Your family-owned chimney company in Morningside Park

A smoky or sooty smell drifting from the fireplace when the air conditioning runs, or when a bathroom fan is on, is a sign that air is being pulled down the chimney. Morningside Park is an Orange County community, and homes there, like homes anywhere, can develop a small negative pressure when fans and air handlers run, and the chimney becomes the easiest path for outside air to come in.

The air coming down the chimney brings the smell of old soot and creosote with it, and in humid weather that smell is stronger. It can also bring humid outside air into a cooled room. The fireplace is not the source of the pressure difference, but it is the channel. There are two parts to fixing it.

First, deal with the smell at its source. A thorough sweep removes the deposits that give off the odor, and checking the cap and crown makes sure rain is not soaking the flue and adding to it. Second, close the channel. A throat damper that seals properly helps. A top-sealing damper, mounted at the top of the flue with a gasket, often does a better job of stopping the air flow, since it seals the whole flue rather than only the throat.

It is also worth noting when the smell is worst. If it only happens when the kitchen hood or a dryer is running, that is useful to know. If it happens all the time, the chimney may need more attention than a damper alone. Our technicians look at the whole picture before recommending anything. The inspection in Morningside Park is free with our family-owned team.

We put the sweep, the damper and any repairs on separate lines of a written estimate, so you can choose. A job booked within 72 hours after the free inspection receives 10% off, and our 100% satisfaction guarantee covers the work.