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We had a log burner fitted in December and it's great - most of December was spent dozing in front of it, reading and drinking beer (it was lit).
We've not used it for a few weeks but the room it's in absolutely stinks like a bonfire. There's no ash in the tray, the grate is empty and the chimney has a full length liner.
We've only burnt seasoned logs so why does the room stink? It's starting to make the whole of the rest of the house smell now which is setting my asthma off.
Any ideas what could be causing this or should I just adjust to the Tramp's bonfire lifestyle by starting to tie my trousers up with bits of baler twine and sleeping in the hedge in the back garden at night?
Is there any wood in the house?
Is that what smells?
Got the vents closed up?
Extractor in another room drawing air down the chimney?
Was there a cowl fitted on the chimney and if so has it blown away?
Neighbour having a nightly bonfire?!
Junkyard - no, no wood in the house
Spooky - no extractor in another room and the vents are closed. Cowl fitted on the chimney.
Neighbour's aren't having a bonfire so does this mean we have a Polterfiregeist?
dead rat in the chimney?
andyl - no, or in the kitchen
Sounds like a cold chimney which has reversed.
Keeping the stove vent open and burning tealight candles when the stove is not being used for a while might be enough to keep the air moving up instead of down.
Just to eliminate the obvious, you don't have a resident tramp in the house?
Chuck a few sheets of newspaper in, loosely scrunched up and light them. It will draw air up a perhaps encourage air flow up, rather than down th chimney
Always worth asking the installer
bedmaker has got it i reckon. when the fire cools on a night, but is still smoking the smoke will come out the fire becuse of a cold flue. i have seen this a few times. Is your stack on the ouside of the house?
I agree, air coming down chimney. I used to either get fire going or stick a huge candle in it. Used to happen a lot in summer as the old stone cottage was colder inside than outdoors. Also it was a massive old chimney that used to have range in it. So when it was not used all the chimney breast started sucking moisture again and that did not help. Not nice when your house smells like Yorvik.
LOL @ footflaps
footflaps, yes we do have a tramp in the house but coincidentally only when the father in law visits. Looks like I'll be having a Rod Hull moment on the roof at some point while I try to fit an anti downdraught chimney cowl.
Thanks for your advice STWers.
Brother in laws house is the same. External flue. I can now tell him it is the above.