A fireplace can be a blessing on those cold winter nights but when it starts to smell bad, it can be a really unpleasant experience. There are many reasons as to why bad odor is coming from your chimney and a chimney inspection can help you determine the cause. Let us take a look at a few.
Smoking Problems Due to Using the Chimney at Night
Smoking is one of the most common problems people with a fireplace in their homes experience, often the next day. While this is not as dangerous as some of the other reasons your chimney could be smelling, this bad barbeque or burnt wood type smell is unpleasant nonetheless, especially since it has the tendency to seep into carpets and upholstery and become impossible to get rid of. One way to prevent it is to invest in a sealed glass door for the fireplace when not in use.
Animals Living Inside Your Chimney, Often Times Dead as A Result of Excess Heat and Suffocation
For many animals, the dark chimney without the threat of predators may seem like the perfect place to nest and breed, but oftentimes they get trapped once they enter and the remains are left to rot and fester. The result is not only bad odor, but oftentimes diseases and therefore, it is a matter you should not take lightly. Have a professional who has experience dealing with cases like these clean and maintain your chimney and ensure a healthier home.
Leaves from Nearby Trees Accumulating in The Chimney During Fall and Rotting
Rotting leaves that have accumulated inside the chimney get mixed with moisture and soot to form a sludge that not only smells bad but can be toxic as well, and must be removed on a prompt basis to ensure efficient operation of the chimney as well as safety while the fireplace is in service. To prevent leaves from entering the chimney in the first place, invest in a chimney cap.
A Dirty Chimney Blocked by Soot and Creosote
Can you remember when was the last time you cleaned or had your chimney cleaned? If the answer is more than a year away, you must be well aware why there is a bad smell coming from it. Soot and creosote accumulation have probably blocked your chimney, stopping it from doing its job of carrying harmful gases out of the house. And the side effects of these gases circulating within your home instead are more than just bad smell. Get your chimney cleaned regularly!
The Type of Fuel That You Are Using
The quality of wood that you are using in your fireplace plays a big role in how much smoke will be generated. Fire powered with damp wood will be a lot more smokier compared to properly dried and aged firewood, and will hence produce a stronger odor. If you really prefer clean odorless smoke, consider switching to a gas-powered fireplace which not only produces less soot and ash, it also needs a lot less chimney sweeping.
Water Seeping into The Chimney During Rain
Unless your chimney has a cap, rain water will most likely find a way inside and when it does, it mixes with the soot, ash, rotting leaves and debris to form a rancid musty odor.
Above are all the reasons you could be experiencing an unpleasant smell every time you light up your fireplace or even when it is not in use. Is there anything you can do to avoid it? Most definitely! Proper chimney cleaning on a regular basis, done by the hands of a professional and certified company with the knowhow of dealing with such issues, goes a long way in making sure that issues like these never happen in the first place and you don’t lose face in front of guests.
That alone makes it worth the investment, but if you need any more reason, realize that these odors are a sign of bigger problems with your house chimney, and if they are not taken care of in time, can put your family’s health and well-being at risk. Do the right thing and call a certified chimney cleaning service Bowie to take care of this hassle prone but extremely essential task.
