Excessive fireplace smoking can create several nuisances in your home, such as polluting the air, unpleasant odors, health risks, staining and discoloration of walls and furniture, and many more. To avoid these problems, seek the services of professional fireplace experts that can eliminate smoke issues and restore your fireplace to proper working order.
At Clean Sweep Chimney Service, we offer fireplace smoking solutions tailored to your fireplace, home and its setup. Whether it is repairing chimney liners or clearing obstructions, we do everything to eliminate smoke issues. As a professional, full-service chimney and fireplace company with extensive experience in handling fireplace-related issues throughout St. Louis and St. Charles, we can provide solutions to all of your fireplace problems. For more information on our services or to schedule your chimney sweep / inspection service or repair, contact us online or by phone at 636-477-9966.
What Causes Fireplace Smoking Problems?
Fireplace smoking problems can stem from a variety of factors. Some of the factors include:
- Poor airflow within the fireplace can lead to poor drafting. When this happens, the smoke generated from the fireplace backdrafts into the home instead of venting out of the chimney.
- Blockages within the chimney cause smoking problems. Debris buildup, animal nests, and creosote can prevent the smoke from venting out of the chimney. As a result, the smoke enters the house.
- Improperly sized fireplaces can cause smoke problems. An over-sized fireplace can lead to poor airflow, resulting in smoke accumulating inside the house, while an under-sized fireplace also leads to poor airflow, resulting in smoke problems. The solution is to properly build a fireplace according to the measurements of the area where it is being installed.
- Structural issues associated with fireplaces like cracks or leaks can cause smoking problems. Therefore, regular fireplace maintenance and chimney leak repair is required to address such issues and fix them immediately.
- Negative home pressure issues. A new furnace, windows, siding, bath or kitchen remodel and many other factors can cause a pressure imbalance in the home causing odors or spillage of the fireplace or wood stove.
What We Do?
When dealing with a fireplace that releases excess smoke into your home, it is important to call in the experts. At Clean Sweep Chimney Service, we understand just how fireplaces work and are familiar with the common issues that can cause smoking problems. When developing each customized solution, we perform several activities to diagnose and address fireplace smoking problems. Here is how we do it:
- A thorough inspection of the fireplace is done to identify the issues that are causing the smoking problems. One of the methods that we implement to identify smoke problems is leveraging an IR camera. By using an IR camera, we identify imbalances in air pressure which are a major contributor to fireplace smoking problems. A blower door test may be needed to be performed to determine how much air is entering or leaving your home and where.
- If unwanted materials are found in the chimney or fireplace, our professionals perform fireplace cleaning to remove these impediments.
- An updraft ensures that smoke is vented out through the chimney. We perform a draft assessment to determine if this is functioning properly. If it is not working as required, we can employ several strategies to enhance its functionality like installing Enervex fans to mechanically exhaust the gases or smoke.
- We can also perform certain adjustments to enhance the functioning of the fireplace. For example, our professionals may install a smoke guard in the fireplace to alleviate smoking problems and prevent the smoke from entering the house.
Contact Us Today for Help Addressing Fireplace Smoking Problems in St. Louis
If you are tired of fireplace smoking problems preventing you from enjoying your fireplace, contact us today. As leading experts offering fireplace and chimney sweep services throughout the St. Louis and St. Charles area, call us today at 636-477-9966 to book an appointment with our experts and enjoy a smoke-free fireplace with our customized solutions.
Fireplace Smoking FAQs
A fireplace that suddenly begins smoking can have a new blockage, buildup, damper problem, drafting issue, or change in the home’s airflow. Changes to the home, such as remodeling or adding exhaust fans, can also affect air pressure and fireplace performance. Chimney inspections or damper repair services may be needed to fix fireplace smoking problems.
Opening a window may temporarily change the air pressure in the room, but it does not necessarily correct the underlying problem. If your fireplace regularly needs an open window to prevent smoke from entering the home, the system should be evaluated to determine why the draft is inadequate.
Yes. When the air pressure inside the home is lower than the pressure outside, the chimney may not draft properly. This can make it difficult for smoke to travel upward and may cause smoke to enter the room instead. A professional can evaluate the home’s airflow and recommend appropriate solutions.
A fireplace that sends smoke into the home should not simply be treated as a minor inconvenience. Smoke can affect indoor air quality and may indicate an underlying problem with the fireplace or chimney. Have the cause evaluated before continuing to use the fireplace.
