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The fireplace in our rented home puts smoke that we can see and smell throughout the house. What could it be?

When looking up the vent it seems open. Any idea why we are getting this smokey smoke throughout the house? What else can we try to do???? (It is not a fireplace insert.) We get smoke that we can smell and see in every room in the house.

Public Comments

  1. Have the chimney cleaned and check that the flue is operating correctly.
  2. you ned to have your chimmney cleaned professionally.
  3. Sounds like to me that you are in need of a chimney sweep. Often times a fireplace will smoke if the draft is not enough to carry the smoke out of the fireplace. It may seem to be open however, it needs to be totally open to create such a draft as to pull all of the smoke up the chimney. Good Luck ~ Happy Holidays
  4. bad air flow
  5. The linning of the the fireplace might be cracked. Letting smoke in the attic or through the return somehow.
  6. The chimney is probanly fine. What you need to do is before you light the fire, open a door to the outside. Preferably a door that is nearest to the fireplace that opens to the outside. Then light the fire. The smoke will tracel up the chimney and begin to warm the chimney. After about 10-15 minutes close the door and the smoke should continue going up the chimney. If this doesn't work, then you may have an obstruction in the chimney like an animal nest and you should have it swept.
  7. most fireplaces have a little door in the bottom that lets you push the ashes out to the outside (called an ash-trap). Crack it open so you get airflow through the fireplace, and you should be fine. If you don't have one of these, your house might be too "tight". Crack a window and see if that helps. Fireplaces work with "convection". they need to be able to draw in cool air to create an airflow that moves the smoke up the chimney. if your house is too well sealed, the hot air (smoke) can't leave the house, because that would create a negative pressure in the house. air from the outside must be allowed to replace the air that is going up the chimney.
  8. YOU MAY HAVE TO GET ON THE ROOF AND MAKE SURE THERE IS NO BIRD NESTS OR OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE CHIMNEY. YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO TAKE A STRONG FLASHLIGHT AND CHIMNEY BRUSH AND EXTENSIONS UP WITH YOU TO CLEAN IT OUT ALSO CHECK CHIMNEY FOR CRACKS IN THE BRICK AND MORTAR IF THIS IS A RENTAL PROPERTY, ASK THE LANDLORD FOR THE CHIMNEY BRUSH AND EXTENSIONS IF ONE IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE HOUSE