4 Reasons Your Open Fireplace in Melbourne Might Be Smoking (and How to Fix It)

On a cold winter’s night in Melbourne there is nothing more inviting than the crackling warmth of an open fire. But when smoke starts coming into your home, rather than out the chimney, this can quickly ruin the mood, and your patience.

A smoking fireplace is one of the most common complaints our team at Jetmaster Heat and Glo have heard from our customers. The good news is that in most cases the problem is easy to identify and easy to fix. The not-so-good-news is that the longer you leave the problem the more problems you’ll encounter. It causes poor air quality, smoke damage to your walls and furniture, and in extreme cases can be a genuine fire hazard .

There are four main reasons why your fireplace may be sending smoke back into your home. In this article the team at Jet Master Victoria, one of Melbourne’s most trusted fireplace stores, will walk you through what the 4 common causes of a smoking fireplace is and what you can do to fix it. Let’s get you back to being toasty.

How an Open Fireplace Should Actually Work

Fireplaces work through a simple thermodynamic principle known as the stack effect. Hot air rises. As a fire burns it heats the air, making it less dense than the cooler air in the room, causing it to rise, taking the smoke with it, up the chimney. This creates negative pressure around the fire that draws in fresh oxygen. This oxygen feeds the fire, which heats the air, and so the cycle continues.

There are three key mechanics that need to function for a fireplace to work.

• The Damper. This is a steel or cast-iron door installed just above the firebox, at the base of the chimney. It is closed when the fire is not in use to stop cold air rushing into your lounge, but must be open to let the smoke out of the chimney.
• The Flue. This is the interior of the chimney. A smooth, clean flue allows drafting, the upward pull of smoke and hot air, and helps prevent dangerous soot buildup.
• The Hearth. This is the bricks, stone or concrete in front of the fireplace. It is there to protect your floor from sparks jumping out, or logs rolling off the fire.

Jetmaster Heat & Glow is the premium fireplace store Melbourne homeowners reach out to when they want an open fireplace in their home. If you crave the warmth and comfort of a crackling open fireplace in Box Hill, Brunswick or Burwood, call 1300 219 875 and speak to the team today.

The 4 Reasons

Let’s look at the four reasons why the smoke may come billowing back into your home rather than up and out the flue.

1. Closed or Blocked Damper

Before you light your fire the metal damper at either the base or top of your chimney needs to be completely open. If it is even partly open, the smoke won’t be able to completely leave, and eventually will come back into your rooms.

If the damper is fully open but you’re still getting smoke then you need to check the chimney cap for obstructions like leaves or bird nests.

2. Wet or Unseasoned Firewood

Firewood should have a moisture content of less than 20%. If you try to burn ‘green’ wood, or wood that is wet the fire has to boil off the water before it can burn the wood and produce real flames. This energy spent evaporating the moisture cools down the firebox. This prevents a proper draft from forming and results in smoke billowing out into the room.

3. Negative Air Pressure

Modern homes are well-insulated and tightly sealed against the elements. If you’re running an exhaust fan in the kitchen, laundry or bathroom, or if your home is not tightly sealed and there is a draft, then air would escape, creating negative pressure inside your home. This can draw the smoke back down the chimney and into your home.

4. Cold Flue

Warm air rises, as we know, which is how the chimney creates the updraft. The fire heats the air and up it goes. If the outside temperature is very low and your chimney has been sitting, unused with no fire, for a long time, there will be a heavy blockage of cold air inside your chimney. When you light your fire, the warm air and smoke will hit this plug and not be able to get through, and come back out into your home. You will need to preheat your flue by holding some lit newspaper or kindle up in the flue for a minute or two. This heats the air and sends it up and out the chimney.

How to Fix It!

Now that we’ve learned the most common reasons you can get blowback from your open fire, let’s get into fixing them.

When to Clean Your Chimney and How Often

You should clean your chimney at least once a year, preferably before the winter season hits and you want to use it regularly. If the open fire is your main heating source and you use it heavily, then have it cleaned every six months.

You can check for the build-up of creosote inside your chimney. If it starts to grow to 3 mm you need a clean. If smoke is starting to come back into your home, then you may need a chimney clean as well.

Other signs that your chimney needs a clean are if you notice animal activity, such as scratching noises or scat in the firebox. This could also come with some unusual odours from the fireplace.

Burning dry wood helps keep smoke and creosote levels down. Smouldering embers are more smoky and can build-up the creosote. Burning softwoods like pine or fir creates much more soot than hardwoods.

How to Test Your Damper and What to Do If It’s Stuck

To test your fireplace damper, find the handle or rotary knob inside the firebox that operates it. Open and close it fully to check for smooth operation. Visually check it with a torch to confirm it is fully opening and shutting as per normal.

If it is getting stuck you can apply a high-temperature penetrating lubricant or rust-dissolver to the hinges. Try to gently open and close it while you’re lubricating it.

If it doesn’t open, or you notice it might be out of shape and warped, you’ll need to contact a professional chimney sweep and potentially get a new damper installed.

Simple Ways to Improve Airflow and Reduce Backdraught

As mentioned above, lighting some paper and warming up your flue before igniting the main fire can help remove the plug of cold air and ensure the smoke goes up the chimney from the get go.

Turn off an exhaust fan that may be on in the house. As they suck air up and out, this creates negative pressure in your home which can suck the smoke back into your home.

Installing a chimney cap is a great idea. This stops rain coming down your chimney and making the wood wet. It can also prevent animals from getting in and taking up residence.

What Wood Burns Best in an Open Fireplace Melbourne Homes Use?

The best wood to use in a Melbourne fireplace is well-seasoned Australian hardwood. Well-seasoned means that the wood is dry, with less than 20% moisture. The wood will have cracks in it and make sharp cracking sounds when banged together.

Top choices for firewood in Melbourne include River Red Gum, Ironbark, Box Wood and Sugar Gum. You should always buy your wood from reputable suppliers who can guarantee the wood was sourced ethically and sustainably.

Don’t burn softwoods such as pine because they burn quickly, as they are full of sap and tend to smoke heavily. Also, never burn treated wood, such as painted or stained timber. This will release toxic chemicals into your home, and increase the creosote up your flue.

Visit Melbourne’s Leading Fireplace Stores for Expert Advice

A smoking fireplace is frustrating, but as we’ve shown, it is rarely a mystery as to why. Usually it is a straightforward fix- open the damper, warm the flue, use the right wood or turn off exhaust fans. Plus a little maintenance and cleaning can go a long way.

If you’ve worked your way through the four main causes of a smoky fireplace and you’re still getting blowback, then it might be time to give Jetmaster Heat & Glow a call. We can do a thorough check and clean and give you advice on taking care of your fireplace, so you’re nice and warm for years to come.