Fireplace smoke should go up the chimney, not into your room. Unfortunately, smoky fireplaces are common throughout greater Louisville, KY, and northern Indiana.
American Chimney & Fireplace knows how irritating a smoky fireplace can be. We’ve resolved a lot of these problems for our customers since 2007, and we can resolve yours. Here’s some helpful information.
Four Causes of a Smoky Fireplace
- Fireplace not being used properly
- Drafting obstructions
- Chimney structural issues
- Reverse air pressure in the home
Let’s look at each of these causes in more detail.
How You Use Your Fireplace
Damp firewood creates a lot of smoke. Dry wood is much less smoky. Non-firewood items like plastics, furniture pieces, construction materials, clothing and more can produce huge volumes of smoke. Use only dry firewood in your fireplace.
Drafting Obstructions
A smoky fireplace will result when smoke can’t get up and through the chimney. Common reasons include:
- A clogged chimney cap, flue cover or chase top
- Tree or animal debris in flue
- Excess buildup of creosote and soot in the flue
- A fireplace damper that only opens partially
These issues are easy to solve with chimney sweeping, chimney cap cleaning (or installation if you don’t have one), and fireplace damper service.
Structural Issues
If the smoke problem has been happening ever since you started using the fireplace (such as from the time you bought the house or had the fireplace built), it’s possible that there’s an issue with the way the chimney system was built.
Chimneys that are too short or otherwise incorrectly sized for the fireplaces they vent won’t be able to handle the required volume of smoke and can push it back into the room.
Smoke chambers with corbelled (“stepped”) rather than smooth surfaces can hinder the draft and cause smoke backups.
Your chimney technician will look at structural issues and recommend the best way to address them.
Reverse Air Pressure
Exhaust fans, such as those used in kitchen stove hoods and bathrooms, can pull air away from the chimney. Properly built chimneys have a natural upward draft, but exhaust fans may be stronger and lead to a smoky fireplace problem. Try turning off the fans while the fireplace is in use.
It’s Not Just Smoke That’s the Problem
Nobody likes a smoky fireplace. But much worse than smoke is the carbon monoxide that smoke carries. Carbon monoxide is invisible and odorless, and it’s been shown to be potentially fatal to humans and animals. When you think “fireplace smoke,” think “carbon monoxide.”
Smoky Fireplace Resolution Starts with a Chimney Inspection
American Chimney & Fireplace offers certified chimney inspections to get to the bottom of your smoky fireplace problem. If you’ve done what you can to resolve the issue but nothing has changed, let us take a look at your chimney system.
We’re a family-owned, family-operated chimney company, and we care about your safety and comfort. Our technicians are highly trained and carry a range of top industry certifications. When you need solutions to chimney problems, call the problem solvers at American Chimney & Fireplace. You can also reach us through our contact form.
We proudly serve Louisville, KY, and all of Jefferson County, KY, as well as Prospect, KY, Shelbyville, KY, Jeffersonville, IN, Taylorsville, KY, Hillview, KY, Shepherdsville, KY, and other local communities.
