Need help to figure out what we need to do.

[fire_man]

I do not know if this is helpful but I always have to prime the chimney. I use a torch and have to let it warm up for a few minutes. If I rush it and don't prime it long enough when I start the fire the smoke will swirl around in the stove a bit until the draft starts.

The fact that you have to prime the flue in itself does not mean the draft is bad, it just means the flue is cold. Very tall flues that draft like hoovers still need priming in the cold.

But location with respect to hills, trees and rooflines can mess up what would have otherwise been a great setup. Too many bends in the pipe would also require more height than a straight flue, especially if any of the bends are right angles.

 

[stoveliker]

Hm if the wind blowing from the south does work with the chimney on the other (north) side of the ridge, the home is not the issue.
And the North side seems to slope down, so no clear ridge curl either. Doesn't mean there can't be one, but it's not obvious.

 

[fire_man]

Another less obvious cause could be an air leak within the heating envelope of the house. Especially if there is an exhaust fan to the outside but that does not seem to be the issue. The fact it happens during wind events leads me to think its related to the terrain and surroundings, in which case getting the correct cap and increasing flue height would be the solution.

 

[bigealta]

Is the oak on the south side of the house? With the intake on the opposite side of the problem north winds side, the winds can more easily blow down thru your chimney and firebox and oak. It would be similar if you opened a window on the south side of the house when the north winds are smoking out the house. That south open window would allow even more smoke into the house from pressure differences. If you have the oak on the north side it should reduce this potential problem. You can try opening a window on the North side and see what happens with north winds blowing.

The solution would probably be a taller chimney either way so all that may be just something to help understand what could be going on with your setup.

Also 2nd the bee /wasp nest possibility.

 

[vatmark]

Is the oak on the south side of the house? With the intake on the opposite side of the problem north winds side, the winds can more easily blow down thru your chimney and firebox and oak. It would be similar if you opened a window on the south side of the house when the north winds are smoking out the house. That south open window would allow even more smoke into the house from pressure differences. If you have the oak on the north side it should reduce this potential problem. You can try opening a window on the North side and see what happens with north winds blowing.

The solution would probably be a taller chimney either way so all that may be just something to help understand what could be going on with your setup.

Also 2nd the bee /wasp nest possibility.

The OAK actually pulls air from the east side of the house...basically the back of the house.

We are going to try and remove the OAK vent outside and send something through it to see if there is some sort of blockage.

I would describe the fire in the stove as lazy. Today I used some small splits and some thin wood and some small kindling along with 2 bio bricks and a super cedar which I cut into 4 and used all 4 pieces. After 45 minutes you would think it would blaze up at some point but it was just lazy flames.

 

[EbS-P]

The OAK actually pulls air from the east side of the house...basically the back of the house.

We are going to try and remove the OAK vent outside and send something through it to see if there is some sort of blockage.

I would describe the fire in the stove as lazy. Today I used some small splits and some thin wood and some small kindling along with 2 bio bricks and a super cedar which I cut into 4 and used all 4 pieces. After 45 minutes you would think it would blaze up at some point but it was just lazy flames.

it would be faster to disconnect at the stove. And major blockage needs vacuumed out and you can’t do that with a stove that is warm.

 

[vatmark]

it would be faster to disconnect at the stove. And major blockage needs vacuumed out and you can’t do that with a stove that is warm.Some air is gettign through the

it would be faster to disconnect at the stove. And major blockage needs vacuumed out and you can’t do that with a stove that is warm

it would be faster to disconnect at the stove. And major blockage needs vacuumed out and you can’t do that with a stove that is warm.

No it would not be faster to disconnect at the stove. I think if we try to disconnect at the stove we may never get it connected again. I've included a pic of what it looks like.

No plans on trying to do anything with the OAK while stove is warm. There is some air coming through the OAK because when I took off the air control I could feel some air coming through. If there is a blockage I do not think it is a total blockage. If it is a wasp nest something is going to need to go into the pipe to get it out. Using a vacuum at the end of a 8 1/2 foot long pipe is not going to pull much out. So we will first send something in like a long dusting brush to see what comes out. If there is a wasp nest it needs to be loosened at its anchor point. Then we can try the vacuum.

Can someone explain why disconnecting the OAK would make a difference? You are either getting air from outside or air from inside so what does the disconnecting the OAK do? Is it more restrictive then just not having it?

Also how in the world do you get rid of the text under a user name. Mine says Burning Hunk. I am a woman. LOL

 

[bigealta]

Disconnecting oak at stove will let it run with unrestricted air. If your oak has any restrictions then it's restricting the air to the stove.

 

[fire_man]

This article about the "myth" of the need for an OAK is interesting

A non-commercial service in support of responsible home heating with wood - The Outdoor Air Myth Exposed

The Wood Heat Organization was formed to support the public in the responsible use of wood energy in the home. We fulfill our mandate by providing reliable information, by conducting research into wood heating-related issues and by representing the public interest in discussions of policies that...

www.woodheat.org

 

[stoveliker]

Good read.
I think they are too strong though in their assertions.
They list dangers and possible things that would affect OAKs,and those are valid.
But I have the impression (no sources, but they don't give any references either despite science claims...) that their listed disadvantages are in practice not occurring very much. In particular the dangers would likely have lead to code revisions if they occur often....

And an OAk or ERV is in some cases a good solution to a problem. Does that mean it works well in every case, and in every instance of a case where it solves a problem? Probably not. But that doesn't negate the value they can have.

 

[fire_man]

There was one takeaway from the article that was particularly pertinent for this thread:

"The advantage of taking combustion air directly from the room in which the stove or fireplace is installed is that the building envelope moderates the effect of wind on the air supply by damping out wind-induced pressure fluctuations. The pressure inside the house will still be affected by wind to some extent, but the flow resistance offered by the envelope tends to remove the peaks and valleys of high and low pressure caused by wind gusts."

It also makes the general statement that there is no scientific evidence that an OAK really helps with smoke spillage, but allows that in some cases it may be necessary.

Its really a difficult thing to analyze in some cases so trial and error becomes the go-to solution.

 

[bigealta]

The sketches in this article show exactly what were were just talking about with location of oak inlet.
Good article makes a ton of sense.
I always thought an oak was a questionable add on, and for even more reasons than this article talks about..