We often get calls from homeowners who are trying to figure out why they have such high heating bills over the winter. They’ve sealed all of the windows and doors that they don’t used and turn down the heat in rooms that aren’t in use but the heating bills keep rising. It could be that they are having issues with their chimney draft.
Without getting too technical, chimney draft is the higher pressure outside the chimney that forces the flue gas up from the fire up and out of the chimney. Because air flows in both directions the direction of the flow depends on the temperatures inside the chimney and outside. Cold outside air will flow into the lower parts of the building when the inside temperature is higher than outside temperature and inside air density is less than outside air density.
One way to fix the problem is with chimney pots look like pipes and can be added to the top of a chimney in order to improve the draft by adding height to a chimney. It’s a quick inexpensive fix to what could be an expensive problem. If you have more than one chimney in your home, you’ll have to add more than one pot. For homes with classic architecture, chimney pots can provide the perfect accent. It’s also suggested that you also install a chase cover to keep the rain and other debris out of your chimney.
