# Fireplace issues...?



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

As you may or may not know we heat solely with wood in the fireplace. We have propane but the heater is inefficient so you can blow through a tank in a month. I have a couple questions about fireplace heating.

I am aware we really should have a wood stove insert but seeing how I rent this place I am not spending the money right now.

The fireplace was swept before Christmas just after Thanksgiving and as of late smoke is gently escaping the box and coming into the house. Not enough to set off the smoke detector but I can see it. 

The house is also starting to reek of smoke and burning wood when we do have a fire going and it never did that before. We are having a few issues with sneezing and coughing since this all started.

Does the fireplace and chimney need to be swept again?!


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

I am by no means an expert, but it seems to me that your problem is a damper issue, perhaps it isn't open enough.


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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

Grimm I sweep mine three time a season to keep it flowing ( more then needed but had a flu fire ten years ago never want that again ) but it can only be one of three things . Wind changes ie blowing back down chimney so ya get puffs . Or dirty flu slowly clogging up so ya get smoke . Or as said damper issues . I would shut down the fire and inspect with flash light 


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

The damper is open 100% and always is. Trust me we went through THAT issue with the landlords to get them to sweep it 2 months ago.

We see the puffs often EVERY time we have a fire going. So multiple times a day. We thought it might be that the fire was too close to the mouth of the box so I build my fires all the way in the back now.

I'm thinking it may be due for another cleaning. The sweep who did it 2 months ago just used a brush. I think it may be time for an acid cleaning since the landlords have never cleaned it (over 7 years) before.


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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

Is your wood good and dry if it's green or even just damp creosote builds up fast 


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

moondancer said:


> Is your wood good and dry if it's green or even just damp creosote builds up fast
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


Seasoned hardwood. Got it from the guy all my neighbors buy from. None of them are having these issues with the wood but then they all own their homes and maintain the chimneys and fireplaces/wood stoves.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

They used ta make a product ya could put in the fire that would help clean the chimney. It worked really well. Ain't sure ifin ya can still get it er not. Ifin it ain't the damper, er cleanin, I'd check the pipe ta make sure one ain't gotta hole in it. Also, do ya notice it more on a windy day er ifin the wind blows from a certain direction? Ya might need ta add a bit more pipe ta the top. Just a few thoughts.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> They used ta make a product ya could put in the fire that would help clean the chimney. It worked really well. Ain't sure ifin ya can still get it er not. Ifin it ain't the damper, er cleanin, I'd check the pipe ta make sure one ain't gotta hole in it. Also, do ya notice it more on a windy day er ifin the wind blows from a certain direction? Ya might need ta add a bit more pipe ta the top. Just a few thoughts.


Since we are in a canyon there is almost a steady wind or breeze. The last week or two has been when the smoke is coming into the house. No increase for stronger gusts.

They still make those cleaning logs. The sweep who cleaned the flue told us that the size of our chimney and firebox it would require 2 of those logs at a time to do any thing. At almost $15 each here I'd rather put it on the landlord to cough up the money. If I owned the cabin I'd own stock in those things!


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## GaryS (Nov 15, 2011)

I'm guessing it's a draw problem caused by too short a chimney, or as the OldCootHilbilly said, it could be caused by the wind from a certain direction. If there is a roofline that deflects the wind in a certain way, that could cause it not to draw. A partially plugged spark arrester can also be a problem.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

GaryS said:


> I'm guessing it's a draw problem caused by too short a chimney, or as the OldCootHilbilly said, it could be caused by the wind from a certain direction. If there is a roofline that deflects the wind in a certain way, that could cause it not to draw. A partially plugged spark arrester can also be a problem.


The top of the flue is above the roofline. I wish it were a simple fix as adding some more pipe but the flue is brick.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 27, 2012)

Grimm, has it acted like this all along since you moved into the cabin, or has it just started recently? I'm guessing that you may not have used it that much until just a few months ago.

Buildings codes for solid fuel appliance vents may vary from state to state, but as I recall, the vent pipe needs to be at least 3ft above any portion of a structure that is within 10ft of the flue, laterally. If you have a high-pitch roof and the flue is, say, halfway between the wall and the roof pitch, there needs to be a lot of flue rising from it to pull a draft and avoid down-draft from winds rolling off the peak into the pipe, speaking in layman's terms regarding aerodynamics. At the least, if the flue is right in the pitch of the roof, there should be a minimum of 3ft of flue above the pitch...simple as that.

There's nothing wrong with a brush to sweep the flue...I have used those for years. You just brush it until nothing falls out the bottom anymore, then come up a few feet and work it some more, until you're out the top. Inspect your work after removing the brush with a flashlight, and repeat as needed until it looks like almost bare metal from top to bottom. The upper end and screen will have the most soot and/or creosote build-up, as that's the farthest from the heat source/fire. It needs to be cooler to collect on the flue or screen. I have also slung a chain around inside the flue to break-down soot, though this method is not as effective or reliable...but works when you're in a pinch.

BTW, being it's a brick chimney, it may very well already be due for cleaning again. They seem to run a lot cooler at less distance from the fire than a wood stove with metal pipe does...the mass of the brick/mortar soaks in a lot more heat from the fire than a light metal pipe will. Also, fireplaces carry cooler air out the flue along with the vent gases due to being an open fire vs a closed stove.

Hope this gives you a bit more insight where to look for a solution.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

forluvofsmoke said:


> Grimm, has it acted like this all along since you moved into the cabin, or has it just started recently? I'm guessing that you may not have used it that much until just a few months ago.


It didn't do this when we moved in this past April. We were burning fires for the first 2 months after we moved in(snow still on the ground). It was fine when we started burning fires again in September. Then in November it started pouring smoke into the house so we told the landlords and it was cleaned. The sweep said it looks like it had not been cleaned for years (which it hadn't). The clog at the screen was sooooooo bad it took him over an hour just to clean that! The over all job took 4 hours to clean with the brush. We used propane for most of November til the chimney was cleaned.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

UPDATE

Okay. I just talked to the sweep after he inspected the fireplace. The chimney cap is clogged. The odd warm then cold then warm weather we are having out here is causing the smoke to cool and clog the cap. It needs to be cleaned again. He said that he is seeing lots of this up here so it is not something we are doing wrong.

He is coming back in the morning to clean the cap and re-check the pipes.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Grim ya can do that from right there in the house. Stick the shotgun up the chimney an squeeze offa round. Cap will be clean (prolly gone) an problem solved!


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Grim ya can do that from right there in the house. Stick the shotgun up the chimney an squeeze offa round. Cap will be clean (prolly gone) an problem solved!


If I owned the cabin I'd actually remove the cap during the winter.


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