Expert: James Ball - 1/31/2010

Question
Hi,
 
After my fire has been burning for about an hour we get a chemical type smell (burns the eyes & gives headache) in the house.I don't have a boiler room, There is no smoke in the house & we use real wood for fuel. What could be causing this?

Answer
Hello Matt, what is happening is you are getting Negative Pressure in your home (house stack effect) that is hot air rising in your home (and getting out through the attic vents, doors, lights, another fireplace (is it closed?)) your house is a better chimney than your chimney. Also kitchen/bathroom exhaust fans, clothes dryers, Radon systems and the boiler/furnace all take house air out of the house (mechanical negative pressure) your house needs make up air, perhaps an open window in the basement? Or stop the air from getting out the attic and other area’s.
Trail and error until you get this fireplace to work for you, maybe close off the room from the rest of the house to use it (close doors)
Or it could be dirty? I would have a local Certified Chimney Sweep (www.csia.org, there you can look up by zip code to find one near you) take a first hand look at what you have.
James