Charnwood Downdraft fix with external air vent.

[Gtflash]

10 hours ago, slim reaper said:

. Watch where the smoke comes out of the cowl and once out does it get up and away or fall below the roof.

The removable plate above the fire may not be seated correctly but take it out and light some paper and cardboard in the firebox to see if it pulls better.Also make sure the cap at the bottom of the flue “y” box is well sealed.. you could light some paper under there to see if pulls the flame / smoke up and out the top but shut stove door and vents beforehand...

Great idea checking at the y piece.  I inspected it the other day for debris.  
 

I checked the firebox insulative cheeks and the one on top of fire and the metal plate about a month ago.  That was dislodged and I refitted it according to manual. 

[Gtflash]

10 hours ago, Woodworks said:

Ours is a closed combustion system. Work fine. I have read that because you are drawing in cold air instead of air at room temp secondry combustion is harder to reach but cant see 20C can make a lot  of difference. The only times I have had a slight problem is when we get a gale from the east (the way the air intake faces) it can be tricky to light but nothing like the problems you are having. 

 

I would extent your flue higher above the ridge as well as looks very low. 

Thank you.  Sounds sensible 

[Gtflash]

10 hours ago, Stubby said:

If you say its not so bad now that the wind is in a different direction then surely that points to it not being high enough above the ridge .

I notice smoke smell down the front of the house when on the drive.  That’s what led me to believe I needed the new cowl as I could see smoke curling over ridge, down other side and down the house one evening. 

[Gtflash]

22 hours ago, Commando said:

I have a grenadier stove heater which I had to use regularly in our last house. Great bit of kit

Does it not make a mess? 

[openspaceman]

36 minutes ago, Gtflash said:

I notice smoke smell down the front of the house when on the drive.  That’s what led me to believe I needed the new cowl as I could see smoke curling over ridge, down other side and down the house one evening. 

I think the video shows a gust  doing this and attaching the smoke to the other side of the ridge in a Coanda effect.

 

I wouldn't lose to much sleep about finding what is causing the depression in the room, two cheap fixes are adding length and an H cowl to the flue and/or plumbing the outside air direct to the stove to make it room sealed.

 

I have not used that stove heater but did use  a cheap Aldi hot air gun and yes it could blow ash out and smoke when lighting the fire.

 

Indeed I have run my particulate sensor and seen, and confirming a recent newspaper article, a definite spike in particulates in the room when reloading, it takes best part of an hour  to get back down. So opening the stove as few times as possible should make sense.

 

BTW outside air here is worse and builds up over the evening, whether that is just my particulates settling down or the neighbours' I wouldn't like to say.

[slim reaper]

Those trees cant be helping.

[Stubby]

1 hour ago, Gtflash said:

I notice smoke smell down the front of the house when on the drive.  That’s what led me to believe I needed the new cowl as I could see smoke curling over ridge, down other side and down the house one evening. 

Yea but as some of us have been saying the stack is not tall enough .

[topchippyles]

13 minutes ago, Stubby said:

Yea but as some of us have been saying the stack is not tall enough .

Twas me said so first 😏Sorry to see the news about your dad stubby 😒

[Gtflash]

Thank you.  I will contact original installer for stack extension.  Or ask him what make the twin wall is.  
 

external air supply seems sensible to me also.  
 

really appreciate the advice 

[topchippyles]

Looks like selkirk brand or will be written on there i should think