New here. Question about fireplace

[andemary]

Hi, I moved into a home a few years ago that has a insert fireplace. Eight inch Selkirk chimney. I find if I let the fire get just a wee bit hot it has a smell of some thing that is too hot. Kinda like as if something was leaning up against a stove? Don't know if that is clear or not. Or maybe like dust burning. I keep the stove pipes clean, just cant figure out why it smells if the fire burns abit hotter. I should be able to have a fire burning with a few logs instead of the two or three small logs at a time. I mean small. I spilt the wood quite small so I can have controll over my fire. I think the house would burn down if Iwere to put big logs in it. Been using this fireplace for three years now and I love it.. Its my comfort zone. Nothing like a rocking chair some snacks and a good book and a fireplace. Just wish I knew what makes this smell when the fire is on.

Mary

 

[LeonMSPT]

Smaller splits have more surface area to mass exposure and will burn faster and hotter than a larger split.

That said, how new is the insert? It's fairly common for the first few "HOT" burns to generate some smell, and even frankly smoke, until the paint is cured and everything is "vapored out".

Was the insert professionally installed, or was it done in accordance with code and manufacturer's instructions (required by code anyway)? Sounds like it was, with the Selkirk chimney... but unless you have a sweep come and give it a good once over, if it wasn't done before buying the house, or shortly after, you don't have much of a way to be "sure".

Heating something up to 650 degrees or so is going to generate a "heat smell" regardless...

Maybe you should have someone come by and inspect it for peace of mind? Shouldn't cost much, and is "free" if you simply hire them to come clean the chimney... no sweep will just come jam a brush in, swish it back and forth, and leave. They all look things over, as if there is a fire once they've cleaned it and they didn't... liability insurance will go through the roof for them.

Hi, I moved into a home a few years ago that has a insert fireplace. Eight inch Selkirk chimney. I find if I let the fire get just a wee bit hot it has a smell of some thing that is too hot. Kinda like as if something was leaning up against a stove? Don't know if that is clear or not. Or maybe like dust burning. I keep the stove pipes clean, just cant figure out why it smells if the fire burns abit hotter. I should be able to have a fire burning with a few logs instead of the two or three small logs at a time. I mean small. I spilt the wood quite small so I can have controll over my fire. I think the house would burn down if Iwere to put big logs in it. Been using this fireplace for three years now and I love it.. Its my comfort zone. Nothing like a rocking chair some snacks and a good book and a fireplace. Just wish I knew what makes this smell when the fire is on.

Mary

 

[andemary]

I live in Canada. Cant afford a "sweep" LOL Its really not much to keep clean. The fireplace has to be over 15 years old I would think. Maybe more ?? I think it was installed by the people who lived here. The smell is like hot dust. That is the only way to describe it. Im wonder if its not in the attic?? But then again those pipes should not be getting that hot to touch. There is a grate in the hallway that I'm assuming is for cold air intake. Its like about seven feet high off the floor and about a foot and half to a foot square. To me that is where the smell is coming from when the fire gets going. I took the grate off and checked inside. All looks clean and nothing touching the pipes. Then again I cant see way up into the attic.
Mary

 

[LeonMSPT]

Most typically the heat won't come "down" from above... heat doesn't want to do down it wants to go up.

As an alternative, many fire departments in Maine offer free inspections of wood burning appliances to check for code compliance and safety. The guys are generally well trained and competent, as the fire department assumes some level of liability in pronouncing an installation compliant and safe, or not.

If the vent is seven feet high, it's not likely a cold air return as cold air is on the floor. It sounds like the insert is getting hot, and air is traveling past it, heating and rising and exiting through the vent to the living space. The smell, as hard as it is to smell it from here, sounds like hot air coming off the insert.

Having it looked at by someone who has some experience and training would be a good thing to do.

I live in Canada. Cant afford a "sweep" LOL Its really not much to keep clean. The fireplace has to be over 15 years old I would think. Maybe more ?? I think it was installed by the people who lived here. The smell is like hot dust. That is the only way to describe it. Im wonder if its not in the attic?? But then again those pipes should not be getting that hot to touch. There is a grate in the hallway that I'm assuming is for cold air intake. Its like about seven feet high off the floor and about a foot and half to a foot square. To me that is where the smell is coming from when the fire gets going. I took the grate off and checked inside. All looks clean and nothing touching the pipes. Then again I cant see way up into the attic.
Mary

 

[andemary]

I see...make sense..The other thing I noticed too. is this..There is supposed to be a fan built into the fireplace. It's there.. but not hooked up.. So if that fan was working then perhaps the heat (and smell) wouldn't be going out that grate. Iknow that grate can get pretty darn hot.

 

[madrone]

I get a smell from running my stove hot sometimes, and I'm pretty sure it's hot dust. I've smelled the same smell from the first use of electric baseboard heaters in the fall. It's oddly similar to the smell of ozone in a summer thunderstorm. If that makes any sense.