If your chimney isn’t performing as it should, it’s pretty common to have issues with smoke backing up into your home or business. However, when this happens, it’s important to understand why so that you can address the issue properly.
In some cases, this can involve some simple issues that are easy to troubleshoot, while other situations will require help from a professional. In either situation, start by extinguishing the fire, venting the smoke out of your structure, and keeping everyone outside until the smoke has been safely cleared.
In this article, we’ll provide some smoky chimney troubleshooting tips for Rochester residents to help diagnose the potential causes of excess chimney smoke.
Clearing the Air: Smoky Chimney Troubleshooting
Damper Troubles
Sometimes you’re in a hurry to get a warm, enjoyable fire going and you forget something simple. Taking the time to check whether your damper is open can save you from the expense and embarrassment of an unnecessary service call.
However, don’t assume that because the control is in the right position that your damper has been opened. Controls can fail, leaving your damper closed even when you think that it’s been opened, requiring help to ensure that it can operate properly and safely.
Poor Firewood Choice
Did that last delivery of firewood seem a little heavier than usual? Did you have to settle for a type of wood you haven’t burned in the past and are unfamiliar with? In many cases, burning green hardwood or unseasoned softwood firewood can cause more smoke than usual.
In this situation, the problem may be resolved by getting properly-seasoned fuel in. However, you may want to have your chimney checked if you continue burning improperly seasoned firewood, as it can cause excess creosote to build up, leading to blockages and even more smoke.
Blockages
If you didn’t have a chance to get your annual inspection or a branch may have struck your chimney cap, it’s important to have your chimney checked for blockages if it’s smoking excessively. If your cap has been knocked off or loose, animals may have invaded your chimney interior.
While animals look cute in social media videos, having one in your chimney can lead to debris, nesting materials, and even, unfortunately, dead animals in the space. This keeps smoke from exiting properly, causing it to back up into your structure.
Draft Problems
When troubleshooting a smoky chimney in your Rochester home, it’s important to consider draft. Draft is one of those words that chimney technicians tend to throw around that can seem a bit confusing to those not in the industry. Essentially, draft is the flow of air into your home, through the combustion cycle, and then out of your home as smoke.
If you’ve had weatherization performed on your home, installed better-sealing doors or windows, or otherwise sealed your structure, there may not be enough fresh air entering to keep the draft moving smoothly. Your chimney professional can advise you on a range of possible solutions.
Multi-Flue Issues
If you’re having issues with smoke coming out of a different fireplace when another one is lit, you could be having issues popping up because of an imbalance in your flue system. This can be somewhat common if you install a new appliance without an appropriately-sized liner.
In these cases, a chimney technician can look at the issue and determine how to fix it effectively. This may be due to the impact of wind, negative pressure issues, or improper sizing in your flue causing a pressure differential that impacts proper draft.
Chimney Problems
If you have smoke appearing in your home or business away from your fireplace or woodstove, it’s important to immediately extinguish your fire and not use your system again until it’s checked out. This is because this is an indicator of a chimney leak, which can be hazardous.
Smoke escaping your system before exiting at the top of your chimney stack is a sign that your chimney lining, masonry, or other parts are failing. This can lead to a chimney and house fire, buildup of potentially fatal carbon monoxide, and similar dangerous situations.
By understanding the issues that can be causing your smoky chimney and fireplace or woodstove, you can determine whether you can fix the problem yourself or if professional assistance is needed. If you need help with smoky chimney troubleshooting or fireplace maintenance in Rochester, the experienced professionals at Four Winds Chimney are happy to bring our four generations of chimney experience to bear on your system. Why not take a few minutes to reach out today through our website or give us a call to chat with our friendly team?
