I imagine fireplace odor is a common topic on these forums but so far I haven't been able to find any answers online that address my specific situation. I have a wood-burning fireplace in a 1952 house. The chimney is not on an external wall, so I get a good positive draft even with no fire. However, after burning, I get a decently strong ash/soot odor that doesn't go away. Interestingly, this ONLY happens when my top-sealing damper is CLOSED. If I open the damper even just a crack, the smell seems to dissipate pretty quickly. But, obviously, I'd rather not lose all that heat when I'm not burning a fire. I have glass doors on the fireplace (not really airtight). Given the top-sealing damper, it seems unlikely that I have a downdraft when there's no fire, so it must be that the smell of the chimney is leaking through the glass doors. Does anyone have a suggestion for how to prevent the odor? Should I make a block-off plate to insert above the firebox when I'm not burning a fire?
Thanks,
Dan
Thanks,
Dan