Smoke from a Woodburning Stove

If you are using ceiling fans they can disrupt the airflow and cause a draw from the stove instead of smoke venting out the chimney. Just another idea. :)

Hi R.,

Smoke is never good for kids but the smell itself from a wood burning stove should not do as much damage as a lot of articles say. One of the reasons that smoke is more dangerous now than before is everything is treated with chemicals. If you are cutting your own logs or you know where you are getting them from, the dangers are not as high as those who buy "starter" logs or wood that has been picked up at a Lowe's or a grocery store marketed by a large company.

I know you can't just change your heating method overnight so make sure that the chimney is working properly and that the house is ventilated. Wood smoke rises (chemical smoke doesn't always) so little ones below are safer if the wood is not treated.

Hope I helped!

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

Hi R.,

Strong smell from a wood stove indicates there is creosote built-up in the piping/chimney. Besides making your home smell thick of smoke, this is a fire hazard as well as a health hazard.

I used to heat my house with a wood stove and because I didn't want my house to smell smoky and nasty (creosote smells foul/thick) my boyfriend and I would clean the chimney once every 4-5 weeks.

Yes, I had one of the super high efficiency stoves that was suppose to minimize creosote build-up, which I suppose it did but using it 24 hours a day requires monthly maintenance... cleaning. And yes, monthly cleaning is necessary even if the wood you're burning is well seasoned.

When your chimney is clean of creosote your home should (or will have) just the faintest scent of the type of wood you're burning - it WILL smell nice, just the faintest hint of the aroma of the type of wood you're burning. It will not be smoky nor will it smell smoky.

A smoky smell is ALWAYS a signal that you've either:

1.) left the stove door open (and the smoke is coming into your room), or
2.) your chimney/pipe is clogged with creosote.

I would certainly NOT use air fresheners to hide the real problem. Besides, air fresheners are full of toxins - poisonous chemicals that are well studied and known to cause asthma, respiratory diseases, cancer, immune diseases, ADD/ADHD, 'Gender Bender' chemicals, and more. They are so bad in fact that I believe they should be banned.

What we used to do...

'Plan' our monthly chimney cleaning for a warmer day. So that my oil burner would hardly be used/kick on. If the outdoor temp was 40*F or higher I usually didn't need to have the oil burner kick on, we would dress a bit warmer and/or run some errands while waiting for the wood stove to completely cool. With the stove I had, if we didn't put any wood in upon waking in the morning the stove /chimney/pipe was cooled enough (cool enough to keep your hand on without getting burned) by 2-3pm. By 4pm we had a nice fire going again. It's not as problematic as it might sound or seem.

TIP: Two people are required for ease. When you get one of those chimney sweeping brushes what I recommend is getting a long length of sturdy rope and tie it in such a way that the brush is nearly in the middle (of the rope) but make sure your rope is more than long enough so the person on the roof can allow the brush on the rope to drop all the way down the chimney/stove pipe. You would be inside and gently pull your length of rope, and whoever is on the roof 'waits' for you to do your part, then you yell up to them "OK!" At which point they pull the rope/brush back up all the way. Then, repeat.

You will do this as many times as is necessary. You will know when it's clean because no more creosote chunks/pieces will come down the chimney. I usually found pulling the brush up and down about 7 times did the trick. If you're doing it for the first time you can expect to do many more swipe-throughs.

Also, keep in mind that the creosote can and will be dusty!

If you have a chimney - drape a sheet over the front opening of the fire place to keep the creosote dust contained (put some books or oter heavy objects around the edges of the sheet to keep the dust contained), and do not stick your head in there during the cleaning - just peek when necessary. You may also want to wear a dust mask.

If you have only stove pipe - disconnect your stove pipe outdoors as close to the wood stove/ground level as possible. Put a tarp on the ground to collect and properly dispose of the creosote (do NOT compost it or throw it on your plants!) Then, use the brush/rope technique as I described above.

Always be conscious of the creosote dust and do things in such a way to minimize your exposure.

Cleaning your chimney monthly WILL eliminate the smell you're describing and create a much healthier environment (indoors and outdoors).

Good luck!
E.

R., you are a wonderful grandmother! First of all for keeping your grandson, and secondly for being concerned about his health and safety. He is a lucky little boy. My son has always had trouble with smoke of any kind. We would never be able to burn wood inside. I really don't know what I'd do if it was our heating source. It is obvious to tell this with him though. From birth, if he was near any type of smoke he would have trouble breathing. He is obviously very allergic. I do know children that this is not a problem for at all. If you are burning natural wood or clean wood, and it does not give him sinus or breathing trouble, I would think he should be just fine with it.

You may want to crack open a window to keep carbon monoxide levels low.

why don't you dry an air purifier in your home. you obviously can't stop heating your house, but that can help remove some of the smoke fromt he air, which will lessen the odor.

I was waiting for more responses before giving mine, because I'm curious about this too. My asthma is very mild, and I can go for years without symptoms. But this last winter the wood stove did get to me. I've talked with my husband about being careful of smoke when he starts the fire, and we've compromised by running fires with the doors closed. It doesn't warm as much, but it still makes a difference.

i grew up in a home where we had a wood burning stove... im a severe asthmatic but that never seemed to bother me. cigarettes are diff. i wouldnt worry about it unless your grandson is showing signs of having trouble!

Hi-We also have a woodburning stove but not the smell. You need to check your chimney. It could be clogged (very dangerous). Or another thought, if you have a metal pipe that goes up into the chimney you may need more insulation around the pipe. If you pipe is clogged it could catch fire inside.
Also sometimes chimney's aren't built right and need an extension on the top to make the smoke go out right.