Expert: James Ball - 2/8/2011

Question
1951 Heatilator..Had chimney sweep here mid-January and had 1 fire since. He cleaned and certified the fireplace.
Today, I am smelling smoke in this room where fireplace is located.
Cleaned all ash out weeks ago.
I am not sure which way the damper closes as I bought this house in October..I think it is BACK for shut and FORWARD for open because it was pulled forward and I felt cold air , so I pushed the handle back a few days ago. No smell until today.

Answer
Hello Liz, take a look up with a flash light to be sure the damper is closed, it might not be closed all the way. If you still get an odor then 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) stop the air from getting out the attic and other area’s and it wont pull that air/odor down the chimney
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