Stinkin' feedback from the chimney

[sykesman]

Thanks for your advice.

When I let the stove go out, the house fills with this stinkin odor that must be coming down the chimney. I have the recommended clearances from the roof peak etc, and it only whufs very occasionally while burning. I read about some kind of vent that one can install that might prevent this backwash, any experiences?

I'm also planning on getting a chimney brush and cleaning the thing myself, any recommendations?

I appreciate your input, Thanks!

 

[corey21]

Could be clogged with creosote.

 

[Fsappo]

When you burn wood, you get the creosote. It smells, when you get moisture in your chimney, it makes it smellier. If you have a down draft condition, created by negative pressure, etc the air in your chimney falls down into the room, instead of up and out the top of you chimney. It brings the smell back in with it. So if you had fresh apple pie in your chimney, you wouldnt smell it when your stove was operating, because the hot air moving up the chimney would take the smell with it. Have something cause the air to come into the home during down time, and it's nice warm apple pie smell time.

There is a product I used to sell called Fireplace Deoderant. It came in a little redish colored bottle and it had a wick. When not using the fire burner, just open the top, pull the wick out and put in the fireplace. It eats the odor. Or correct the negative pressure.

 

[LLigetfa]

It is downdrafting as Franks said caused by negative pressure. You need to fix the house by plugging the leaks where warm air is escaping. Installing an OAK might help a bit.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum sykesman.

I agree with Franks and Lligetfa. In addition, check your wood. My guess is that it is not dry enough. The wetter the wood, the more creosote. Burn good fuel and you will get good results.

 

[firefighterjake]

And I agree with Franks, Lligetfa and Backwoods . . . downdraft situation. Could be fixed possibly with a longer chimney, better insulated home, etc. or by establishing a draft by warming up the flue.

Perhaps the easiest and quickest solution to the smell is to make sure as much creosote or other gunk is not in the flue or woodstove . . . or just put a candle in the firebox and light it . . . it should be enough to establish a draft . . . it doesn't matter if it is a "smelly" candle or not since the draft created by the candle should take the smell up and out of the house.

 

[SteveKG]

If this is a consistent problem, I am going to predict your chimney run is too short. If it is only occasional, and I don't know from your post, then the other responses have the answer somewhere in them to what is causing the problem.

I built my own fireplace, by myself, which meant the chimney [field stone around tile flue] took me two years of spare time. To get it to final height. I used the fireplace some in the mean time. Until I got the chimney completed, I would occasionally have odors from it come into the house when the damper was open. Once I got it all done, the problem never happened again.