Just want to say a massive thank you for this video. We had more or less given up on a log burner that we had installed in our living room about 2 year ago. Every time we tried to light it we had a massive battle with down draft due to a cold external chimney. The result obviously was a smoke filled living room. We’ve used your technique 3 times now with success on each occasion. Brilliant! Thanks!

Doesn't work when very cold outside: better to use a hair dryer; cut a hole in a piece of cardboard that is cut to size of stove opening and let it run for two minutes or more; depends on outside temperature. Works like a charm with NO smoke.

Top tip, thanks for posting. The glass cleaning video also very useful domostrating how good a damp cloth, ash and a dollop of elbow grease works.

I use "top down" AND "bottom up" simultaneously to start my home-made wood burner. I ignite the top only, to allow the chimney to heat up and as the embers fall through the stack of kindling then the bottom ignites. This method gives me a completely smoke free fire very quickly, with the door closed. Of course the fire starter stack, I call it, is surrounded by large dry logs that will burn for at least 90 minutes or more before adding more fuel.

I thought I discovered this trick but you beat me to it with this video. Good!

If it’s really cold (Canada) I use a small torch and put directly into the chimney. Works perfectly every time. Thanks for your video👍

Had a big problem with smoke coming into room from our airtight stove in our airtight home and many ideas from even chimney sweeps until one guy told us just open a window in the room the stove is in before lighting it.....works like magic....problem solved with the negative pressure.

I have tried a lot of different methods and for my situation, this is the only one that works!!! Thank you!!!

Amazing demonstration! Thank you.

Thanks worked a treat

After a downdraught incident, I've stopped using paper... Causes too much smoke. My advice would be: a) USE A WOOL FIRELIGHTER and use the top-down lighting method... This causes little to no smoke whilst immediately sending hot air up the chimney. b) Open the stove door for 10 minutes before lighting. Any hot air in the room will start to move up the chimney, reducing the downdraught.

Thanks. That worked :-)

Try opening a window near the stove for a couple of minutes to equalise air pressure with outside. Test as per video to see if this stops the backdraft before lighting the stove.

I use a tuna can filled with rubbing alcohol to warm the chimney, and to get my kindlin going. No smoke.

not very pleasant is an understatement!! man I really got smoked out tonight, but it's -26 here and i'm not sure how i could have gotten it right with such a massive downdraft and temperature issue..

I wish I knew a good way to stop the backdraft from ever occurring in the first place. It doesn't have to be windy out and min backdrafts. Guess the weight of the cold air just wins and it falls down into the room. I use a hair drier to prime mine with no issues. My new idea, 80hr candles that I just leave lit in the unit when it's real cold out. That warms the space slowly and that seems to reduce, almost eliminate, the backdraft.

Was good my uncle David lights his stove 1 log on each side left and right one front or back with news paper and 2 fire lighters

I'm gonna try this thanks!

Just throw in a cap full of white spirits, one quick light on top ready fire and slam door shut so much easyer,

Question.... what if the smoke isn't coming back at you through the stove, but in the airspace at the top left corner of the stove? I'm worried that my stove may not have been installed correctly last spring. I thought that everything would be sealed to where smoke could only go out the chimney (or through down draft, out the doors).

How do you manage the end of a fire, does smoke from the embers escape in the room? Or does the residual heated box prevent the downdraft?

I just filled my house with smoke because I didn't recognize a downdraft won't do that again

I use a little fan placed in the stove for something like a 10 min, after that I set the fire. it's working in any outside conditions and zero smoke inside.

If you are using an open fire, then use the old trick with the newspaper in front of the fire, covering the firebox. This will provide the same closure as shutting the doors on a stove!

I tried that with to door wide open as well and still no proper air flo upwards, keeps co ing back downwards after a while please help

Just moved house and this is the same fire I have, it badly needs fire brick replacement do you have a company I can contact please.

Is that a Charnwood County 8? We just gave ours away and got a new Stovax Stockton 8 but the donwdraft is ridiculous! Smoke in the room every time we reload it unless we’re quick. Never had a stove this bad and wish we’d kept our crafty Charnwood!

If I stuffed that much in my stove from the off it would never get going! The smoke would just keep rolling around in the stove until the pressure sends it out of the vents into the room. Lightly scrunched up news paper and small kindling is the way to start allowing the air into the fire and help it burn then build it up slowly. as it burns

I think A damper in the flue pipe is a good solution to a down draft

What about every time u need to refeed the fire with new wood, every time i open the door smoke comes into the room, even if i do it slowly and with flue fully open, the chimney has just beeb swept and its still doing it??

You need to get new bricks as they are being to brake as stove is so hot

plug a hair dryer up the pipe to start draft upward takes 5 minutes then start fire!!

Dont bother with all this faff......just fit a Windkat chimney cowl. It's absolutely brilliant and prevents downdraught in any conditions. Job sorted guaranteed!

Forgot to ask the name of the fire as I can't seem to find one.

PS you’ve got far too much paper to start off, it’s absolutely unnecessary. Use kindling. And close your bottom air controls, instead open one of the doors a small amount.

I use a heat gun. First lay the fire with lots of paper and kindling. You want it to start quickly. Don't skimp. Second, stick the heat gun right into the stove pipe from inside the stove and let it run until the air is moving up the chimney. I have a 20'+ chimney so this takes about a minute. Then give it perhaps half again as much time. You want to be sure the air is moving well and in the right direction. Third, immediately start the fire - perhaps in multiple places. Fourth, close the door / lid. If the stove is warm you probably don't have a downdraft.

i taught ur not meant to put nails or screws ina stove i was told?

Rubbish

This doesn't tell you anything useful!