Imagine the pleasure of sitting in front of your fireplace in cold winter nights with a mug of hot chocolate, but a smoky fireplace turns your pleasure into discomfort when the smoke comes inside your home. A smoky fireplace is not only detrimental to your health but also unsafe for your home and in this case you should immediately call chimney repair services.

The role of a chimney is to provide a channel through which the smoke, hot air and gases and creosote from the hot fire towards the chimney hole. If the chimney fails to perform its function properly then the smoke and gases come inside the home and living space and results in smoky fireplace. There are many reasons why a chimney does not work properly.

Closed Damper

A closed damper or even a semi closed damper will cause the smoke to come down the chimney or flue and into the room because it will have no way to escape out. Always check the damper before starting the fire.

Temperature Issues

The fireplace chimney will not operate well if the outside temperature is warm. A chimney works efficiently when the inside and outside temperatures have a greater difference, meaning very cold outside and warm inside the house. If the outside temperature is not very cold, the chimney will cause the smoke and gases to come inside the living space. Check the temperature and then start the fireplace.

Exhaust Fans

Exhaust fans when turned on in the kitchen or bathrooms can lead to negative air pressure and cause the chimney to not draft properly. This leads to smoke in the house. Always turn off any extra fans, furnaces, exhaust fans and then start the fire.

Blocked Chimney

The smoke and gases which travel up the chimney cause buildup of soot and creosote in the walls of the chimney. Too much buildup of creosote causes ventilation issues and acts as an obstruction for the smoke to escape the vent causing the smoke to come down from the fireplace. Professional chimney cleaning services are required for chimney cleanup and inspection. Sometimes when the chimney is used in the start of the season, it is better to get it inspected as birds and small animals have made their nests or homes which leads to a blocked chimney and does not let the smoke to escape outside the vent. A blocked chimney can also lead to chimney fires and hazards.

Wet Firewood

Wet firewood does not generate enough heat to cause the smoke to escape outside the chimney. If you hear hissing sounds when you start fire, means that the firewood is not dry enough. Green firewood that is not completely dried also causes the smoke to travel inside the living space. Always use dried up firewood because wet wood stressed a lot for burning and hence produces a lot of creosote and smoke.

Cold Chimney or Flue

If the chimney is cold then it will take longer for the firewood to burn and will also lead the smoke to come inside the house. This happens when the fire is in its dying stage or a gush of cold air flows in the chimney from the vent. Discuss this issue with the chimney repair services as they will be able to give the best solution for a cold chimney or flue.

Poorly Built Chimney or Fireplace

Everything needs to be built perfectly in order to work efficiently. If the chimney or fireplace is not built properly then the chimney will have drafting issues and the smoke will come in the house. Poorly built may mean chimney too big or too small according the size of the house, the size of the damper, the opening of the fireplace and the vent could all create problems.

Any of these reasons could cause the chimney to work inefficiently and cause the smoke to come inside the house. Smoke may create lots of health issues for you and also for your home as it could even lead to chimney fires. So it is best to get it inspected and cleaned annually by chimney cleaning services Columbia MD.