increases the pressure in the building and when it does, more draft is made because it pushes air from the firebox into the flue – the hotter, the better. This would be the ideal scenario, but sometimes draft can be compromised and decrease tremendously.
It increases and decreases depending on the structural integrity of your chimney. This means that if there are blockages inside the chimney, it makes it harder for the drafting process to take place. If this happens, then the draft decreases. When you say that draft has decreased or is compromised, not all or not enough smoke is taken out through the flue efficiently. The flue plays a vital role in this process and once it malfunctions, bigger problems will soon arise. Chimney or house fires and the possibilities of carbon monoxide poisoning could be potential hazards.
What to do
To increase the draft inside your chimney, the flue needs to be clean and free of obstructions. This will allow smoke to properly flow out of the flue and into the open air. Also, the structure of your chimney needs to be tough, secure and tight so that the smoke will only come out in the right place – the chimney opening – and not in various places.
Eventually when you need to replace your flue, our CSIA-certified experts can do the work for you. Replacing it means increasing draft efficiency and ensuring chimney stability at the same time. Two for the price of one. Call us now!