Why is Smoke Coming Out Of My Fireplace?

If smoke is going into your home instead of out of your chimney, you are experiencing a common problem that has a range of different causes. The enjoyment of a fireplace can be lost when the chimney isn’t operating the way it’s supposed to, drawing combustion gases out of the home. Potential problems resulting from a smoky fireplace range from health issues to odors seeping into your furniture, carpeting, curtains, and other fabrics. It’s best to contact your trusted chimney sweep company without delay to identify the cause of the problem and do the needed repairs. The following are some of the most common causes of a smoky fireplace.

A Closed Damper

Before lighting your fireplace or stove, it is essential to open the damper. The damper should always be closed when a heating appliance is not in use so that indoor heated air isn’t drawn up the chimney.

Cold Air

Oftentimes, when smoke pours into the home while trying to start a fire, there is a cold column of air inside the chimney flue. Unlike hot air that rises, the cold air sinks down into the chimney and must be dispelled before your fireplace can operate the way it’s supposed to. This problem is most common in homes where the chimney is on an outside wall. When a chimney is installed on an interior wall, cold air is far less likely to create this problem.

The typical way to dispel the cold air is to create a torch with a rolled-up newspaper. Light the torch and carefully hold it up through the damper area so that the heat from the torch can change the temperature in the chimney flue.

Chimney Obstruction

Sometimes a smoky fireplace is a signal that the chimney flue is obstructed. The most common type of blockage is a buildup of creosote. Fire safety experts recommend scheduling annual chimney cleaning or waiting until 1/8 of an inch of creosote deposits are clinging to the flue lining.

It is crucial to address chimney blockage. Every year, thousands of house fires occur as a result of a dirty chimney clogged with highly flammable creosote. Other causes of blockage include debris such as leaves and limbs, nest from animals. If the chimney masonry is deteriorating, the blockage could be caused by masonry debris.

Burning Unseasoned Wood

The only types of firewood that should be used in a wood-burning heating appliances are seasoned hardwoods and softwoods. Wood is seasoned when it has dried out significantly with exposure to wind and sun and protection from moisture. The seasoning process takes between six months and a year or more, depending on the type of wood and storage conditions.

When green aka unseasoned wood is burned in a fireplace or stove, the wood creates an enormous amount of smoke. The smokiness is caused by excessive moisture inside the wood. When trees are first cut, the wood is bursting with moisture. A fire fueled with green wood burns out the moisture, which creates the smoke. Virtually all of the heat and energy from the fire goes into burning out the moisture. Such a fire provides scarcely any heat for the home.

Poor Chimney Design

A chimney may be too short on the roof for proper drafting to occur. A chimney could also be too tall. There are various ways that poor chimney design can affect the draft and cause a fireplace to smoke. It requires a chimney expert with masonry experience to fix a problem of poor chimney design.

Contact Dubuque Fireplace & Patio

When you have a serious problem like a smoky fireplace, it is not a good time to discover that the chimney sweep industry is unregulated. Plenty of unscrupulous “chimney sweeps” have been paid to provide chimney services that they do not know how to perform. Avoid paying for ineffective services. If you live in or around Dubuque, the trusted chimney experts to call are at Dubuque Fireplace and Patio. Call the experts today at (563) 582-5156.

In the Highland, WI, area, you can contact Chimney Specialists Inc., our sister store, at (608) 929-4887.