烟囱效应是由室内外温差形成的热压及室外风压共同作用的结果，通常以前者为主，而热压值与室内外温差产生的空气密度差及进排风口的高度差成正比。这说明，室内温度越是高于室外温度，建筑物越高，烟囱效应也越明显，同时也说明，民用建筑的烟囱效应一般只是发生在冬季。就一栋建筑物而言，理论上视建筑物的一半高度位置为中和面，认为中和面以下房问从室外渗入空气，中和面以上房间从室内渗出空气。
Chimney effect is the result of the combined action of thermal pressure and outdoor wind pressure caused by indoor and outdoor temperature difference. The former is usually the main factor, and the thermal pressure value is proportional to the difference of air density between indoor and outdoor temperature difference and the difference of height between inlet and outlet. This shows that the higher the indoor temperature is than the outdoor temperature, the higher the building is, the more obvious the chimney effect is. At the same time, it also shows that the chimney effect of civil buildings generally occurs only in winter. As far as a building is concerned, it is theoretically considered that half of the height of the building is in the neutral plane, that the room below the neutral plane seeps into the air from the outdoor, and that the room above the neutral plane seeps out the air from the indoor.