# There's an awful stink from my neighbour's chimney. No idea what they are burning!



## guy incognit (17 Oct 2009)

There's an awful stink from my neighbour's chimney. Ive no idea what they are burning (they have an open fire chimney obviously) but if the wind is low it hangs around and sneaks in the open windows into our house. If it was cigarette smoke in an office there would be war!

Do I have any remedy? Could it be illegal? How would I check what it is? 

I'm a city boy and my nose can't tell the difference between turf or wood or whatever it could be. Or maybe it's just a dirty ashy chimney? 

There's a trail of smoke out the chimney plain to see!


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## Marietta (17 Oct 2009)

*Re: There's an awful stink from my neighbour's chimney. no idea what they are burning*

you answered your own question, 'you're a city boy'. Whatever you do don't complain, the rural folk don't take too kindly to complaints from 'blow ins'!.


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## allthedoyles (17 Oct 2009)

*Re: There's an awful stink from my neighbour's chimney. No idea what they are burning*

It is a possibility that your neighbour is burning coal with a high sulphur content .

Bituminous coal is banned in smokeless zones ( Dublin is one ) 

However it is ok for your neighbour to buy this coal outside the smokeless zone and burn it inside the smokeless zone .

The law really only applies to the coal merchant inside the zone , who is not allowed to advertise ,distribute or sell coal within this area .

As you said above , it probably has to do with the wind direction and strength etc


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## ajapale (17 Oct 2009)

*Re: There's an awful stink from my neighbour's chimney. No idea what they are burning*

It is possible that your neighbour is importing high sulpher coal and burining it. What colour is the smoke? Is it a dense cloudy dirty yelllow appearance?

It is also possible that he is burning waste like potato skins and other organic material. This material has a high moisture content and burns at a lower temperature leading to more smoke.

I had a neighbour once who burned old tyres! The resulting "smuts" destroyed many a white sheet out on the cloths line to dry.

Some people find the smell of burning timber or turf objectionable ..but most of the smoke from peat and timber is just water vapour!


If you suspect that your neighbour is involved in illegal incineration then perhaps you could contact your local authorities environmental department.


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## ajapale (18 Oct 2009)

*Re: There's an awful stink from my neighbour's chimney. No idea what they are burning*

Please remain on topic. "There's an awful stink from my neighbour's chimney.  No idea what they are burning"

OT posts have been deleted.


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## bertie1 (18 Oct 2009)

*Re: There's an awful stink from my neighbour's chimney. No idea what they are burning*

What type of a smell, timber doesn't really smell & turf has a kind of a sweet smell


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## corkgal (18 Oct 2009)

*Re: There's an awful stink from my neighbour's chimney. No idea what they are burning*

Burning rubbish smells bad. Do they leave bins out for collection?


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## woodbine (18 Oct 2009)

*Re: There's an awful stink from my neighbour's chimney. No idea what they are burning*

as ajapale and bertie mentioned, turf smells. As a child I helped to cut turf and I actually love the smell of turf/briquettes but when you get the first whiff it can be quite strong.



regarding the trail of smoke out the chimney, well i live in the countryside and that's all you can see on a cold evening: trails of smoke from every chimney..


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## guy incognit (19 Oct 2009)

*Re: There's an awful stink from my neighbour's chimney. no idea what they are burning*



Marietta said:


> you answered your own question, 'you're a city boy'. Whatever you do don't complain, the rural folk don't take too kindly to complaints from 'blow ins'!.


 
eh, you got me wrong. I'm in the city. They're in the city. We are all in the city. My problem is that if I was a country boy I could probably tell you what it is they are burning.


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## guy incognit (19 Oct 2009)

*Re: There's an awful stink from my neighbour's chimney. No idea what they are burning*



corkgal said:


> Burning rubbish smells bad. Do they leave bins out for collection?


 
yes, they do. 

but I wouldn't be at all surpised to hear they are burning anything and everything else to keep the cost down. they are chavs. 

it's not turf. It's something that's more ash-y and stinky.


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## Caveat (19 Oct 2009)

*Re: There's an awful stink from my neighbour's chimney. No idea what they are burning*

Speculation is more or less pointless.

If the smell is that bad simply contact your local environmental health dept. in the HSE and inform them.


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