We have a two sided fireplace in our house. The house is 18 years old and
the fireplace is original to the house. We purchased the house about a year
ago. We tried several times last winter to have a fire and most of the time
smoke backed up in the house. We have tried having a window partially/fully
open and warming the chimney prior to lighting the logs, with no luck.

I measured the chimney height tonight and it is taller than it needs to be.
I was told it needs to be 2' taller than the point where it is 10' away from
the roof. There is a large rooftop A/C unit 7' feet away from the chimney
that is 2' taller than the chimney. Should I raise the chimney above the A/C
unit? What else should I look for?

Thanks,

cm