we have a wood burning fireplace which is great in winter.
Only thing is, when it gets windy outside, the smoke comes into the house. The stronger the wind, the bigger the issue.
Have cleaned out fireplace & flu, but no big difference.
Someone suggested, we get a revolving top of vent that moves with the direction of the wind. A builder doing other work around house, suggested, we might need to build up around vent on 3 or 4 sides.
Any one had any similar issues ?
Any suggestions ?
Sounds like a open fire place? Get rid of it and put a slow combustion heater in at least if you must have wood.
If you have a slow combustion heater already, then yes a different flu cap will solve your issue. What do you currently have?
Had the same issue with an open wood burning fire in house we lived in years ago.
Fitted a flue cap, non revolving, and while we still had the rare puff of smoke, usually when a weather change was imminent, it was successful.
It also has a lot to do with the shape and size of the fireplace, a badly built one will not be efficient and will always smoke.
Make the best of the wood burning open fire while you can. There is a growing push to ban them due to the air pollution they cause
pollution from fire places must be 1 million times less than pollution from cars, trucks & buses.
Wood is a renewable resource at least. Unlike gas or coal fired electricity.
Only thing is, when it gets windy outside, the smoke comes into the house.
Good. I only wish the same thing would happen at my neighbours house. I have lost count of the number of times I have woken up to thinking my house was on fire because of the amount of smoke pouring out the chimney of my neighbours house. I have a daughter that suffers from asthma and have had sleepless nights and hospital visits when this arsehole gets their fire place cranking.
InB4: "i HaVe a RiGhT tO bE WaRm iN mY OwN hOuSe!!1!!!1!!"
So, if you think it's unpleasant in your house, spare a though for the rest of the people in your neighbourhood who have to put up with your wood smoke, windy or not.
Yes!!! I am badly allergic to smoke and someone in my street has a wood fireplace. They have been burning it every night, and my house is full of smoke! I have all my doors and windows shut so can only assume its coming in through vents, but its horrible having to constantly take steroids and Ventolin just to be able to breath in my own house.
My neighbour burns everything. Old, dry wood. Newer green/wet wood. Plastic and rubbish. Has even admitted to someone else who lives in the street that they often burn their dog's turds because "I don't want dog shit stinking up my bin, so I just chuck it in the fire…"
I've lost count of the number of times I have woken up to the overwhelming smell of smoke in the house and race to my kids bedroom and listen to her struggling to breath. I think last winter, we had to make 3 or 4 trips to hospital.
I have had air quality samplers installed in the house for monitoring and on a warm day, no fire required, its about 2~5ppm. When this arsehole neighbour starts up their dog shit furnace, I have had counts upwards of 350ppm. Safe levels are considered to be under 25ppm. During the height of the bush fires back in December, I was averaging about 120~140ppm.
I have had times where I have been woken up by smoke in the early hours of the moneing, only to turn a light on and look down the hall and I'm able to see the haze in the air inside my own house. I have contacted council and kept diaries and hospital admission information. Kept detailed information on air quality inside the house from the samplers and councils response is to drive past at 2~3pm and have a look. "No smoke emissions noted" is the usual report. Of course not, dumb arses, it's 3pm, not 3am when I'm actually having the issues.
I have found that most people who have a fireplace in their house, don't give a (fropanity) about anyone other than themselves (as noted by the neg votes). The smoke gets piped out the top of their house and the wind takes it away and it's up to the other people in the street to deal with it.
The sooner wood fired heaters are banned, the sooner we will be all the better for it.
Are you sure your meter is right? 350ppm is beyond hazardous level of pollution, if that's what it is in your own house then you really need to do something about it sooner rather than later.
@njastar: Yes. And I know it is beyond hazardous. I can literally see the smoke haze in their air inside my own house. I have had nights where I have turned on lights in the house and it looks like someone has burned a whole loaf of bread through a toaster and smoked out the house. It has peaked at this level, but usually sits around the 120~150ppm mark most nights the neighbour is roasting dog turds.
I have tried sealing the house better. Replacing seals and improving filtration from the air-con system does nothing. I cant do any more than what I have done that wouldn't cost me more than if I just moved house. Council dont give a (fropanity) and the EPA just referred me back to my local council. Throw a ciggie butt out the window of your car, EPA are all over it. blanket a whole neighbourhood in thick, acrid wood smoke… don't care, call your council.
we have a wood burning fireplace which is great in winter.
Not for your neighbours.
Seriously, consider those around you. This is like having a dog in your backyard barking all (profanity) day .
no neighbours within 200m & live on top of a ridge, which is why it sometimes gets windy.
Closed fireplace. More efficient, no backdraft issues and safer. I just had one of mine converted. Not as pretty but worth it.
Don't light the fireplace when it's windy outside? 😂
(sorry, I just had to. I blame lockdown boredom!)