All About Chimney Odors

There is a host of issues that a homeowner may have with their chimney throughout winter. When the fireplace is in use every day, hazards may arise anytime. However, during the off-season, chimney problems may not present immediate danger and are subtle, but they can still be quite a bother.

Perhaps you’re a homeowner in the Jacksonville, Florida area and the summer heat and humidity are affecting your chimney. You may not even realize it until you notice disgusting smells coming from your fireplace. There are lots of different kinds of odors, and each odor could mean something is wrong with your chimney. Let Hudson Chimney troubleshoot and figure out the problem with your chimney odor today!

Chimney Odors and Chimney Problems

masonry chimney behind tree branchesThe first thing you might notice during the off-season won’t identify itself as a chimney problem unless you know what to look for. You may be sitting in your living room, relaxing with coffee and a friend, and then you suddenly smell the overwhelming odor of barbecue. It is strong, and now you can’t focus on anything else. This is a common complaint we get from customers as they realize that the odor is coming from their fireplace. The fireplace worked fine all year. They didn’t have any problems with it. What’s the problem? The problem, according to the professionals, depends on the odor.

Barbecue Grill/Smoker Odor

If your fireplace smells like a dirty barbecue grill inside your living room, it is time to call the professionals. This odor is a direct result of a dirty chimney system. The soot and creosote that collects in and coats the system all winter long are beginning to stink due to the air pressure outside forcing the odors indoors. The smell also worsens when humidity rises, water vapors mingling with the soot and creosote. This combination is especially corrosive to the liner if it isn’t cleaned out of the system or the chimney is closed from the outside.

Mold/Mildew Odor

You might be smelling odors that indicate mold or mildew. If you have checked all the cabinets under the sink, looked over ceilings and walls for leaks, and caught up on laundry baskets, it’s time to look at the chimney. Water in the chimney system, especially water that has been present long enough for bacteria growth, will begin to emit these odors. This is a sign of a leak that is serious and should be fixed right away before more damage occurs.

Foul/Decomposition Odor

This type of odor is easy to identify, but homeowners never want to believe it. When you smell the foul odor of decomposition, you might assume you have a dead mouse under a bed or inside a wall. The chimney can emit this odor too. However, when animals come into the system and die when organic material begins to decompose such as limbs, wood, leaves, etc. and the odor is the same. When you smell this foul odor from the fireplace, it needs to be cleaned out immediately.

Solution

Schedule services with Hudson chimney so that your chimney smells fresh and is ready for burning season in the fall. We can clean the system from top to bottom, check for chimney leaks, and even waterproof the masonry to prevent future leaks.

Don’t settle for a stinky house or a dirty chimney. Call Hudson Chimney today at 904-282-4159 and we’ll make sure your chimney is clean and fresh in no time!

Diagnosing a Smelly Chimney

In the summer, our staff at Hudson Chimney gets a lot of questions from our customers asking why their chimneys are so smelly. Several things can be behind unpleasant chimney odors, and these bad smells entering your home through the chimney and fireplace are intensified by the heat and humidity of summertime. Our certified chimney sweeps are very experienced with stinky chimneys and fireplaces, and they understand how to get rid of any bad odors from your hearth. To help you understand how chimneys can be smelly enough to affect the living spaces of your home, we would like to tell you more about the reasons behind stinky chimneys.

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NEGATIVE AIR PRESSURE

How do unpleasant odors enter your home through the fireplace and chimney? The answer to this question is negative air pressure in your house. If you seal up your home too tightly during the weatherizing process to prepare for the summer by keeping the cold air conditioned air indoors, this can force smoky air to enter your home from the fireplace instead of exiting out the chimney because the air has no way of escaping. Our chimney technicians at Hudson Chimney know how to deal negative air pressure problems. We have found that installing a top-sealing damper will promote proper air circulation and eliminate issues with negative air pressure.

CREOSOTE

Creosote is a natural compound that forms as a result of the combustion and condensation processes that occur when burning wood, according to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). Made up of amorphous carbon, creosote clings to the inner walls of your chimney and will form large deposits if you allow them to accumulate by not scheduling a professional chimney sweeping every year to have them removed. These deposits are not just dangerous because they are extremely flammable, but they also smell badly. Creosote gives off a sour, acrid odor which is worsened by heat and humidity in the summer. Our CSIA-certified chimney sweeps at Hudson Chimney can easily take care of this problem by performing a thorough chimney cleaning and removing the source of this unpleasant smell.

OTHER CAUSES OF BAD ODORS

If you notice musty odors, your chimney may be suffering from chimney leaks. To prevent water from rain and melted snow from penetrating your chimney to create bad smells, our chimney technicians at Hudson Chimney can protect your chimney from water leaks by installing a chimney cap on the top of your chimney. This chimney cap will also prevent birds and animals from getting into your chimney to nest, which also causes unpleasant odors. Debris from their nesting materials and their droppings can smell badly, and in a worst case scenario, a bird or animal could possibly get trapped within your chimney and even die. This situation will result in very unpleasant odors within your chimney that could affect the living spaces in your home.

Do you have a smelly chimney? If so, contact Hudson Chimney so we can diagnose the odor problems and make your living situation better.