Why Does My Fireplace Smell Bad?

Fireplace Smell

• If your fireplace smells bad, a few different odors could be bothering you. The most common is the thick odor of smoke. Instead of flowing up and out the chimney, it comes down and out your fireplace, making your home smell of smoke. You’ll notice this odor when building a fire in your fireplace and sometimes when the furnace runs, even if no fire is going.

Causes

• The cause of the smoky odor is a problem with your home’s ability to draft smoke from a fire and waste from your furnace properly. This is usually a problem when either your chimney is clogged or a furnace vent on your roof is blocked. Blockages usually happen when a birds’ nest or fallen branch gets in the way. The furnace and fireplace can’t draft properly, so smoke and other waste gases are drawn back into your home. If you have an older home, the current vent system and chimney size might not be large enough to draft a more modern furnace.

Solutions

• If the cause of the bad smell is a blockage in the chimney or a roof vent, getting rid of the thing blocking it will solve the problem. If you can safely access your roof and remove fallen branches, do so. If you can’t see anything on your roof, and nothing is visible inside your chimney, contact a professional chimney cleaner. She can remove the blockage inside without causing further damage to the inside of your chimney.

Considerations

• If the issue is your home’s inability to draft your new furnace, you could need to put in new ductwork and vents. This can be costly. While you decide what to do, you can take small steps to keep the bad smell from returning. Don’t build a fire while your heat is running. If feasible, crack a window in the basement where your furnace is. This will give waste gases another exit point and keep the smell out of your home.