Lingering burnt smell

Q: Dear Jason, I inflated the 15 x 15 Chimney Balloon and placed it above the damper to get rid of chimney smell. It’s much better, but I still smell it a bit after about a week. Any suggestions on how to completely get rid of the odor?  Thanks, EP

A: HI EP, Fireplace odors can be tricky but here are some tips. Feel with your hand around the edges of the flue wall to make sure you have the Chimney Balloon installed as tight as possible.

If the positioning is good then it is likely that the firebox has some stinky creosote and ash residue that is creating the lingering smell. Make sure you vacuum out the firebox again really well with a shop vac. Then take a couple of boxes of baking soda and throw it all over the firebox surfaces blow the Chimney Balloon. Throw the baking soda against the firebox walls, against the damper, shake it out on the firebox floor and just basically coat everything with baking soda. If you have a hard time getting it to stick to vertical areas use a light spritz of water to get it to grab.

Let that set in your fireplace for at least 48 hours, or if you can stand the sight of it leave it for a week. The longer the better. Then shop vac all of it up. That should take care of the left-over smell. – Jason