What does it mean when white smoke comes out of the tube of my chimney?

White smoke from the chimney is not necessarily a bad sign. Depending on the equipment installed in heating your home, the thin white smoke could be a normal byproduct of operation. Smoke can also be an indication of a problem of fuel, if your team burning home heating oil. A qualified technician can help you determine if the source of the smoke of burning is normal or a problem that requires immediate attention.

Origins of white smoke

The white smoke coming from your chimney pipe is actually water vapor produced by the condensation, as a byproduct of burning fuel. It is common to see smoke and believe that something is wrong with your fireplace, but this is not the case. Clouds are a normal part of the operation of the boiler or fireplace and should not be cause for concern. According to “Modern Building Services”, a magazine of the construction industry, “pluming” (column) it is the term for the appearance of condensation clouds are derived from a chimney or flue system.

Problems with the “pluming”

The so-called “pluming” can be a nasty problem for your home, depending on the position of your chimney or flue system. Bad angled vents in your system can cause combustion smoke from the chimneys stroll past your windows or go back to your home. This can obscure the view of the windows every time your furnace or fireplace is in operation and result in airborne particles in the smoke set inside your home.

Problems with the fireplace and the flue

If your home uses a high efficiency boiler, condensation will be present in it or the fuel system most of the time that the boiler is operating. The construction of the chimney and combustion system of your house should be enough to withstand the almost constant presence of water vapor. Poor construction methods can expose your chimney ducts or corrosion or joint leaks and promote bacterial growth. An old house may not have enough joint sealant or corrosion resistant to effectively manage the presence of condensation in the flue or chimney material.

Problems with oil burners

In the case of a burner or oven which operates in heating oil, white smoke flowing chimney may be a sign of a problem of mixture inside the burner. An oil burner in operation generates little smoke during operation. Excessive levels of oxygen in the combustion chamber can cause burning fuel inefficient and result in thick white smoke emanating from your chimney. An authorized technician should inspect and clean the internal parts of burner to remove the accumulation of particles. This should correct the problem and allow the burner or oven function normally.