Why the fireplace smokes into the room and there is no draft: reasons for how to make it not smoke - Setafi

To explain why the fireplace smokes, most often you can use weak draft. Moreover, the reasons for this phenomenon can be very different. The easiest way is to fully open the damper, turn off forced ventilation (if any) and make a draft in the room. Although there are more complex cases, which are described in detail in this material.

Main reasons

If smoke is observed, repairing the fireplace is not necessary, as the cause can be quite simple. for example, related to the quality of firewood. Although there are other factors that also need to be considered. The most common are:

1. Wet firewood - they are denser, heavier, light on the cut, give a dull sound when struck. In addition, fresh wood has a distinct smell of the forest, which is not characteristic of dry wood.
2. Closed damper - it must be opened in order to create draft, because otherwise the fireplace smokes.
3. Serious contamination of the chimney again leads to a weakening of the draft, which causes smoke to begin. This situation is also dangerous because the firewood does not burn completely, carbon monoxide is formed, which in severe cases can lead to poisoning.
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4. When the fireplace smokes, the reasons should be sought in poor draft. And it can also be observed due to the lack of a draft. Unlike a stove, a fireplace needs an influx of large volumes of air, so it is desirable to create a draft in the room.
5. If a forced ventilation system is installed, then during intensive work it can create a reverse draft. As a result, the air along with the smoke will get back into the room. This explains why the fireplace smokes into the room.
6. In winter, smoke can be associated with a strong temperature difference. When the fireplace has not been stoked for a long time, when the damper is opened, cold air flows under its own weight into a warm room. Along the way, he captures a certain amount of smoke.
7. It is quite possible to understand what to do when the fireplace smokes, if you find the reason. If the chimney is clean and the draft is quite normal, the smoke may be due to improper stacking of firewood. When small chips, cardboard, birch bark and other kindling material lie on the bottom, and large firewood on top, this can really lead to smoke.
8. If there is no draft in the fireplace, the reasons may be related to the weather. When there is a strong wind that blows directly into the chimney, the appearance of smoke is almost inevitable, even if all conditions are created for traction. Therefore, in such weather it is better to refrain from using the fireplace.
9. Finally, the most difficult reason (in terms of elimination) is the incorrect design of the fireplace. For example, a firebox with large dimensions or when it is placed too high compared to the chimney. The fireplace smokes into the room and because of the low chimney. Usually such reasons are observed due to unprofessional installation.

What to do so that the fireplace does not smoke

Having specified the cause, you can proceed to its elimination. The options might be:

1. Learn to distinguish dry wood from wet wood. Even if the manufacturer claims that the wood has dried out, this may not be true - it is better to check before buying. You can’t make a mistake, because the firewood is dried for quite a long time - up to a year.
2. Open the damper and windows, ensure air flow, draft at least at the first stage of kindling.
3. Lay large firewood down, and kindling material up.
4. Clean the chimney yourself or call a specialist.
5. Turn off the forced ventilation system.
6. Do not light the fireplace if there is a strong, gale-force wind outside.
7. The most difficult option on how to make the fireplace not smoke is related to the elimination of errors made during the installation of the firebox or chimney. It is necessary to increase the height of the pipe, reduce the size of the stove. If the fireplace is made in a handicraft way, it is best to invite a specialist.

Thus, most of the causes are associated with poor traction, and therefore it is quite simple to eliminate. In order for the smoke to rise well, it is necessary to clean the chimney every year, even if the fireplace is used infrequently. But if all else fails, the smoke is most likely due to improper design. In such cases, it is necessary to carry out a major overhaul or even put another fireplace.