Ventilation between Fireplace and Furnace

[Deb Mayo]

I purchased a new Colony Timberland Home with a wood burning fireplace. My furnace is gun-type and we had a very difficult time getting it to run. Apparently, the fresh air duct attached to the furnace was not drawing enough air to keep the furnace going. After several sessions with my heating contractor, the matter seemed to be corrected. However, I started using my fireplace just recently and discovered that when my furnace is running (the hot air is blowing from floor vents), air is being sucked down my chimney creating a very hazardous situation. Therefore, I cannot use my fireplace and run my furnace at the same time. I have called the factor, the dealer, etc. with no results. I was informed I should have my heating contractor back to look over the situation. This is just the latest problem I have had with my new home. Several other defects, etc. still not fixed by factory. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

[Mac]

Not sure what your experience is, but what you describe is common. Cold air comes down the chimney of any fireplace. The damper is there to stop that; also, many folks install glass doors for the same reason.
When you start a fire, you need to get a draft going, by burning a piece of newspaper, etc. to get warm air flowing upward. You need to do this whether the heater is on or not.
Once your fire is lit and burning well, I would be shocked if turning on the furnace caused smoke to back up.

[rmurray]

Your fireplace also has a vent...They are intended to burn with the glass doors closed..

Check the fireplace vent...It should not be obstructed and the skirting should have enough vents to allow enough air to draw in for the fire...
Some folks will run the firepalce vent outside the skirting...Could this have been the same problem the furnace had..??..

[Deb]

Thank you both for your responses. I have some experience with fireplaces in manufactured homes. My previous place was a doublewide set on concrete block skirting and concrete pad. The fireplace vent was directed to the concrete pad and we never had a problem with air being pulled down the chimney.
My new place is set on dirt and corrugated skirting with air ventilation. My fireplace vent is directed to the ground. I should not have to close my fireplace doors in order to stop smoke from coming into the house.
As far as my furnace is concerned, the fresh air duct coming from the roof was not drawiing enough air to keep the furnace running. My heating contractor actually disconnected the air duct from the furnace to keep it running and then reconnected it. The furnace has been running normally but when the floor vents are blowing, it seems to draw any available air it can which happens to be the fireplace chimney.
This home has been a calamity of problems and I am fed up with trying to get answers from the dealer and the factory. I am so frustrated, I am ready to file suit against them all.
Here's another question. During delivery, my home was damaged when it hit guardrails. How do I know that the entire frame is not bent without spending a fortune getting a home inspection?

[rmurray]

New manufactured homes are built very tight...all homes have a passive vent to the outside to equalize air pressure from the outside to the inside...Find yours and be sure it is open..

As far as the fireplaces efficiency is concerned...They actually lose energy when the doors are open and the blower is run..of course..closed doors lose a lot of the ambiance of a fire place..

One other thing...the furnace blower should be a 2 speed blower..it is supposed to run slower for heat than when cooling...have you checked the blower speed of the furnace???????

By the way..it does not take a home inspector to see a bent frame..It would be obvious to any eye..but the kind of accident you mentioned probably would not have hurt the frame..only some of the exterior trim or siding..easily replaced..

[Babs]

We have a Colony Laurel House with a wood burning fireplace and we have never had a problem with smoke when our furnace kicks on.After the fire gets going we shut the vents in the family room where the fireplace is because it gets to warm in there but the thermastat is still calling for the furnace to come on to heat the rest of the house.We had a couple of small things that had to be fixed and the factory was quick to respond,our home was built in Shippingdale,PA.
Hope you get your problems worked out.
Babs

[Deb Mayo]

Could you tell me where the Passive Vent might be in my home? I don't know where to look.