How to Deal with a Smelly Chimney

Chimney odors can make life inside a home almost unbearable. They can be a problem year-round, especially when it’s hot and humid outside. You can’t keep a chimney completely odor-free, but you can minimize smells and prevent the problem from getting worse.

Smokestacks of Brookfield, WI, and Milwaukee, WI, would like to tell you how to accomplish this.

Why chimneys smell

Here are the main reasons.

Built-up creosote

Creosote forms when smoke condenses in a chimney flue. It’s an oily, smelly substance and produces a strong, smoky odor.

Debris from nearby trees

Twigs, leaves and other junk from trees can get into a flue and begin to rot, leading to very unpleasant smells.

The nests of small animals

Birds, squirrels, raccoons, rodents, and other critters like to shelter in chimneys. Some of them build nests, which, like tree debris, can rot.

The occasional dead animal

Some small animals die inside chimneys. This is probably the worst of all possible chimney odors.

Chimney leaks

If the chimney is taking on water and the water gets into the flue, it will mix with creosote and whatever debris is in there and make the odors more intense.

Solving these smelly chimney problems

Creosote should be cleaned out once a year by a certified chimney sweep. This will reduce the smoky smells and help to prevent a devastating chimney fire.

A proper chimney cap at the top of your chimney will keep tree debris and small animals out of the flue, thereby eliminating the odors they cause.

Fixing a chimney leak will stop water intrusion and the resulting musty smells from filtering into your home.

How to reduce the amount of smoke in your chimney

Because creosote is smelly and smoke turns into creosote, you want to produce as little smoke as possible during your fires. Here are three ways to do this.

Firewood only

Burn only firewood, never packing materials, plastic, fabrics, magazines, or other items, all of which produce a lot of smoke.

Dry wood

Make sure your firewood is seasoned (dry). Damp firewood tends to be very smoky.

Efficient draft

Keep your chimney cap’s mesh clean to allow for a smooth and fast draft of smoke up and out of the chimney. The longer the smoke remains in the flue, the more likely creosote will form.

How to keep from pulling chimney odors into your home

If you use bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans while your fireplace damper is open, you’ll pull whatever smells are in the chimney right into your home.

Even a clean, debris-free, non-leaky chimney will have some odors, so keep them out of the house by making sure the fireplace damper is tightly closed whenever the fireplace isn’t in use.

Resolving your smelly chimney problems

You can handle some of the odor-reducing strategies we talked about here, but for chimney sweeping and leak repair, you’ll need professional help.

Smokestacks provides specialized services to address chimney odors and ensure that your chimney operates at peak efficiency and safety. Learn more by giving us a call in the greater Milwaukee, WI, area. You can also reach out through our contact form.