Fireplace soot blowing into the room...and flue was open

Fire got too low and the cold air stacked up in the chimney won out. HVAC intake may have created a negative pressure on the house too when the fire died down.

what's the fix? new chimney cap?

quote:

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Not me...I have gas logs...

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I chuckled

I loved the wood stove at my old house. You have to commit to starting it though. If you don't put enough kindling and fast burning wood to get the heat up and the smoke starts backing up into the house you're in a death spiral because opening windows to get the smoke out then pulls even more smoke down the chimney into the room along with artic air and within minutes your wife is on the phone with a divorce attorney.

But once you get that bitch HOT it will keep a huge space toasty on just a couple logs. Ours had that combuster that allowed you to close the flue completely and it would recycle the smoke and heat inside the stove and a log would last for hours.

Loved that thing.... When it worked.

could wind have also been a factor?