Using scent to detect a chimney leak.

Ok guys, as I get a little closer to my basement RMH build I am reminded that I need to do a little due diligence and check up on the integrity of my basement chimney.  I remember when I first moved the family into this place and we were playing with the two fireplaces.  I had the upstairs fireplace going and then I set up a fire in the downstairs fireplace.  I had some issues with smoking the place up, only to discover that the flue damper was not working properly and only half opening at best.  Still though, to my mind I still remember smelling a suspicious odor of smoke upstairs when burning only in the basement.  I was wondering if anyone had ever used a pungent cleaning chemical, perfume, or other smelly substance to check for possible leaks in the chimney.  I was thinking about putting something smelly in the firebox, covering up the opening, and waiting to see if I could smell it upstairs.  
On the other hand, I could just call the chimney guys out with their scope and they could inspect it for me for $$$$.  This chimney is only expected to carry spent exhaust gases from a bell bench, so it's not like there's going to be a creosote fire getting out of hand.  But all the same, I'd like to know that I won't be smelling smoke in the living room when I'm running the RMH down in the man cave.

Any thoughts on this??  Or am I just nutty?

If anyone is curious about my draft, I cut a 4 inch diameter hole in a MDF panel that I used to cover the firebox with a hole saw , lit a candle and was able to hold the candle up to the hole where the flame was quickly snuffed out.  Then I mounted a computer fan over the hole and the draft was such that it was able to overcome the magnetic inertia of the fan and keep the blades spinning at quite a clip.  So the draw is good.  No question about that.

Hi Thomas,
I would be leery to use that as the only check, but it sounds like a good idea to be a part of the inspection.

Matt McSpadden wrote:Hi Thomas,
I would be leery to use that as the only check, but it sounds like a good idea to be a part of the inspection.

Thanks Matt.

You know, the more I think about it, the more I remember (9 years ago) that the wood I was burning wasn't very dry.  Pretty much doing it all wrong.  I'm going to build another fire in there this weekend and see now it drafts now that the broken damper is gone.  That and using dry wood will probably make a big difference.  If I don't smoke up the basement and still smell smoke upstairs, maybe then I'll call in the pro's.