Expert: James Ball - 7/30/2010

Question
every time i open the door to my wood heater smoke comes out into the house how do i stop this? the heater is only 2 years old and has done this from new
thanks
grace

Answer
Hello Grace, this is a common problem called Negative Pressure, your house is not air tight the hot air in you  house is rising and getting out (attic doors/louvers, furnace returns, kitchen/bathroom exhaust fans, cloths dryers, radon systems, hot water heaters, heating boilers.
Now which one is doing it at your home might be one or all. so  how do you fix it, you might not be able to, but what it is really doing is causing a vacuum in the home and the house needs "make up air" so next time you go to add wood to your heater, open an out side door or window (in that room just a few inches) give it a minute and then open the door slowly and feed the wood in, trail and error a few times till you get it to work.
James