The chimney smells
Chimney smell is creosote, damp, or something that got in — and the reason you notice it in summer is that the airflow has reversed and the chimney is now breathing into the house instead of out of it.
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While you wait — please don't
- Air freshener and a closed damper hide the smell without touching the cause, and one of the possible causes is a flue full of fuel.
- A sharp, sooty smell that suddenly appears while you are burning is worth stopping the fire for.
- If the smell comes with headaches or nausea in the house, treat it as carbon monoxide and get outside.
What has probably happened
- Creosote on the flue walls, which smells strongly in heat and humidity.
- Water getting in and soaking soot and masonry — the classic wet-ashtray smell after rain.
- An animal, a nest, or something that died in the flue.
- Negative pressure in the house pulling air down the chimney instead of up it.
- A damper that no longer seals, so the flue is open to the room all year.
What the technician does
- Sweeping, because in most cases the smell is the creosote itself.
- The moisture path found and closed — cap, crown or flashing.
- Any nest or animal debris removed.
- Damper repaired or a top-sealing damper fitted, which closes the flue at the top and stops the house breathing through it.
- House pressure looked at, since extractor fans and modern airtightness are a common cause.
- Deodorising treatment only after the actual cause is fixed, never instead of it.
Questions people ask
- Why is it worse in summer?
- Warm humid air and a cool flue reverse the airflow, so the chimney draws downward into the house. Add humidity to old creosote and the smell is much stronger.
- Will sweeping definitely fix it?
- It fixes most of them, because most are creosote. If moisture or an animal is involved, that has to be dealt with as well — and a sweep is how it gets found.
- What is a top-sealing damper?
- A damper that closes the flue at the top of the chimney rather than at the bottom. It seals far better than a throat damper, keeps the weather out, and stops the flue smelling into the room when it is not in use.
Get a technician out
Free estimate. The price is agreed before the work starts.
Something else going on?
- Smoke comes back into the room
- Never been swept
- Water coming in
- Something living up there
- Cracked crown or crumbling brick
- Damper stuck or broken
- Liner damaged or missing
- Rebuild or new chimney
One Call Chimney arranges the visit; the technician does the work and gives you the price.