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Dealing With a Smoking Fireplace

   As long as there have been fireplaces, there have been instances of smoke coming into the living space rather than going politely up the chimney as it's supposed to. Some fireplaces smoke all the time, others only occasionally with few clues about why. Here are a few ideas for addressing the problem of a smoking fireplace. As you'll see some are simple and inexpensive, others are more complex. That's because the solution to a smoking fireplace depends entirely on what the cause is. And the causes can be many and varied.
   One of the most common causes for a smoking fireplace is the fireplace design itself. If the fireplace opening too large compared to the flue size, (should be in general about a 10 to 1 ratio) you will have a smoking problem. This is an easy fix. Make the fireplace opening smaller; and there are inexpensive products you can install yourself to accomplish this. One is called a smoke guard. It is a flat metal bar hat fits on the fireplace opening at the top. Its presence effectively reduces the fireplace opening size and is often sufficient to correct the original design problem.   
    Fireplaces also may smoke because the chimney is not tall enough this is easily fixed by extending the chimney. One common solution to incorrect construction or height issues is to install a fan on the top of your chimney to assist the draft. There are fans available that are designed specifically for this high heat application. Another common cause of smoking is wind. Depending on the prevailing wind direction and surrounding hills, roofs and trees wind can be deflected down the chimney. There are two common solutions to this scenario. One involves raising the chimney out of the zone where it will receive the downward winds. The second solution can be to install a special cap to protect your chimney from the downward winds.
   Your fireplace can also smoke due to pressure problems in the house. In newer well sealed homes, exhaust fans in the kitchen, bathroom and clothes dryers can create a negative pressure in the structure. This means the air pressure in the home is lower than the air pressure outside. When that happens, air will try to enter the house any way it can, and your chimney is a very convenient opening. It's almost impossible to build a stable, non-smoking fire in a fireplace when air is being sucked down the chimney.

There are various solutions to the negative pressure problems ranging from simple to complex. One simple solution is opening key windows. The more complex solutions can involve extensive reworking of the homes air handling systems. Remember, a fireplace that exhibits draft problems due to pressure or wind can indicate problems with your furnace or water heating venting properly. Obviously, this situation would present serious health issues to a home's occupants.

Generally speaking, if you have a smoking fireplace, your best bet is to have a qualified chimney professional assess the problem and suggest workable solutions that fit your pocket book and circumstances.