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SteelersFan
join:2001-02-12
Rockwall, TX

SteelersFan

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Fireplace Smells - Day after

I had my fireplace recently converted from a gas to a wood burning fireplace. The guys cleaned the chimney and said everything checked out okay. I burned a few pieces of pinion wood yesterday and the fire died out with one chunk and a few pieces left in the fire. Today, out of nowhere, around 5 p.m., we started to smell a wood burning smell in the house. We weren't immediately sure it was coming from the fireplace until we eventually pinpointed that as the cause. Although it still tends to smell more in areas near the fireplace than the fireplace itself. It's basically hard to tell. So my questions are:

1. Is this normal?
2. The vent hasn't been shut so the reason why the late smell is unexplainable.
3. Any other ideas?

rbnice1
join:2000-12-16
Imperial, MO

rbnice1

Member

My guess would be you had wet wood with a lot of creosott(sp) build-up that you are getting a back draft causing the smell.

BTW a great place for fireplace/stove help is from hearth.com they have a excellent forums.

alkizmo
join:2007-06-25
Pierrefonds, QC

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stirring the ashes a bit or a gust of wind in the chimney can bring up the smell.

Jack_in_VA
Premium Member
join:2007-11-26
North, VA

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said by SteelersFan:

I had my fireplace recently converted from a gas to a wood burning fireplace. The guys cleaned the chimney and said everything checked out okay. I burned a few pieces of pinion wood yesterday and the fire died out with one chunk and a few pieces left in the fire. Today, out of nowhere, around 5 p.m., we started to smell a wood burning smell in the house. We weren't immediately sure it was coming from the fireplace until we eventually pinpointed that as the cause. Although it still tends to smell more in areas near the fireplace than the fireplace itself. It's basically hard to tell. So my questions are:

1. Is this normal?
2. The vent hasn't been shut so the reason why the late smell is unexplainable.
3. Any other ideas?

Welcome to burning wood in a fire place.
Tig
join:2006-06-29
Carrying Place, ON

Tig

Member

As Jack said, welcome.

I would assume that in Texas you don't go for zero clearance sealed fireplaces. If that's the case, it will smell like there was a fire there. Closing the damper once the fire is out and cold should help with unwanted back drafts.

SteelersFan
join:2001-02-12
Rockwall, TX

SteelersFan

Member

Yea, I went ahead and closed the few as the ashes were cold. It's been somewhat windy today and maybe something came down and rustled them up. Can't otherwise explain why there would be a smell almost 24 hours later when there wasn't even a smell when the fire was burning.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO

nunya

MVM

Wood fireplaces stink.
Tig
join:2006-06-29
Carrying Place, ON

1 recommendation

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When the fireplace is burning there is a strong draw of air up the warm/hot chimney. Breezes should not effect it. If your house is tight, kitchen or bathroom fans will fight against the draw. Once things cool off, fans and breezes can easily play with the air in the chimney.

dandelion
MVM
join:2003-04-29
Germantown, TN

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I agree, if the flu was still open.. probably a downdraft. I usually close mine the next morning after burning wood. Enjoy your fireplace.. I love my wood-burning one.

IIIBradIII
Comm M-E-L Instr
join:2000-09-28
Greer, SC

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Part and parcel of wood-burning fireplaces. We converted ours from gas to wood-burning a couple of years ago too since we much prefer a real fire, and that's my one complaint - the morning-after smell.

Closing the flue helps somewhat, but our house is tight so bathroom fans, range hood fans, etc will still pull air down the chimney and cause a smell sometimes. Not to mention that ashes and unburned wood just sitting there in the room (albeit behind panes of glass, but there are large gaps of course) will smell to a certain degree no matter what the breeze does. I wish there was a way to get better-sealing glass doors on a fireplace, but I guess they are designed that way with large gaps to keep them from sealing in too much heat and breaking in case some yahoo closed them with a hot fire going.
Tig
join:2006-06-29
Carrying Place, ON

Tig

Member

For no after smell, have a look at the zero clearance fireplaces. I imagine their not particularly popular in the south since the primary benefit is heat, and lots of it.
We use one as our primary heat source. It's sealed, has a big glass door and draws air from outside.
The rub is, since you can use it like a furnace that burns cheap fuel, it is priced accordingly to keep the universe in ballance.
»www.valcourtinc.com/prod ··· 0&Id=551