For over 40 years, I have experienced the dangers of draft diverters and drafthoods. In 1993, a field test with AGA (American Gas Association) Labs verified the poor performance of draft diverters and drafthoods.
In their report, AGA stated that removing or blocking draft diverters or drafthoods and replacing them with double-acting barometrics improved the safety and operation of all equipment tested. Eighteen out of eighteen had tested unsafe!
Any time you see rust, white powder, or melted grommets anywhere on the equipment or flue, there is a potential hazard waiting to happen.
Finally, as if the above isn’t enough, there are two things to always avoid:
- Never install any venting fan above a drafthood!
- Never use a horizontal drafthood fabricated by a sheet metal company!
NCI is the only training organization that addresses the above with real world experience. We believe it is our responsibility to keep customers safe!
And then they will live happily ever after!!!
Nice article on draft diverter hoods.
I am interested in reading more about the white powder on flue pipes
I am retired now after working 45 years doing heating repairs. Twice I attended NCI’s combustion safety classes with Jim as the instructor. The thinking then was, if you didn’t measure, you didn’t know. Those words made so much sense to me.
The digital analyzer became the best investment that I could have made. It was expensive but very dependable and accurate. There were several times that I was able to track down and resolve CO problems.
By measuring, I found out that what I was seeing in a flame was at times not what the analyzer was seeing.
Following the protocol established for parameters that was provided by NCI kept me on course for not needing to make return calls on something that was serviced the first time.
It’s a good feeling to be able to say that you had a hand in finding problems that could have been serious enough to end up really bad.
Thanks NCI, thanks Jim
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This is some great writing! I thought I knew draft hoods pretty well… I guess I do a bit better now. Thanks!