Smoke from neighbouring chimneys causing issues

indierocker85

Hi

We recently completed on a purchase of our first home, and recently we have noticed something quite troubling. We keep getting a bit of a smoke smell, and I have pin pointed it to two nearby properties who must have either a log burner or an open fire.....The smoke has been billowing out at all hours of the day and sometimes as early on as 11am, on days when I might have liked to have had my washing out.

Tonight I had left a velux window open on the 2nd floor and went up there and the second floor smelt of smoke! I am concerned of pollution and any possible health hazards. Is there anything I can do? It seems to be lit very regularly! I am now even worried about possible Carbon Monoxide risks, though I suspect the smoke is too far away to be neat enough for that! But still.....

-taff

Not unless your council is a smoke control area...but you may be able to complain about it depending on which council it is.
Look at your councils website for more info but here's a list of local coucils and whether they are smoke control areas or not
http://www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk/list.html


And here are the rules
https://www.gov.uk/smoke-control-area-rules

dunroving

Is it definitely coming in from outside (rather than seeping through an adjoining chimney breast)? I know you say you see the smoke outside but that may not be the source of the strong smoke in your house.

If smoke is seeping through an adjoining chimney, you have more than just a nuisance, you have a potential fire risk.

sevenhills

Many parts of the UK are smoke control areas where you can’t emit smoke from a chimney unless you’re burning an authorised fuel or using ‘exempt appliances’, for example burners or stoves.

You can be fined up to £1,000 if you break the rules.


https://www.gov.uk/smoke-control-area-rules


A relative of mine had problems with a neighbours log burner chimney and smoke, the council ended up coming round to tell the home owner to extend the chimney.

Davesnave

-taff wrote: »

here's a list of local coucils and whether they are smoke control areas or not
http://www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk/list.html


And here are the rules
https://www.gov.uk/smoke-control-area-rules

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
And good luck with all that!

Call me cynical, but how is the average home owner supposed to assess whether rules are being broken?
Even if they aren't, it's still possible for a real stink to be created, thanks to poorly-dried wood being used.

Wood-burners are trendy at present and the government isn't minded to place a straightforward blanket city ban on them for fear of unpopularity. This, despite thousands dying due to particulates in city air.

I live in the country, generate much of my own wood and have the supply on a 2 year+ drying cycle. This takes up a h u g e amount of space, but that's OK, because I have barns.

Mr & Mrs Smith living in the city usually have very little space, let alone somewhere to dry wood. Yes, they could buy kiln-dried, but it's expensive...a bit like shopping organic. Often the Smiths won't bother, and that's if they even know what good logs are.

In short, nobody really gives a monkey's, but with luck, the sheer effort and messiness will make many give up their stoves before the government acts.

OP I hope you get this resolved, but assuming it's not a structural issue, you may have quite an uphill task.

EachPenny

Davesnave wrote: »

Wood-burners are trendy at present and the government isn't minded to place a straightforward blanket city ban on them for fear of unpopularity. This, despite thousands dying due to particulates in city air.
...
In short, nobody really gives a monkey's, but with luck, the sheer effort and messiness will make many give up their stoves before the government acts.

On the positive side, it won't be long before the winter is over and the log burners will be abandoned in favour of the BBQ's and patio heaters.

EachPenny

indierocker85 wrote: »

Tonight I had left a velux window open on the 2nd floor and went up there and the second floor smelt of smoke! I am concerned of pollution and any possible health hazards. Is there anything I can do? It seems to be lit very regularly! I am now even worried about possible Carbon Monoxide risks, though I suspect the smoke is too far away to be neat enough for that! But still.....

Unless the chimneys are very close to your house then the CO risk should be low, but if you are concerned then get a CO alarm just to be sure.

If you live in a rural area then people having log fires in the winter is normal, most people would expect other people to have their windows closed for the majority of the time. It can be a pain in the backside when you want to hang washing out though.

If you do live in a rural area think carefully before getting the council involved. Unless what they are doing is illegal there is a limit to what the council will do, and you are unlikely to be thanked (by the neighbours) for your intervention.

Some people would probably suggest inviting the neighbours around for tea and cake and perhaps asking politely whether they had had their chimneys swept recently because you have seen lots of smoke coming out when you put your washing out and were concerned their chimney might be on fire.... if they are decent people they they will get the hint.

Davesnave

EachPenny wrote: »

On the positive side, it won't be long before the winter is over and the log burners will be abandoned in favour of the BBQ's and patio heaters.

Remember the pizza oven thread a few weeks back? So 'uncontroversial,' it disappeared!