Many homeowners complain that their fireplaces are blowing smoke into their homes instead of up the chimney.
Many homeowners complain that their fireplaces are blowing smoke into their homes instead of up the chimney. Fireplace smoke in the house poses a major problem for the health of you and your family. It is important that you find the cause of the problem right away and get it repaired. Several things can cause fireplace smoke to blow into your home. From a damaged flue to the wrong firewood, you usually can identify the problem easily. Here are some reasons why your fireplace may be smoking.
Closed Damper
The damper is a metal door above the firebox that should always remain closed when the fireplace is not in use. Otherwise, if the damper is left open, energy costs are likely to increase because the heated air in your home escapes through the chimney. The most simple and often forgotten first step for using a fireplace is to open the damper.
Chimney is not Primed
If your chimney is on an exterior wall, the chimney flue will often fill up with cold air in freezing weather. The cold air prevents the chimney draft from working, causing combustion gases to billow into the home. Dispel the cold air by rolling up a newspaper and lighting it like a torch. Carefully hold it up through the chimney to warm up the flue temperature. After a couple of tries, the chimney should be properly primed.
Poor Firewood
One of the most common causes of a fireplace smoking back into the home is poor-quality firewood. Having correctly seasoned firewood is crucial to a good burn; otherwise, you will have smoke flowing back into your home. Proper firewood is usually seasoned for around 12 months. This creates a log that has almost no moisture but is not too dry at the same time. Damp firewood produces more smoke than a flue can handle and will cause smoking. Your flue can not handle excessive amounts of smoke. If you experience fireplace smoke in the house, try using a different kind of firewood and see how your chimney reacts.
Lack of Air Pressure
Fires require adequate air pressure to achieve a proper chimney draft. However, many homes today do not have sufficient air pressure for the chimney venting system to operate correctly. The simplest way to remedy this is to open a window a few inches in the same room where the fireplace is. This will create an appropriate draft that moves the smoke out of your home.
Call the Experts at Champion Chimneys for Chimney Cleaning Today!
Champion Chimneys, Inc. is a fully licensed, bonded, and insured chimney service company that has served customers in Baltimore County, Howard County, and Anne Arundel County, Maryland since 2001. Our team is trained and certified by Certified Chimney Professionals, Inc. (CCP, Inc.). Courteous service is our trademark, and our crews arrive on time in uniform, driving fully equipped trucks. We specialize in all aspects of your chimney system. Whether you need chimney and flue cleaning service or a full chimney rebuild or inspection, contact us at 443-Chimney today and let us fix all your chimney problems. Also, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.