Perhaps not technically a DIY disaster, but a problem which is probably related to posts about a poorly drawing gas fire which I contributed a few months back. The following will be a statement of the blindingly obvious to some, but hopefully a timely warning to others.
We had a multi fuel stove fitted about 3 months ago, replacing the above mentioned gas fire.
Few problems once we worked out how to light it and keep it lit, except for one previous occasion when to my utter amazement smoke had started issuing from the front of the stove instead of going up the chimney. I never managed to work out what had happened until this evening, when it happened again. And happened big time.
All the windows in the bungalow were closed, and the only source of fresh air was the vent in the room where the stove is fitted. In the kitchen my missus was cooking up a storm, and the extractor fan was on full blast. I went to light the stove and to my horror smoke started billowing out from above and so it seemed, below the door. In panic I opened the door, poked the stove contents, shut it again and watched with mounting horror as the smoke continue to billow into the room. Then it struck me: the kitchen extractor was drawing air out through the open lounge door into the kitchen, and instead of the smoke and fumes being drawn up the flue, they were being pulled back into the room via the open air vents top and bottom of the stove. Once I turned the extractor off the smoke stopped issuing into the room, after which it was a matter of opening lots of windows to get a draught going to remove the smoke from the house. The CO alarm must have been on the point of sounding but fortunately we managed to get the smoke out before it reached a critical level.
Obvious moral of the story: think about the possible consequences of simultaneously using extractors and multi fuel or wood burning stoves in a modern, hermetically sealed property.
We had a multi fuel stove fitted about 3 months ago, replacing the above mentioned gas fire.
Few problems once we worked out how to light it and keep it lit, except for one previous occasion when to my utter amazement smoke had started issuing from the front of the stove instead of going up the chimney. I never managed to work out what had happened until this evening, when it happened again. And happened big time.
All the windows in the bungalow were closed, and the only source of fresh air was the vent in the room where the stove is fitted. In the kitchen my missus was cooking up a storm, and the extractor fan was on full blast. I went to light the stove and to my horror smoke started billowing out from above and so it seemed, below the door. In panic I opened the door, poked the stove contents, shut it again and watched with mounting horror as the smoke continue to billow into the room. Then it struck me: the kitchen extractor was drawing air out through the open lounge door into the kitchen, and instead of the smoke and fumes being drawn up the flue, they were being pulled back into the room via the open air vents top and bottom of the stove. Once I turned the extractor off the smoke stopped issuing into the room, after which it was a matter of opening lots of windows to get a draught going to remove the smoke from the house. The CO alarm must have been on the point of sounding but fortunately we managed to get the smoke out before it reached a critical level.
Obvious moral of the story: think about the possible consequences of simultaneously using extractors and multi fuel or wood burning stoves in a modern, hermetically sealed property.
