Should fireplace flue be fully open?
The damper should always be fully open before lighting a fire and when the fireplace is in use. Close it when it’s not it use. Operating the fireplace with the damper partially closed will not generate more heat. Instead, blocking the passage through the flue will result in smoke entering the home.
Do you leave the damper open?
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. By leaving the damper open, heat is being lost as warm air is being pulled through a hole in your living room (the chimney) all the way up and through the roof.
How do you use a fireplace flue?
How to Operate a Flue in a Wood Burning Fireplace
- Locate the flue lever before starting a fire.
- Determine the position of the flue damper.
- Open the flue damper for a fire.
- Close the flue damper when there is no fire.
How do you open a fireplace flue?
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.
What are the vents at the bottom of my fireplace?
Bottom Air Vent – The bottom air vent on Old-Style Heatilator Fireplaces are where cool room air is drawn into the fireplace. The air is then routed around the firebox and exits through the top air vent where it returns to the room as heated air.
Does a wood burning fireplace need a fresh air intake?
Fire requires oxygen, so any fireplace with real fire from a source such as wood or gas requires a renewable supply of incoming air. This is often referred to as “fresh air,” though the IRC also calls it “combustion air.”
Why does my fireplace have vents?
A fire crackling in the fireplace adds to the ambiance while the heat it generates helps to warm the area. A closed vent can cause smoke to billow into the room, but using the fireplace vents properly ensures enough air feeds the fire and the smoke escapes up the chimney.
How do you know if your fireplace vent is open or closed?
Visually Check A visual check is one of the surest ways of checking whether the damper is open or not. Simply stick your head in the fireplace and look up. If you have a throat damper, the closed damper immediately above your head will block your vision. You should be able to reach up and touch the closed damper.
Can a wood burning fireplace be vented horizontally?
Venting is an important component of all stoves. For instance, wood-burning stoves will always be vented through the roof of your house, but pellet-burning stoves can be vented vertically through the roof, or horizontally through the wall to the outdoors. …
Is vented or ventless fireplace better?
Ventless fireplaces are more energy efficient than vented fireplaces because no heat escapes up the flue, so you’ll save money on gas utility bills. A vented gas fireplace uses more gas to create the same level of warmth because some of its heat escapes through the flue.
How long can you burn a ventless fireplace?
Manufacturers offer a variety of guidelines and restrictions that aim to mitigate harm. For one, these ventless fireplaces aren’t meant to be installed in bedrooms or rooms without ample square footage. Guidelines also advise that they shouldn’t be run for too long (typically no more than two hours).
How do you tell if fireplace is vent free?
Turn on the fireplace. If the flames reach above the gas logs and the look like a wood burning fireplace, then the logs must be vented. If the flames are small, an have a blue cast, the fireplace is vent-free.
How do I know if I can burn wood in my fireplace?
If your fireplace has an empty firebox, it is a wood-burning system. Your wood-burning stove will have a door and a space to build your fire, but no ignitors or feeding devices like a pellet stove might have.
Can you keep the flue closed on a gas fireplace?
If you have installed gas logs in your fireplace, the damper should never be closed. Because gas-log fires produce copious amounts of carbon monoxide, they have to vent outside in a fail-safe manner. That’s why there is, or should be, a keep-open device attached to the damper in gas-log fireplaces.