Chimney Physics  
 

Next Session in 2010
at the CSIA Technology Center
near Indianapolis

 
 

Do The Following House Pressure Problems Have You Stumped?
• Spillage from factory-built fireplaces
• Odor problems from fireplaces
• Cross-over smoking from one fireplace to another (upstairs - downstairs fireplaces)
• Upstairs fireplace works - downstairs fireplace doesn’t
• Performance problems in one-story fireplaces in two-story houses
• Ghosting/sooting on ceiling in ranch house (living room, bedroom) - heating system in basement
• Problems with fireplaces in house after remodeling
• Cold drafts around factory-built fireplace
• Erratic smoking problem with fireplace in house located at bottom of hill
• Pressure problems in multi-family mid-rise house w/ central heating system (fireplaces smoke and stink)
• Odors when using fireplaces w/ heat exchangers
• Sooting with vented gas logs

Daily Program Overview
Day One

House as a System concept overview, direct vent and vent free fireplaces, understanding the thermal envelope, infiltration vs. exfiltration, pressure differences, stack effect and neutral pressure plane, spillage, backdrafting and draft and flow.

Day Two
Solving common house pressure scenarios, appliance spillage discussion, indoor air pressure, CO testing protocol, mold, biological contaminants, introduction to blower doors, digital manometers, CO detectors, spillage detectors, draft gauges and smoke pencils and diagnostic procedures.

Day Three
Troubleshooting atmospherically vented appliances, continued discussion about diagnostic procedures, air flow in buildings, gas flue sizing with pellet, direct vent and oil venting, draft inducers, woodburning fireplace design and flue sizing, demonstrations including burning a woodstove to create underpressure with fans in the space until it spills with doors open and closed and the CSIA Tell Tale House and a review of the course highlighting and reviewing problem resolution in the field through planned exercises.

A brief quiz at the end of each day allows you to track your progress and guides discussion to ensure that each session increases your understanding of the material presented.
 

In this three-day course at the CSIA Technology Center, you’ll learn how to diagnose common homeowner complaints that your competition is likely to miss. Understanding the house as a system allows you to start asking the right questions with the first homeowner call. You’ll complete the session with an expert skill set and a discount toward purchasing your own digital manometer from Copperfield.

As natural gas prices soar, many homeowners are rethinking their heating systems. During this intensive, three-day course students learn to diagnose and resolve chimney performance problems related to modern building construction in a way that’s easy for the new heating appliance owner to understand. Topics covered include solving air pressure problems, identifying the symptoms of indoor air pollutants, determining combustion air requirements for vented appliances and the use of diagnostic tools.

Students are presented with the unique opportunity to practice the skills gained during classroom instruction and on the CSIA TellTale pressure house. The models home allows students to first replicate performance problems and then successfully resolve the problems in a controlled laboratory setting. The course combines classroom training with hands-on experience in a controlled envionment with blower door tests run on the CSIA Technology Center. Other tools of the trade to be covered in this session include: Digital Manometers, CO Detectors, Combustible Gas Detectors, Draft Gauges and Smoke Pencils.

C
himney Physics is designed to provide a solid answer to your most common homeowners question: Why does this perfectly good chimney not work?!

16 CEUs are awarded to CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps® attending Chimney Physics.