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Why Does My Fireplace Smoke?
This is a common problem that does not have a simple solution. Various factors are involved. It could be poor design of the fireplace, insufficient chimney height, insufficient air flow into the house or wind related back puffing.
Wind related back puffing occurs only when the wind is blowing. This can happen if there are trees close by or if the chimney is not high enough to clear other structures close by on windy days. If your fireplace works well when there is no wind, a VacuStack or WindBeater cap will solve your wind related back puffing problem. They will not cure a poorly drafting fireplace so don’t be tempted to use it for anything other than wind related problems.
Fireplace design also may contribute to smoke problems. If you see smoke rolling out of the top of your fireplace, this may be due to the height of your fireplace opening. Arched fireplaces frequently smoke. If you have a good draw in the flue, but get smoke out of the opening, you may need a Smokeguard. If you light up a piece of paper and hold it into the flue area (pre-heat your flue) you will see if the smoke draws up or comes back down. If the smoke rises well in the flue, but starts coming back in as you lower the smoking paper down to the grate area, the Smokeguard will help. Getting a higher grate or placing bricks under the legs to raise your fire up also helps in these cases. Smokeguards will fit square or rectangular fireplaces. An arched fireplace will require a custom made smoke guard.
Insufficient air flow happens when there is not enough air entering your home to allow the fireplace to draw properly. In these days of energy conservation, houses are getting very tight. Any appliance that pushes air out of your home is competing for the air coming into the house. Oil or gas fired boilers and furnaces need this air. Clothes dryers, bathroom fans, kitchen fans, attic and roof ventilators all push air out of your home. If you are getting smoke back from your fireplace when one or more of these other devices are working, your house is too tight for the fireplace to work properly. Try cracking a window or door when you have your fire going. If this solves the problem, you will need to install an Air Supply Ventilator in the wall of the room or one of the masonry models into your firebox. These ventilators can be closed when not in use. It is recommended that there be a fresh air supply in your boiler or furnace room to help prevent the backup of deadly carbon monoxide from your heating unit. Note: most prefab and contractor installed fireplaces will have an outside air inlet already built in. Check the outside of your chimney for a vent opening around the firebox area. Make sure this vent is clean and unobstructed. Check inside along the sides of your firebox opening (usually behind the screens) for a pull rod or slider that will open and close the vent.
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Why Does My Fireplace Smell Like An Old Campfire?
There are several reasons for an odor coming from your fireplace. Burning green or wet wood will leave a deposit of ash and creosote throughout your fireplace system. The smokier the fire, the more buildup of odor causing agents. A thorough cleaning of your system may help, but it is impossible to remove all of the ash and creosote from inside your smoke chamber and flue because of all the gaps and crevices in these systems. Burning hot fires of seasoned, dry hardwoods will help to eliminate these odors in the future. Having your chimney cleaned on a regular basis (usually after each cord of wood, 35 to 45 fires) and using a product such as Anti-Creo-Soot will help prevent the buildup of odor causing creosote in your chimney.
Water penetration into your chimney and smoke chamber does not only weaken your brickwork, it will also contribute to the odor. Cracked joints, a broken crown or wash, missing chimney caps and porous bricks will allow water to get into your chimney. Have a mason repair the brick and mortar. Install a properly fitting Chimney Cap or better yet, a top mounted damper to eliminate airflow and water from entering your flue. Coating your chimney with a product such as ChimneySaver will block water seepage through the brick and help prevent spalling (those little pieces of brick you’re finding on the ground).
Okay, now that you know what causes the odor, you have to know why it’s coming into your home. Many homes are prone to negative pressure due to over insulating. When any other appliance such as a furnace or boiler, clothes dryer, kitchen fan, bathroom fan, attic fan or air conditioning unit is turned on, it will draw air through the house to push to the outside. Your fireplace is a great source of air when all other leaks are plugged up. This creosote/ashy air is pulled down the chimney and into your home. Glass doors and closing the damper will help as will cracking a window or door. A Chimney and Fireplace Deodorant will also help to absorb the odor. Providing an alternate source of outside air will help, such as installing an Air Supply Ventilator. A Top Mounted Damper provides a much tighter seal at the top of the chimney to eliminate the airflow coming down the flue.
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Why Does My Downstairs Fireplace Fill With Smoke When I Burn The Upper Fireplace?
(Or The Other Way Around)
Why Do I Get An Oil Exhaust Smell From My Fireplace?
This is a common problem when you have two or more flues in the same chimney. When the flues are side by side, you can get a crossover from one to the other. Picture your house as a closed box. You have two outlets to the outside; your fireplace and your burner chimney, or two fireplace chimneys. When one is working, such as your burner or a lit fireplace, air is being drawn through the house and pushed up and out of the chimney. The air is being replaced through the unused opening, the other fireplace. Since the exhaust for the working chimney is right next to the unused chimney, a loop is created, sucking the air back in along with fumes and smoke (and carbon monoxide!). Sometimes, creating an alternate air source for the working unit will remedy this problem. Installing an Air Supply Ventilator can supply this air. Sometimes, raising one flue above the other will solve the problem. A FlueStretcher is an easy way of doing this. And sometimes, you need to do both, depending on how tight your house is. Sometimes, installing a Top Mounted Damper on the fireplace not being used will close it tight enough to prevent the loop effect. This is assuming there are no cracks or gaps in the liners to allow suction through the chase (the air space surrounding the flue inside the chimney itself).
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