What To Do If Your Chimney Stinks

Nonsense in your home is a good thing especially when it is combined with lots of smiles and laughter. Non-scents is also a good thing, especially after you have corrected the cause of a formerly stinky chimney and fireplace. Home Safe Hearth & Chimney alleviates the problem of foul-smelling chimneys and fireplaces for homeowners in Wichita and the surrounding communities.

There can be many reasons why you are getting that foul smell. There can be moisture and mold, creosote buildup, or even animals in your chimney. Birds and animals love to escape the weather and nestle deep inside your chimney. The problem is, once inside, they can get trapped and their excrement builds up, they die, decompose (which attracts other parasites) and the rotting carcasses create that awful smell in your home. Built-up creosote, which is the by-product of burning wood and fuel, also has a very unpleasant smell and is extremely flammable. Besides causing that dank musty smell, moisture and mold are dangerous to your health. All of these reasons are pretty gross, aren’t they? We agree.

Let’s focus on the solution. First, a professional chimney sweep will do a comprehensive inspection and overview of your chimney and investigate the cause/causes of the odors. Once the source is identified, correction is necessary to prevent a future occurrence. A thorough cleaning is done to remove the build-up inside your chimney and fireplace.

While not as repugnant as dead animals, creosote, or mold, something as simple as negative air pressure can bring funky smells into your home. Usually, this happens when the temperatures and humidity rise, or new windows, appliances, or exhaust fans have been installed. The downdraft is caused when the outside air pressure is higher than it is inside your home. “Make-up” air needs to be drawn into your home. A top mount damper on the fireplace helps reduce outside air pressure from coming into your chimney. The experts from Professional Home Inspection Service based in New York and Pennsylvania also caution, “The same negative pressure could be drawing combustion gases including carbon monoxide back down the utility chimney, posing a very unhealthy situation. If this problem is a possibility in your house, make sure your carbon monoxide detector is in good working order, and call in a professional for further assessment.”

Bottom line, unpleasant odors, just like pain, is a warning to you that something is not right and needs attention. What’s your best bet? Have yearly professional inspections and cleaning of your chimney and fireplace performed by a CSIA certified chimney professional in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association Standard 211.

If you do smell something other than that charming and wonderful aroma of burning wood from a crackling fire, call a chimney professional to correct and eliminate the problem. If you live in the Wichita area, Home Safe Hearth & Chimney is the one to call for putting the “non-scents” back into your home, and they can manage all your chimney and fireplace needs!