Why does my Bolingbrook fireplace smoke only when it is cold outside?

A cold flue draws badly until it warms, and Bolingbrook winters are long and cold. If it clears once the fire is going, the flue may be fine. If smoke keeps coming into the room, have it inspected.

Can a tight house or a kitchen fan cause this?

Yes. A tightly sealed modern house or a powerful extractor fan can pull air down the chimney, so smoke comes into the room. The draft test is how a technician tells this apart from a blockage.

Does Illinois license chimney sweeps?

Not at the state level. Requirements are set locally, and many municipalities and counties ask contractors to register or hold a local licence and carry insurance. Ask the technician what they hold, and check with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and the local building department.

Do I need a permit if the fix involves a liner or a new insert?

In Illinois, permits are issued locally. One is commonly required for relining a chimney or installing a fireplace insert or wood stove, while routine sweeping and basic inspection generally are not permitted work. Confirm with your local building department before work begins.

Does One Call Chimney do the work itself?

No. We are a referral and scheduling service that arranges the job with an independent sweep or mason. The technician inspects, gives you the price, and you approve it before any work starts.

Stop using the fireplace

Who to call for smoke in the room in Bolingbrook, IL

Bolingbrook is a Will County suburb of houses and townhomes built mostly from the 1970s through the 2000s, and the chimney work here is done by independent sweeps and masons. If smoke comes back into the room when you light a fire, the flue is almost certainly not pulling. Something may be blocking it, the damper may not be fully open, or the house may be drawing air harder than the chimney can. One Call Chimney is a referral and scheduling service. We arrange the visit with an independent sweep or mason, and we are not the contractor. Look for a technician who will camera-inspect the flue, test the draft, show you the footage and give the reasoning in writing.

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Illinois has a long heating season, from about October into April, so a flue gets months of steady use. Freeze-thaw cycles, wind-driven rain and snow can let water in at the crown, flashing and cap. Humid summers leave moisture in flues that sit unused. In many Illinois suburban homes of the Bolingbrook era, the fireplace is a factory-built metal unit with a Class A chimney chase, and these have their own draft quirks. A cold flue also draws badly until it warms up. A tightly sealed modern house or a powerful extractor fan can beat the chimney for air.

While you wait — please don't

Put the fire out and open a window. Smoke in the room means combustion gases in the room, and carbon monoxide comes with them.
Get outside if you feel headachy or dizzy. Those can be signs of carbon monoxide, so anyone feeling them should leave the house and call 911.
Do not light another fire to test it. If the flue is blocked or the draft is wrong, a second fire will push more smoke and gas into the house.
Stop using the fireplace until it has been inspected. The cause has to be found and fixed first, and a camera inspection is how it is found.

What the technician does

Sweep and camera inspectionThe technician sweeps the flue and runs a camera up it to find the blockage. Ask to see the footage.
Damper checkedA damper that is stuck or only part open can be freed, repaired or replaced.
Draft testThe draft is tested so the cause is identified, not guessed at. Ask for the finding in writing.
Cap and crown checkedThe cap and crown are looked at for damage or anything that restricts the top of the flue.
Smoke chamber cleaned and pargedThe smoke chamber above the firebox is cleaned and parged where needed so smoke has a smooth path up.
Price first, then your approvalThe technician inspects, gives you the price, and no work starts until you approve it. The estimate is free.

Why this happens in Bolingbrook, IL

Most Bolingbrook homes are wood-frame suburban houses and townhomes, many in newer subdivisions with homeowners associations. A fireplace in a home like that may have sat unused through a humid summer, then be lit on the first cold night of the season. Moisture in the flue and a cold column of air can make the smoke hang in the room before it starts to rise. If it keeps happening after the flue has warmed, the cause is something else, and that is what the inspection is for.

Winter in Bolingbrook is cold and snowy, with repeated freeze-thaw. Water getting in at the crown, flashing or cap can add to the trouble. Fall is when many Illinois homeowners book sweeps before the first cold snap, and booking early gives you time to have a smoking fireplace looked at before the heating season. Homes near Naperville, Woodridge, Romeoville, Plainfield and the rest of the area share the same weather and the same kinds of problems.

Questions people ask

Why does my Bolingbrook fireplace smoke only when it is cold outside?: A cold flue draws badly until it warms, and Bolingbrook winters are long and cold. If it clears once the fire is going, the flue may be fine. If smoke keeps coming into the room, have it inspected.
Can a tight house or a kitchen fan cause this?: Yes. A tightly sealed modern house or a powerful extractor fan can pull air down the chimney, so smoke comes into the room. The draft test is how a technician tells this apart from a blockage.
Does Illinois license chimney sweeps?: Not at the state level. Requirements are set locally, and many municipalities and counties ask contractors to register or hold a local licence and carry insurance. Ask the technician what they hold, and check with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and the local building department.
Do I need a permit if the fix involves a liner or a new insert?: In Illinois, permits are issued locally. One is commonly required for relining a chimney or installing a fireplace insert or wood stove, while routine sweeping and basic inspection generally are not permitted work. Confirm with your local building department before work begins.
Does One Call Chimney do the work itself?: No. We are a referral and scheduling service that arranges the job with an independent sweep or mason. The technician inspects, gives you the price, and you approve it before any work starts.

One call

Call (866) 576-7943 and we will arrange an independent technician for your Bolingbrook chimney, with a free estimate on every job. The technician inspects first and gives you the price, and nothing starts until you approve it.

Call now · (866) 576-7943

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One Call Chimney arranges the visit; the technician does the work and gives you the price.