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Message
Why does my fireplace smoke up the house so bad?
Posted on 1/10/21 at 11:59 am
Posted on 1/10/21 at 11:59 am
Driving me crazy. 6 year old house. And it's done this since built the house. I'm wondering if my flue is too small
Posted on 1/10/21 at 12:14 pm to SportTiger1
Have you tried cracking a window in the room so it can draft properly?
Posted on 1/10/21 at 12:20 pm to SportTiger1
Dumb question but are you sure the flue is open all the way?
Posted on 1/10/21 at 12:22 pm to SportTiger1
How is your house insulated? If you don’t have a leaky house, you might not have good enough draft. Try cracking a window and see.
Posted on 1/10/21 at 12:44 pm to SportTiger1
I don't have a fireplace anymore but the few people I know that burn one and it doesn't smell like a smokehouse start with a small fire to heat the flue and chimney before they try to heat the house. My house always smelled like woodsmoke even when I had an insert.
Posted on 1/10/21 at 12:49 pm to SportTiger1
What the others have said. If you have spray foam insulation, that may be the issue. Crack a window.
Posted on 1/10/21 at 12:54 pm to SportTiger1
Has it happened from day one? If so your stack might not be sized right. I have one that the guy before me diyed in my older home. I have to heat it first with a starter log for a while before I put wood on. I also must use “designer logs”. Thin, bark free, dry wood to keep the smoke down...it’s a pain in the arse
Posted on 1/10/21 at 1:07 pm to SportTiger1
They aren’t designed to be used, ours does the same as does everyone in our hood. FP is strictly something to look at the hole now days.
Posted on 1/10/21 at 1:11 pm to misterc
Your house is too “tight”,you need to crack a window closest to the fireplace.Fires in a fireplace draft a lot of air out of the house,At some point a negative pressure situation will develop and smoke will be pulled into the house.Pretty common with newer houses.
My fireplace has an exterior air intake.
My fireplace has an exterior air intake.
Posted on 1/10/21 at 1:12 pm to SportTiger1
Lot of unknowns here...you need to put a little more info out there.
Is it a brick chimney will a clay liner?
Is it a metal flue?
Has it ever been cleaned?
Does it have a bird screen at the top?
Etc etc
Is it a brick chimney will a clay liner?
Is it a metal flue?
Has it ever been cleaned?
Does it have a bird screen at the top?
Etc etc
Posted on 1/10/21 at 1:21 pm to LSUA 75
quote:
My fireplace has an exterior air intake.
This is what you want.
Posted on 1/10/21 at 1:43 pm to Meauxjeaux
Yes. My house is so poorly insulated, the fireplace actually makes it colder unless you’re sitting right in front of it
ETA I don’t know a lot about this but I’ve been told if your chimney is not high enough above the roof line, the wind can also cause problems and force smoke back into the house.

ETA I don’t know a lot about this but I’ve been told if your chimney is not high enough above the roof line, the wind can also cause problems and force smoke back into the house.
This post was edited on 1/10/21 at 1:45 pm
Posted on 1/10/21 at 1:46 pm to skidry
quote:
Yes. My house is so poorly insulated, the fireplace actually makes it colder unless you’re sitting right in front of i
But hey, no smoke smell ya can’t win them all you know lol
Posted on 1/10/21 at 1:50 pm to DuckSausage
Flue open
Cracked window
Fiberglass insulated.
Warmed up flue for 30 minutes before adding logs
Nothing working. Guess it's stopped.
Cracked window
Fiberglass insulated.
Warmed up flue for 30 minutes before adding logs
Nothing working. Guess it's stopped.
Posted on 1/10/21 at 1:53 pm to ForLSU56
Metal flue
Never been cleaned buy I also haven't burned a whole lot in that 6 years
It has a round vent with vertical slats. Looks like an attic roof vent
Never been cleaned buy I also haven't burned a whole lot in that 6 years
It has a round vent with vertical slats. Looks like an attic roof vent
Posted on 1/10/21 at 1:58 pm to KemoSabe65
quote:
They aren’t designed to be used,
Been in our house 17 years and never used ours once

Posted on 1/10/21 at 2:04 pm to LSUA 75
quote:
Your house is too “tight”,you need to crack a window closest to the fireplace.
Yeah thats not the case on mine.... my house has the original windows and doors from 1966. House is like swiss cheese. Plus you can open a door and smoke will still back up. I paid a fireplace pro to come out and he determined the issue was too small of a stack for size of opening in fireplace. There is some ratio and the solution was to change out stack...but I'm bulldozing the house. when do that I will have it designed properly when the new fireplaces get built. That exterior air intake sounds like the way to go
Posted on 1/10/21 at 2:07 pm to SportTiger1
When i first light mine when the wind is blowing there will sometimes be a little smoke that comes into the house until the fire get rolling good.
Posted on 1/10/21 at 2:21 pm to SportTiger1
We had a double sided fireplace (living/breakfast) when we bought our house. When the ac kicked on, it would draft from room to room making the whole house smell like campfire. We replaced it with an LED insert when we remodeled. Huge improvement
This post was edited on 1/10/21 at 2:23 pm
Posted on 1/10/21 at 2:39 pm to skidry
Stoves are WAY more efficient in putting out heat then a fire place.
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