Special Report: Chimney Wars

SPECIAL REPORT: CHIMNEY WARS by Jon Eakes Prevent backdrafts. Don’t make fireplaces, furnaces clothes dryers, and kitchen fans all fight for the same air A fireplace has trouble getting started. A furnace puffs occasionally into the basement, home owners complain of odors, and some members of the family seem to have the flu all winter… These are common occurrences-so common that, until recently, no one paid them much attention. It wasn’t until researchers demonstrated that a number of carbon-monoxide deaths each year were caused by chimney spillage (the Hatch Report, 1983) that the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation got into gear. They: 1. scientifically studied the draft mechanisms of chimneys; 2. developed testing procedures for How to Detect Backdrafts There are two approaches