You have your dream home, and have finally found your dream fireplace. It offers everything you hoped, and the last thing you want from your chimney is a nasty odor. It can ruin a nice cool evening or a warm spring day just the same. It doesn’t matter if a fire is burning or not. If a smell persists from your chimney it’ll ruin your experience, and is an indication of an underlying problem with your chimney.
Call a Professional
If you have a stinky chimney you should call a professional right away. It can indicate a serious problem like a leaky chimney and something less serious like a draft problem or an animal carcass. Whether it’s serious or simple, only a professional can assess, repair, replace, or clean out the problem.
Smoky Odors
For your chimney to work properly it requires a certain amount of give-and-take to allow the vapors and smoke to vent up the chimney. If smoke is coming into your living space and causing smoky odors you probably have a draft problem. This can be remedied by opening a window in another part of the house to allow air into the house to replace the air that was pulled up the chimney. If the smoky smell persists you may have a malfunctioning damper or a blockage in the chimney that is keeping the smoke from rising through the chimney. If you experience a persistently smoky smell or smoke comes into your living space often you need to call a professional before continuing use of your fireplace or appliance.
Mildew or Wet Odors
If the smell coming from your chimney is mildew or damp you should call a professional immediately. This means you have a chimney leak and there is probably extensive unseen damage that puts your family and property at risk for flue fire. A CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® (CCS) can assess your chimney system and offer a report for your insurance purposes as well as work with you on a repair plan. These repairs should be completed before burning season because water causes damage that can hinder your chimney’s proper function.
Foul Odors
You may expect a smoky or mildew smell from your chimney, but a foul odor can have you searching your house for trash, old food, or dead rodents. Check your chimney first! Chimneys are a warm and dry home for small animals, and they will take advantage if the chimney cap is damaged or missing. Unfortunately animals often get trapped in chimneys and die. If this happens you will notice an awful foul odor coming from your chimney, and you should call a professional right away. Your chimney flue could be blocked, not to mention the toxins your family may be exposed to as an animal decomposes.
There are a few reasons why your chimney may be stinky, and all of them mean your chimney isn’t working correctly. To be sure your chimney is at it’s best, keep up with regular maintenance appointment with a certified chimney sweep. Call Brickliners today to schedule your chimney sweep or inspection.
