Fireplaces, Heating Stoves, Flues and Chimneys - Draft with Gas Fireplace
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Draft with Gas Fireplace
04-17-01, 11:36 AM
I have moved into a new build (house) with a gas fireplace. During the winter months the draft coming through the front vents was so strong we needed to cover it with plastic(we turned the gas off). When the wind is blowing hard the plastic moves back and forth. The draft does not allow the pilot light to stay on. Someone suggested to us that it might be a backdraft. We cracked the window and it made some difference. But who wants to have the windows open in January in Massachusetts? Any help is appreciated. Thank you
04-18-01, 06:11 AM
My first question would be "When was the home built and how air tight is it?"
Also, I wouldn't cover the front with plastic with the pilot light still on. If you don't use the gas logs at all, I would turn the pilot light off and install a good set of glass doors.
If you want to use the fireplace, but you're getting down drafts, it could be anything from the simple solution of warming the flue up with a hair dryer for a few minutes to get the draft flowing properly. However, if you have an extremely air tight home, you'll need to provide some make up air as suggested with opening the window. Opening the window is just a simple test to see if you need more make up air in the home. If you determine this is what is needed, then I'd suggest you have a Plus-Air system installed on your furnace duct system that will put the house under a postive pressure. What this unit will do is, bring in outside air through your furnace and A/C duct work and will give the house a postive pressure forcing the draft up the chimney.
If your home is older and not air tight you may have what is known as "stack effect" in the home. Somewhat difficult to explain, but simply put it's where the home loses hot air through the top of the home and sucks make up air from the cracks around the bottom of the home (around windows and doors mainly but also down the chimney).
If by chance the wind is causing this problem (rarely it is) then installing a specially designed cap (brand names Vaccu-Stac and Wind Beater) will solve your problem. Won't be able to find them at any local store so heres a place you can find someone that can provide one for you or hire to find out exactly what's going on: http://www.csia.org
You may also want to visit http://www.chimneys.com and http://www.ncsg.org
Also, I wouldn't cover the front with plastic with the pilot light still on. If you don't use the gas logs at all, I would turn the pilot light off and install a good set of glass doors.
If you want to use the fireplace, but you're getting down drafts, it could be anything from the simple solution of warming the flue up with a hair dryer for a few minutes to get the draft flowing properly. However, if you have an extremely air tight home, you'll need to provide some make up air as suggested with opening the window. Opening the window is just a simple test to see if you need more make up air in the home. If you determine this is what is needed, then I'd suggest you have a Plus-Air system installed on your furnace duct system that will put the house under a postive pressure. What this unit will do is, bring in outside air through your furnace and A/C duct work and will give the house a postive pressure forcing the draft up the chimney.
If your home is older and not air tight you may have what is known as "stack effect" in the home. Somewhat difficult to explain, but simply put it's where the home loses hot air through the top of the home and sucks make up air from the cracks around the bottom of the home (around windows and doors mainly but also down the chimney).
If by chance the wind is causing this problem (rarely it is) then installing a specially designed cap (brand names Vaccu-Stac and Wind Beater) will solve your problem. Won't be able to find them at any local store so heres a place you can find someone that can provide one for you or hire to find out exactly what's going on: http://www.csia.org
You may also want to visit http://www.chimneys.com and http://www.ncsg.org