Fireplaces, Heating Stoves, Flues and Chimneys - Heatilator draft...help
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tmorris1
09-29-02, 12:22 PM
I have a heatilator woodburning fireplace (EC42) in a 5 year old home - it was installed by the builders. Problem is that there is a seirious draft in the winter time that literally pours into the house from the black vent slats on the top and bottom of the unit (though mainly at the bottom). This occurs at all times and it's especially bad when the wind is blowing. We have had 2 fireplace people over to have a look but they have been unable to pinpoint the problem except to say that perhaps something outside under the fireplace box is not insulated. If anyone has had this experience and has a solution please let me know! Thanks in advance.
Tim Morris
Tim Morris
Ed Imeduc
09-29-02, 02:50 PM
Originally posted by tmorris1
I have a heatilator woodburning fireplace (EC42) in a 5 year old home - it was installed by the builders. Problem is that there is a seirious draft in the winter time that literally pours into the house from the black vent slats on the top and bottom of the unit (though mainly at the bottom). This occurs at all times and it's especially bad when the wind is blowing. We have had 2 fireplace people over to have a look but they have been unable to pinpoint the problem except to say that perhaps something outside under the fireplace box is not insulated. If anyone has had this experience and has a solution please let me know! Thanks in advance.
Tim Morris Have you over fired the fireplace at anytime? Has the steel any bows in it?? Its hard to look up in there but flip the damper over and reach up if you can and feel if the flue tile is tight on the top of the steel heatilator.Do you have any thing else in the home that needs air,like a fan blowing out? large gas furnace need air for its flue .Is the roof line ok for the top of the flue.How about any trees that have gotten taller in the 5 years. This is just some of the things i have found out happen to fireplac's through the years.Do you have a good draft in it when you burn it or not ,any smoke come out the vents on it?You still have a lot to look at i would say. Do you have a makeup air vent that dont close all the way or a bulit in ash dump that dont close. hope this helps some ED;)
I have a heatilator woodburning fireplace (EC42) in a 5 year old home - it was installed by the builders. Problem is that there is a seirious draft in the winter time that literally pours into the house from the black vent slats on the top and bottom of the unit (though mainly at the bottom). This occurs at all times and it's especially bad when the wind is blowing. We have had 2 fireplace people over to have a look but they have been unable to pinpoint the problem except to say that perhaps something outside under the fireplace box is not insulated. If anyone has had this experience and has a solution please let me know! Thanks in advance.
Tim Morris Have you over fired the fireplace at anytime? Has the steel any bows in it?? Its hard to look up in there but flip the damper over and reach up if you can and feel if the flue tile is tight on the top of the steel heatilator.Do you have any thing else in the home that needs air,like a fan blowing out? large gas furnace need air for its flue .Is the roof line ok for the top of the flue.How about any trees that have gotten taller in the 5 years. This is just some of the things i have found out happen to fireplac's through the years.Do you have a good draft in it when you burn it or not ,any smoke come out the vents on it?You still have a lot to look at i would say. Do you have a makeup air vent that dont close all the way or a bulit in ash dump that dont close. hope this helps some ED;)
Tanna L J
12-26-07, 06:25 PM
I have a heatilator woodburning fireplace (EC42) in a 5 year old home - it was installed by the builders. Problem is that there is a seirious draft in the winter time that literally pours into the house from the black vent slats on the top and bottom of the unit (though mainly at the bottom). This occurs at all times and it's especially bad when the wind is blowing. We have had 2 fireplace people over to have a look but they have been unable to pinpoint the problem except to say that perhaps something outside under the fireplace box is not insulated. If anyone has had this experience and has a solution please let me know! Thanks in advance.
Tim Morris
Ours is a vented gas heatilator and in searching for cures for our serious draft from the same location you are saying, I ran across your post. Our cure...........we took off the black vent slats on top and bottom......pushed the glass as high as it would go until we felt no more draft and placed spacers at the bottom to hold it in place. NO MORE OPEN WINDOW LIKE DRAFTS. Our draft was coming from the pipe going to the roof (like when the wind blows), open to outside and coming thru the spacing for the glass. If we use it we JUST HAVE TO REMEMBER TO REMOVE THE SPACERS, LET THE GLASS DOWN and that way the venting is good. It won't fire if we don't have that venting so is easy to remember. I seriously think they should put a good quality damper in these things.......would have taken care of our problem. Not sure this will help with anything since yours is wood burning and ours is gas but hope this helps someone. Especially at the prices to heat our homes.
Tim Morris
Ours is a vented gas heatilator and in searching for cures for our serious draft from the same location you are saying, I ran across your post. Our cure...........we took off the black vent slats on top and bottom......pushed the glass as high as it would go until we felt no more draft and placed spacers at the bottom to hold it in place. NO MORE OPEN WINDOW LIKE DRAFTS. Our draft was coming from the pipe going to the roof (like when the wind blows), open to outside and coming thru the spacing for the glass. If we use it we JUST HAVE TO REMEMBER TO REMOVE THE SPACERS, LET THE GLASS DOWN and that way the venting is good. It won't fire if we don't have that venting so is easy to remember. I seriously think they should put a good quality damper in these things.......would have taken care of our problem. Not sure this will help with anything since yours is wood burning and ours is gas but hope this helps someone. Especially at the prices to heat our homes.