How To Increase Fireplace Efficiency

People are more conscious about the environment than ever. Most modern homeowners want to bring solutions to the problems affecting our climate even when it comes to what they do with their fireplaces. Experts are finding that when used efficiently, wood fuel can reduce our dependency on non-renewable energy sources and can be a very good alternative to gas or electric sources. Read on for tips on how to use your fireplace more efficiently.

Burn Hot Not Slow

A slow-smoldering fireplace may be romantic, but it can prevent the materials from burning completely which will lead to more smoke and harmful byproducts in the air. It’s better to create a larger fire, which can be done by opening your chimney damper.

When the fire is at its highest close the damper as much as possible without forcing smoke back into the room. The hotter fire will warm your room quicker and reduce the amount of byproducts clogging the chimney and polluting the air.

 Increase Damper Efficiency

Some fireplaces have 2 dampers. One is located beneath the firebox and the other can be found inside the chimney. The bottom damper helps prevent heat loss through the chimney when it is open. If you don’t have a bottom damper, then opening a window and closing the door will help circulate heat throughout the room. The window shouldn’t be open too much, about 1 inch provides maximum efficiency. Always close the main damper when you are finished using the fireplace, if it is not closed then all the warm air can escape out of the chimney.

Increase Efficiency Using an Insert

Fireplace inserts allow traditional fireplaces to be transformed into a wood-burning stove. This is done by using a metal encasing and an exchanger for heat. The encasing is placed at the bottom of the fireplace while a metal liner (connected to the encasing) goes inside the chimney. These fireplace inserts are known to make fireplaces five times more efficient. So, it’s not just what we burn that can make our fireplaces more efficient but it’s also the way we choose to burn fuel.

Maintenance

Little things often mean more than we think they do, take maintenance for example. Having your fireplace inspected by a certified chimney sweep at least once a year and taking care to clean your fireplace regularly using a broom to remove ash or a wire brush to clean off the inside, could lower the heat-transfer by as much as 50 percent.

Something so simple can make a tremendous difference! If you are a bit intimidated to clean a chimney yourself. Call a professional. Professional chimney sweeps will evaluate and clean your chimney so that it functions safely and effectively. We here at Above & Beyond Chimney make it our aim to ensure that your fireplace is working at peak efficiency.  Call us today for chimney repair, chimney inspections, or chimney cleaning.

Above & Beyond Chimney
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