Causes and Sign of Chimney Downdraft

Downdrafts from chimneys are a severe issue that nearly all homeowners will face at some point or another in their lives. It may cause carbon monoxide alarms to go off, make breathing difficult, and add hundreds of dollars to your annual heating and cooling expenses. If your chimney has a downdraft, you must pay attention to the problem and come up with a remedy for it. When buying an older property, many first-time buyers are unprepared for the difficulties that might arise with the fireplace since it was not properly maintained.

This explains how your chimney works, why downdrafts are an issue, and what the potential consequences may be for your health if you don’t properly maintain your chimney.

What is it That Makes a Chimney Function?
Your chimney houses a number of functional components that are located above your fireplace in the flue. A smoke shelf, crown, and cap are included, but the chimney damper is the most crucial component. In order for your chimney to function correctly, you will need to install a damper. You may operate it with a pull chain located inside your firebox or a little lever located directly above it.

Your damper is responsible for controlling the passage of smoke and allowing it to ascend via the flue, up through the cap, and into the surrounding atmosphere. Because chimneys are dependent on the pressure that is created by heat, their performance suffers when there is insufficient pressure.

The most significant issue that might arise from insufficient pressure systems in your chimney is known as downdraft. In this essay, we will discuss pressure and how to keep it under control.

What is meant by the term “chimney downdraft”?
The term “chimney downdraft” is used to describe the condition that occurs when smoke does not ascend the chimney flue as it normally would. This results in smoke being blown backwards, also known as a backdraft, into your living room, which then fills the rest of the home with a smoky haze. Sometimes people confuse having a backdraft with having a drafty fireplace, which is when chilly air moves down from the top of your chimney and into your home. Backdraft is a different phenomenon entirely. The question is, what causes smoke to back up?

It is the damper in the vast majority of cases. In the event that yours is damaged or cracked, you may experience problems with backdrafts because of the accumulation of negative pressure in the upper part of your chimney. Utilizing a fan inside of the home that blows stale air into the surrounding environment is a close second best option.

Warning Signs for a Chimney Draft
The wind blows down through your chimney and right past the damper, bringing with it those brisk gusts of air. How can you tell if there is a problem before it gets worse? There are a few warning indicators that include the following:

Soot on Glass
As a result of the negative pressure systems found in homes, a downdraft has the potential to disperse microscopic soot particles into the surrounding air. These things normally disintegrate into regular household dust once they enter a home, but the black tint makes them particularly noticeable on windows. It’s possible that backdraft is to blame for the little soot streaks that have begun to form on your windows.

It Appears That the Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarms Are Not Working
It’s possible that you’ll disregard your smoke alarm if there isn’t an obvious and immediate danger in the area. Instead, it might be an indication that your home is being exposed to a reduced amount of smoke as a result of a downdraft.

Irritation of the Eyes
Do you get eye strain whenever you’re in close proximity to the fireplace, even when it’s not actively burning? It’s possible that you’ve been experiencing a downdraft for some time, and the accompanying soot is giving you eye irritation.

Better to be safe than sorry. Let the experts handle your chimney troubles like Chimney Cleaning Campo Seco and repairing. Call Local Chimney Sweep Cleaning today.

About Creosote Campo Seco
How to Prevent Chimney Downdraft Campo Seco