Excessive updraught in chimney

tacklemore

Hello,
I was just wondering if anyone out there can help me. Built a new house, and I have a 2 pot chimney. One pot is connected to the Stanley range, in the kitchen, and the other is connected to the open fireplace in the livingroom. Both of them have excessive updraught, and there is also a howling noise in the chimney. It has been very bad recently, with all the windy weather. There is alot of air pressure against the door into the livingroom, especially when the fire is lit. It takes a good effort to close the door when it's windy. Have tried a spinning cowl (builder's idea, didn't work) and a cowl that looks like a chinese hat, if you know what I mean, which we are still trying out.
If anyone has got any solutions, I would appreciate them, because the noise is unbearable at the moment.
Thanks.

muffler

Im assuming its a two storey house as I have the same problem myself. I hope to get a vent put in above the hall/sitting room door which may go a little way towards equelling the air pressure/draught either side of the wall.

tacklemore

What I've done is put a vent at the base of the door between the living room and the hall. All that this has resulted in is a whistling noise from the vent on a windy night, due to the excessive updraught in the chimney. However, the vent has eased the pressure on the door, but not by as much as I expected. I decided that it would be easier to cut a vent in the door than put a vent in the wall.
Thanks for the suggestion though, and keep them coming!!

theresaogorman

We built a new two-story house in a wind tunnel (didnt realise untiil we moved in). Have two chimneys - stove and rayburn - constantly whistling and howling - cant keep timber & coal in them (burn so quickly). We have tried several cowls - to date - all tops have blown off - really dont know what to do.