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| SPECIALIZING IN GAS FIREPLACES Licenced and Certified |
| HEARTH PRODUCT SERVICE, INC. - GUNPOWDER ROAD, WHITE MARSH, MD 21162 - 410-679-1116 |
Why fireplaces work
and how best to build them, has been a topic of hot debate literally for centuries. From the
first stone rings stacked around the campfire, to the modern factory built fireplaces with
carefully engineered dimensions, there has been a steady evolution of design parameters
to make sure they draw well and cast as much heat as possible. Most of this evolution has
been by trial and error, and some designs work much better than others.
Simply put, fireplaces work mainly because hot air rises. When you start a fire, the air
inside the chimney becomes warmer and less dense than the air outside the chimney, and
consequently it starts to rise. As the warm air rises, cooler air from the room flows into
the firebox, fanning the fire, creating more heat in an ongoing cycle. There are also some
pressure differentials produced as wind moves across the top of your chimney.
There are many reasons why your fireplace MAY NOT function properly.
Is your damper fully open?
Everybody eventually forgets to open the damper. Many dampers also cease to fully open
because of water damage or soot buildup behind them on the smoke shelf. A good
professional cleaning can usually solve this problem.
Is your chimney dirty?
The gradual accumulation of soot can seriously affect the way your chimney performs.
Thick layers of soot of course can physically restrict the flue so there is no longer enough
free area to vent the fireplace properly, but as little as a 1/4" to 1/2" inch buildup can make
more difference than you might think.
Is your chimney tall enough?
To function properly, the chimney should be at least 10 or 12 feet in overall height. Where it
projects above the roof, the chimney should be at least 3 feet tall, and at least 2 feet higher
than anything within 10 feet of it-including other buildings, trees, etc. If your fireplace
smokes because your chimney is too short, the problem is usually worse when the wind
blows.
Is your flue large enough for the fireplace opening?
There are many variables that can affect this including; overall chimney height, how warm
the flue stays, throat configuration, etc., but the basic rule of thumb here is that the area of
the fireplace opening can be no more than 10 times the area of the flue (12 times for round
flues). An undersized flue simply can't handle the volume of smoke produced, and some of
it will spill back into the room. Since there is no practical way to make the flue size larger,
the solution may be to make the room opening smaller with metal smoke guards or some
creative masonry work. In fact there are now some pre-manfactured refractory firebox
retrofits that work well with a 15 to 1 ratio and deliver twice the heat of conventional
fireboxes.
Is your home too tight?
With modern energy efficiency concerns most houses have been carefully insulated and
weather-stripped to keep out the cold drafts, but an undesirable side effect is that there is
often nowhere for all that air leaving the chimney to get back in. This can lead to fireplaces
that burn sluggishly and smoke. A temporary solution is to open a window to let in a little
make up air, preferably on the windward side of the house. It can also lead to very
dangerous carbon monoxide buildup if your fireplace and furnace must compete for
combustion air, and a permanent solution should be found at once.
Is your house too loose?
A house that leaks too much air to the outside, especially a multistory house that leaks air
in the upper levels, can actually set up its own draft or chimney effect strong enough to
overpower your fireplace chimney, particularly if the fireplace is located in the basement
on a cold exterior wall. Be sure the attic access door is in place and that all upstairs
windows are tightly closed.
Is there a return air grill in the same room as the fireplace?
As the fireplace consumes air and cold air moves into the house to replace it, the furnace
is likely to come on. When the furnace comes on, air is drawn into the return competing
directly with the needs of the fireplace.
AND THERE ARE MAY MORE REASONS WHY YOUR FIREPLACE DOES NOT HEAT PROPERLY.
and how best to build them, has been a topic of hot debate literally for centuries. From the
first stone rings stacked around the campfire, to the modern factory built fireplaces with
carefully engineered dimensions, there has been a steady evolution of design parameters
to make sure they draw well and cast as much heat as possible. Most of this evolution has
been by trial and error, and some designs work much better than others.
Simply put, fireplaces work mainly because hot air rises. When you start a fire, the air
inside the chimney becomes warmer and less dense than the air outside the chimney, and
consequently it starts to rise. As the warm air rises, cooler air from the room flows into
the firebox, fanning the fire, creating more heat in an ongoing cycle. There are also some
pressure differentials produced as wind moves across the top of your chimney.
There are many reasons why your fireplace MAY NOT function properly.
Is your damper fully open?
Everybody eventually forgets to open the damper. Many dampers also cease to fully open
because of water damage or soot buildup behind them on the smoke shelf. A good
professional cleaning can usually solve this problem.
Is your chimney dirty?
The gradual accumulation of soot can seriously affect the way your chimney performs.
Thick layers of soot of course can physically restrict the flue so there is no longer enough
free area to vent the fireplace properly, but as little as a 1/4" to 1/2" inch buildup can make
more difference than you might think.
Is your chimney tall enough?
To function properly, the chimney should be at least 10 or 12 feet in overall height. Where it
projects above the roof, the chimney should be at least 3 feet tall, and at least 2 feet higher
than anything within 10 feet of it-including other buildings, trees, etc. If your fireplace
smokes because your chimney is too short, the problem is usually worse when the wind
blows.
Is your flue large enough for the fireplace opening?
There are many variables that can affect this including; overall chimney height, how warm
the flue stays, throat configuration, etc., but the basic rule of thumb here is that the area of
the fireplace opening can be no more than 10 times the area of the flue (12 times for round
flues). An undersized flue simply can't handle the volume of smoke produced, and some of
it will spill back into the room. Since there is no practical way to make the flue size larger,
the solution may be to make the room opening smaller with metal smoke guards or some
creative masonry work. In fact there are now some pre-manfactured refractory firebox
retrofits that work well with a 15 to 1 ratio and deliver twice the heat of conventional
fireboxes.
Is your home too tight?
With modern energy efficiency concerns most houses have been carefully insulated and
weather-stripped to keep out the cold drafts, but an undesirable side effect is that there is
often nowhere for all that air leaving the chimney to get back in. This can lead to fireplaces
that burn sluggishly and smoke. A temporary solution is to open a window to let in a little
make up air, preferably on the windward side of the house. It can also lead to very
dangerous carbon monoxide buildup if your fireplace and furnace must compete for
combustion air, and a permanent solution should be found at once.
Is your house too loose?
A house that leaks too much air to the outside, especially a multistory house that leaks air
in the upper levels, can actually set up its own draft or chimney effect strong enough to
overpower your fireplace chimney, particularly if the fireplace is located in the basement
on a cold exterior wall. Be sure the attic access door is in place and that all upstairs
windows are tightly closed.
Is there a return air grill in the same room as the fireplace?
As the fireplace consumes air and cold air moves into the house to replace it, the furnace
is likely to come on. When the furnace comes on, air is drawn into the return competing
directly with the needs of the fireplace.
AND THERE ARE MAY MORE REASONS WHY YOUR FIREPLACE DOES NOT HEAT PROPERLY.
There are many reasons why your fireplace may not function properly.... AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. |
| MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING GAS LOG BURN PAN THERMO COUPLES GAS PILOT BURNING ORIFICE BLOWER FAN GAS VALVE GLASS DOOR AND PANELS 5 POINT CHECK AND SERVICE CHECK FOR GAS LEAKS TAKE VALVE READINGS CHECK TERMINALS FOR PROPER CONNECTIONS REMOVAL OF SOOT AND DUST ADD NEW GLOWING EMBERS |
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| MASTER GAS FITTER MD- 6699 Baltimore City M11462 Baltimore County MG9248 Harford County 1894 |
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