Expert: Steve Tavares - 11/16/2009

Question
We have problems with smoke comming back down the chimney after lighting our wood burning stove, we are wondering if our flue is too short. How high should the flue be inside the chimney. The chimney is 8 meters high. Our flue goes up 2.5 meters into the chimney.

Answer
To tell you the truth I would have run it all the way up. But I want you to try something first because I think this is the real issue.

Before you start a fire I want you to open a window in that room for 10 minutes. Then try and start the fire.

I believe that the room is sucking air into it because of negative pressure, so what happens is the room sucks air from outside down the chimney and your trying to exhaust smoke out of it as well. Thus, smoke coming back into the room. Please try this and let me know what happens.

Thanks