Why is My Chimney Smelly?
Have you noticed odd, unpleasant odors coming from your fireplace? This isn’t uncommon, and usually it’s nothing to get too alarmed about. It is, however, something that needs to be addressed and prevented.
Advanced Chimney Sweep of Georgia and South Carolina would like to share some tips on resolving and preventing chimney odors. A thorough chimney inspection will provide a clear answer, but learning the causes can assist in preventing issues in the future.
The Main Causes of a Smelly Chimney
A brand new chimney won’t smell – because there’s nothing in it to cause an odor. As years pass and the fireplace/chimney system is used more and more, odors often materialize. Here are the main reasons.
1. Excess soot and creosote
Creosote and soot accumulate inside your chimney flue every time you use your wood-burning fireplace. You can’t avoid producing these smelly substances, but you can reduce their levels with annual chimney sweeping by our Certified Chimney Professionals. (Note that creosote is not only smelly but it’s the cause of most chimney fires each year in the U.S.)
2. House is too airtight
A house that’s sealed up tightly won’t produce the air necessary to cause an upward draft through the fireplace. (This applies to when the fireplace isn’t in use and when it is.) A smooth but subtle draft will push normally occurring odors up and out of the chimney.
3. Chimney leaks
If water is getting into your flue and mixing with whatever amount of creosote and soot is in there, you’re going to have some powerful smells. A chimney leak is a common cause of foul chimney odors, and it’s something that needs to be addressed for reasons a lot more important than keeping your home smelling nice.
4. Tree debris
If you have no chimney cap or flue cover, blowing leaves, twigs and falling fruit from nearby trees can end up inside your chimney. This effectively can turn your chimney into a vertical compost pile. If you have no cover over the top of your chimney, have one installed.
5. Animals and their nests
A secure chimney cap also will prevent small animals from taking up residence in your chimney and birthing their young. It also will solve the problem of animals dying inside the chimney, as often happens. Dead animals, live animals and nesting materials all can contribute to an odor problem.
Don’t Panic, But Act Quickly
As we noted, most of the time a smelly chimney is nothing to get panicked about. But it is something that should be addressed sooner rather than later.
The Advanced Chimney Crew is standing by to perform a thorough chimney inspection to find out exactly why your home is being overrun with nasty smells. Whatever we find, we have the skills to resolve the problem and help prevent it from continuing to happen.
Along with licensed chimney inspections, we also provide complete chimney sweeping services and a full range of chimney repairs including leaky chimney resolution.
GA homeowners call (706) 833-4630.
SC homeowners call (803) 508-3990.
Advanced Chimney Sweep serves the Central Augusta River Area and the South Carolina Midlands region including Augusta GA, Martinez GA, Evans GA, Dearing GA, Hephzibah GA, Lexington SC, Columbia SC, Orangeburg SC, Aiken SC, and all areas in between.
