Smoke from open fire

[horsestache1]

I've just moved house, and have a lovely room on the first floor which I want to use as a sitting room. It has an open fire (i've had the chimney swept) with a short chimney. Yesterday I lit the fire and smoke kept bellowing into the room, so much so I had to put the fire out. I have only used the fire about 4 or 5 times before and this has never happend before. Is it because it was so windy yesterday, or is something wrong with the chimney.

Thanks in advance

[CheekyChops]

We used to have an open fire and we also got smoke blowing back into the room when it was very very windy.

[LoftyLottie]

I agree, it was the wind yesterday that would have caused it.

[smudge]

We have two open fires & haven't any problems like that, not even when it's really windy.

This might be of help horsestache: http://www.soliftec.com/Openfires.pdf

[LoftyLottie]

Depends on the chimney Smudge.

[LoftyLottie]

That got posted before I finished! On both of our houses we have had blow back of smoke when the wind is in a certain direction. We had a wood burner in place now and it rattles like crazy when the wind blows.

[Skreecheeboy]

Might have birds nesting there? Do you have chicken wire over the chimney to prevent the birds getting in?

[horsestache1]

Thanks all, I think it must just be the wind and the fact that the chimney is so short. I do not have a birds nest.

[theonlyone]

A neighbour has an open fire and has a thing on top of the chimney pot which spins in the wind , it's globe shaped , don't what they are called !!!

[sense4all]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowl_%28chimney%2 9

You can get cowls for all kinds of purposes, wind is one of them.

[smudge]

Only just been able to post back on here!

Yes, it does depend on the chimney Lofty. Somewhere on my link, it reads that if you have a short chimney it's more likely to happen.

I wonder if this happens in bungalows?

[Ice.Maiden]

We have two large open fires which allow smoke to billow back when: a) The wind's in the wrong direction, or b) the chimney needs sweeping.

[gucciman]

smoke/fumes from your fire going up the flue (chimney) is dependant upon differential air pressure between the hot air of the fumes and the cold air outside and is greatly affected by wind conditions but also by other factors such as sufficient ventilation in your room, effective flue height etc, flue performance is also affected by having the internal doors to your room open, flue pull will not be as great with the doors open.
you can see the smoke coming into your room but exactly the same thing can happen with a gas burning appliance and you wouldn't be able to see the fumes coming back into your room then and could be in real danger.
it may be worth getting your flue assessed by a corgi registered gas engineer as the job involves assessing flues and flue performance not just gas appliances.
the revolving stainless steel flue terminal someone mentioned are designed to improve flue pull but they can be a nuisance with the sun glinting off them into the neighbours windows/eyes and they are meant to be oiled regulary