Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
ikea_gw

Cold draft from woodburning fireplace, gas insert?

ikea_gw
9 years ago

Fireplace novice here so bear with me please. Our 50 year old house has a large wood burning fireplace in the living room. Whenever it gets much below 45 degrees, there is cold draft coming in through the fireplace opening. The only time we tried to use the fireplace we got so much smoke blowing inside the house we gave up. We've had a top-Sealing chimney cap put in (the kind you use a metal chain to close from the inside). That helps some but still not great.

Would a gas fireplace insert with direct vent system help with the cold draft issue? It will definitely heat the living room when it is on. But when it is off, would the cold draft still leak around the fireplace insert? Thanks!

Comments (2)

  • akamainegrower
    9 years ago

    First thing, if it hasn't been done already, would be to have the chimney inspected by a certified chimney sweep. Smoke spilling out into the room usually means very poor draft caused by either blockage in the chimney, a chimney that is not high enough or a house so tightly sealed that there is insufficient air to permit the chimney to work as it should. Cold air coming down the chimney usually means the damper within the fireplace is not working correctly - stuck open, maybe even missing. Exterior chimneys are more prone to poor draft than those within the house.

    Changing to a gas fired insert would indirectly solve the cold air problem. In order to make the conversion you would probably have to have an insulated stainless steel liner installed with a block off plate put in just above the junction between the stove pipe and the liner. The combination of the insulation and block off plate should end any cold air problems, but would entail considerable expense. Even a gas insert needs air to draft properly, so solving that issue would still need to be addressed even if you decide on an insert.

  • cat_mom
    9 years ago

    We have the option to use the intermittent pilot in our gas insert, but we keep the pilot lit once the temp drops. Our FP is on the ground floor of our house. When the temperature drops near (or below?) 50ð, the pilot will often "time-out" while trying to lightt. The insert manufacturer (Regency), told us we should keep the pilot lit during the colder months. An added benefit, is that it keeps the insert warm, and in so doing, also keeps the air in and around the insert (and any air coming into the room from it), a lot warmer than it otherwise would be.