Table of Contents
How do you use a wood burning fireplace for the first time?
Ignite your first fire by using a long-handled lighter or matches to ignite the newspaper and kindling. Use a fireplace poker to stir the sticks as needed until the larger logs ignite. Do not leave a fire unattended. Ensure the fire is fully extinguished before leaving the house or retiring to bed for the night.
How do you open the damper on a wood burning fireplace?
You should turn the knob clockwise, as far as it can go, or push the rod all the way up to open the damper. If there is a metal chain in or besides your fireplace, it means that your chimney has a top-mounted damper. If the chain is tightly attached to a hook, the damper is closed.
How do you circulate the heat from a wood burning fireplace?
If You Have a Fireplace or Wood-Burning or Pellet-Burning Furnace… First, if you also have forced air, turn the fan on to help circulate heat. Make sure your ceiling fans rotate clockwise so they pull cool air up off the floor and push warm air down. And also keep them running at their lowest speed.
How do you use a wood fireplace at home?
Steps for Lighting a Fire: Place kindling, newspaper, and logs on the fireplace grate. Open the damper. Open a window a few inches, to further help with the draft. Light a match and quickly blow it out, watching to see if the smoke goes up the chimney as it is supposed to.
Can I leave the flue open overnight?
The smoke from burning wood contains carbon monoxide, so in order to prevent this toxic byproduct from entering your home, it is important to leave the flue open overnight. This enables a draft to carry the compound out into the atmosphere, instead of sinking down the chimney and saturating the room.
Should the damper be open all the way?
When should the damper be kept open or closed? The fireplace damper should always be in the open position whenever you have a fire in the fireplace. Close the damper when the fire is extinguished. This will prevent the heated air from escaping through the chimney and will keep water and other debris out of the flue.
Should damper be open or closed in summer?
Even if you have a chimney cap, it is a good idea to keep the damper closed in the summer. Chimney caps can become damaged creating a pathway for rainwater or pests to get into your chimney. Closing the damper will ensure that they can’t get into your home through the fireplace.
What is the difference between a chimney flue and damper?
The flue is simply the open middle of the chimney that the smoke goes up. A damper is intended to shut off- either fully or partially- the chimney flue. The reason you’d want to do that is to keep heat ($$$) from escaping up the chimney.
How do you pull the heat out of a fireplace?
5 Tips to Getting More Warmth Out of Your Fireplace Do a damper check. If you think about it logically, the chimney allows airflow so that smoke can escape when you light a fire, but when not in use, you’re letting the warm air from your home out. Caulk it. Keep heat in. Install a heat exchanger. Seal it.
Can you put a fan in a wood burning fireplace?
Yes, you can add a fan/blower to most gas and wood fireplaces, inserts, and stoves. You will need to find a fireplace rated fan that will fit your fireplace and follow all instructions for installation in the unit’s manual.
How do you move hot air from a fireplace?
Place the box fan on low, facing INTO the space where your fireplace is, blowing the cool air at the unit. This will cause a convection reaction and the hot air will be forced away from the burning unit. If in a small room, the hot air will be moving out the door into larger spaces in no time.
Do you need to open a window when using a fireplace?
Fireplaces should not be used as furnaces. Open a window when using the fireplace to prevent the room from becoming smoky. The air coming in from the window will go up the chimney. Before making a fire, open the glass doors, pull aside the screen curtains, and place the kindling, newspaper and logs inside.
Where is the damper on a fireplace?
A damper is located in the flue of your chimney. The flue is where the smoke escapes when the fire is going. Dampers are placed inside of the flue to help control ventilation. Your damper should have a chain or handle that you can access in order to open and close it.
Should damper be open or closed?
The damper should be kept open until all embers are finished burning to prevent smoke from escaping into the home. When the fireplace is not in use, the damper should always be closed. An open damper is like an open window, allowing large amounts of heat from the home to escape.
Can you get carbon monoxide poisoning from a wood burning fireplace?
CO is one of several products from the combustion process. It’s also the most dangerous and deadly. The direct answer to the question above is: yes. Your gas, pellet or wood burning stove, insert or fireplace will produce carbon monoxide.
When can you close the damper on a fireplace?
A fireplace damper should always be kept open while the fire is burning. Furthermore, keep the damper open until all the embers are done burning. Smoke and dangerous carbon monoxide can enter the house. Once the ember bed is completely out, close the damper.
