When I use the fireplace in my home my basement fills with fumes. It's not
so bad that I can see smoke but the smokey smell is strong enough that
spending time in the (finished) basement is not enjoyable. My house was
renovated at some point before I owned it and a closet was built in the
basement that houses the furnace and water heater. This closet is directly
below the fireplace. There is a access panel behind the furnace to access a
ash box below the fireplace. In the fireplace is a hinged door in the floor
of the firebox for ashes.

I have tried to seal the panel behind the furnace with duck tape but the
odor didn't change.

Any ideas? Is the furnace drawing the fumes down somehow?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

"Fred" wrote in message

Any ideas? Is the furnace drawing the fumes down somehow?


Furnaces need combustion air and it will draw it in from outside. Most
times it brings it in through al the cracks around windows and doors, but
the fireplace chimney is a good spot also.

Fred wrote:
When I use the fireplace in my home my basement fills with fumes. It's not
so bad that I can see smoke but the smokey smell is strong
enough that spending time in the (finished) basement is not
enjoyable. My house was renovated at some point before I owned it
and a closet was built in the basement that houses the furnace and
water heater. This closet is directly below the fireplace. There is
a access panel behind the furnace to access a ash box below the
fireplace. In the fireplace is a hinged door in the floor of the
firebox for ashes.
I have tried to seal the panel behind the furnace with duck tape but
the odor didn't change.

Any ideas? Is the furnace drawing the fumes down somehow?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

To add to what Edwin wrote, I suggest that you may want to provide fresh
outside air to the utility room with the furnace. It sounds like it does
not have enough air now and even without the fireplace it could cause
problems, maybe serious CO problems.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

"Fred" wrote in message
news:%KiMf.1065$SJ2.374@trndny01...

When I use the fireplace in my home my basement fills with fumes. It's
not

You have to check all the basics, e.g.

1. Does your fireplace chimney draw well? How much
higher than the rest of the roof does the chimney cap reach?
2. Does your furnace have an independent source of
outside air (now mandatory in Ontario, Canada.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Stretch wrote:
Fred

Stop using the fireplace. If it is bringing a smokey smell into the
house, it is likely there is carbon monoxide coming in too.

Frankly I would be concerned about the lack of draft even without the
fireplace in use.


Does it help if you turn off the furnace and water heater when you use
the fireplace?

Get someone with a digital manometer to test your house pressures
wiuth your furnace and fireplace running. Get THREE carbon monoxide
testers in your house. It sounds dangerous to me. I would not try
testing this your self, you could wake up dead some morning. If your
house has a negative pressure with respect to the outside, it could be
backdrafting both the fireplace flue and the flue that serves the
furnace and water heater.

Good luck

Stretch

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit