What causes fireplaces to smoke?
Fireplaces smoke for many reasons. Here are a few main ones:- Some need an outside air vent so combustion air is provided to the fireplace. In a masonry fireplace a 2 1/2 inch by 4 1/2 inch hole is drilled in the firebox wall (only if it’s on an exterior wall). Then a vent is installed to the outside. The vent is opened when having a fire and closed afterward.- Sometimes the fireplace opening is too high and the ceiling of the house competes with the chimney for the smoke. In this case a smoke guard can be installed to effectively lowerthe height of the firebox.- Another common smoke problem is caused by the wind. A stiff breeze blowing across the top of the flue can interrupt the draft and cause smoke to puff into the house.Wind directional caps can correct this problem. They have a sort of helmet that rotates and deflects the wind from the chimney top.
