In the apartment where me and my wife live, we have a beautiful fireplace. However, every time we light a fire, after about 10 minutes, the smoke starts coming back into the house instead of going up the chimney. We’ve even tried opening a window to allow air circulation, but it doesn’t help.
We had a chimney sweep come to clean and inspect it, but the issue persists. The house was built in the 1980s, and there are two vents on the upper sides of the fireplace. We were told these are meant to help heat the room quickly by circulating the warm air from the fire, but they are essentially just holes in the wall.
There’s also a button with a numbered lever that I can’t figure out. I’m wondering if it might be connected to the fireplace in some way. Does anyone know what it could be for?
Thank you so much for any insights!
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1g2rlfi
Posted by TransitionOk8361
2 Comments
I assume you are not the only ones in the building with fireplace. In such cases, it’s best to ask neighbours, that have been living longer in the building. Usually they know how to operate them and maybe even give you some tips and tricks 🙂
Perhaps check inside the chimney if there’s a latch to open it. Normally the chimney is closed for insulation, and by leaving it closed with the fireplace on you are not just getting smoke in your apartment, but generating a lot of carbon monoxide!!