Enviro 1200 Fireplace Insert, C-10240, 1700 Freestanding, 50-1040 What can cause a poor draft?

Operating Instructions

8. What can cause a poor draft?

The most common factors for poor draft are:

a)Air supply

b)Environmental conditions

c)Cold chimney temperature

d)Poor chimney installation and maintenance

e)Atmospheric pressure

a)Air supply – Inside the home, normal household appliances such as clothes dryers and forced-air furnaces compete for air, resulting in air starvation to the fire. This creates a condition in the house known as negative pressure. When a house experiences negative pressure, the combustion gases can be drawn from the chimney and into the house. This condition is commonly referred to as down- drafting. Increased amounts of insulation, vinyl windows, extra caulking in various places and door seals can all keep heat in but may also make a home too airtight. An easy way to stop negative pressure in a home is to crack a window in the room containing the stove.

b)Environmental Conditions - High trees, low-lying house location such as in a valley, tall buildings or structures surrounding your house and windy conditions can cause poor draft or down-drafting.

c)Cold Chimney Temperature - Avoid cold chimney temperatures by burning a hot fire for the first fifteen to forty minutes, being careful not to over-fire the stove. If any part of the chimney or parts of the stove start to glow, you are over-firing the stove. Where possible, install a temperature gauge on the chimney so temperature drops can be seen.

d)Chimney Installation and Maintenance - Avoid using too many elbows or long horizontal runs. Too short a chimney can cause difficult start-up, dirty glass, back smoking when door is open, and even reduced heat output. Too tall a chimney may prompt excessive draft, which can result in very short burn times and excessive heat output. If in doubt, contact a chimney expert and/or chimney manufacturer for help. Clean chimney, rain caps and especially the spark arrestor regularly, to prevent creosote build- up, which will significantly reduce chimney draw and possibly a chimney fire.

Note: These instructions are intended as an aid and do not supercede any local, provincial or state requirements. Check with officials or authorities having jurisdiction in your area.

AIR CONTROL:

The air wash and pilot air (control the amount of air to the fire) are controlled by the rod located on the right side of the unit. To increase your air, pull the rod out and to decrease, push the rod in. All the units have a secondary air that flows through the tubes at the top of the firebox, just below the baffles.

Pull this control all the way out when first starting the stove.
Once the fire has been established you may adjust this control
to set the burn rate of the fire. If this damper is closed at
first start-up, the fire will burn very slowly and could soot the
appliance.
When shutting down the stove, fully open the air control. This
		Increase air - pull rod out
allows the chimney temperatures to remain as high as possible
		Decrease air - push rod in
for as long as possible. Cold chimney temperatures create
creosote.
	Figure 1: Air Control Rod.

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