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How to Start a Fire with Less Smoke

Sitting in front of a roaring fire on a cold day can be one of life’s simplest pleasures. Even the most idyllic scenes in front of the fireplace can be interrupted by smoke blowing back into the room.

Start A Fire With Less Smoke - Ann Arbor MI - Clean Sweeps of MIMany homeowners are baffled by what causes excessive smoking in the fireplaces, choosing instead to avoid using their fireplaces altogether or switch to an alternative fuel source. However, there are a number of ways to reduce the amount of smoke starting a fire causes, most of which can be easily implemented the next time you build a fire.

Use seasoned firewood

Using seasoned firewood is one of the easiest ways homeowners can reduce the amount of smoke their fires produce. Fresh cut firewood can have a moisture content of as high as 45%. This water must be evaporated out of the wood before it can burn; fresh cut wood will often make loud popping sounds and smoke excessively. Seasoned firewood, on the other hand, has a moisture content of between 15-20%. The reduced moisture content allows the wood to ignite faster, burn hotter, and produce less smoke.

Build a top down fire

Most people grew up with or were taught the “log cabin” style of creating a fire, which involves stacking the wood with the smallest sticks and kindling at the bottom. While this method does end with a fire, it can be a frustrating process. Large logs shift and fall on the small fire, lots of smoke is produced, and homeowners are forced to tend and stoke the fire often to get it started.

In the top down method, the largest logs should be stacked at the bottom of the firebox with the ends at the front and back. Placing wood this way allows better air circulation through the fire. Next, continue stacking gradually smaller pieces until about half the firebox is filled, topping the stack with wood shavings, small sticks, or other kindling. As the kindling ignites, it will warm the flue and continue to ignite the wood underneath it. This means that homeowners no longer need to stoke or tend the fire and there is less smoke produced.

Open the damper

While this may seem obvious, some homeowners do not open the damper when they are trying to start a fire, falsely believing downdrafts from the chimney will extinguish their fledgling fire. Instead, keep the damper open the entire time your fireplace is in use, including while staring the fire and while waiting for it to completely extinguish. Closing the damper at any time may cause smoke to backup into the room.

Avoid fires on windy days

On an extremely windy day, there is often little you can do to avoid smoke blowing back into the room. If you can hear the wind “whistling” in or rattling the chimney, even the best technique may not prevent a smoky fire.

Call a chimney sweep

If you’ve tried the above techniques and are still having issues with smoky fires, you may need the assistance of a certified chimney sweep. At Clean Sweeps of Michigan, our highly trained expert staff can help identify the cause of your smoking issues and get you back to enjoying your fireplace again!

How to Turn your Inefficient Fireplace into an Efficient Alternative Heat Source

efficient_fireplace_clean_sweeps_of_MI_ann_arbor_MIAccording to the National Association of Homebuilders fireplaces are one of the top three features new home buyers look for in a home. A warm, crackling fire is a welcoming and inviting addition to any living space during the cold months of winter. What many homeowners fair to realize, however, is that their fireplace may actually be losing more energy than it is creating.

As fireplaces and chimneys age, they may become more inefficient. As the warm air from a fire rises, cold air from outside can flow in, filling the room and negating the effects of the fire. Thankfully, there are several products available to homeowners to help improve the efficiency of their fireplaces, making them excellent sources of warmth all winter.

Fireplace inserts 

For many homeowners with traditional, wood burning fireplaces, a fireplace insert represents a low maintenance, high efficiency replacement option. Fireplace inserts are glass-fronted fireproof boxes that create a closed combustion system, trapping the hot air created by a fire before it can escape up a chimney. Inserts are able to efficiently heat a room, especially with the addition of a fireplace blower.

While fireplace inserts have traditionally been exclusively gas, they can now be powered by several different fuel sources including electricity, wood, pellets, or coal. This wider variety of choices gives homeowners the ability to choose an insert to better meet their needs. Although inserts are considered to be the most energy efficient choice for fireplaces, only inserts approved by the Environmental Protection Agency should be installed in residential homes. The EPA designation ensures that the fireplace insert has undergone rigorous testing regarding both its safety and efficiency.

Dampers 

Dampers, or the metal plate that separates a fireplace from the rest of the chimney, are designed to have a snug, airtight seal. Over time, dampers may lose their original seal, allowing cold air or moisture to enter a house through the chimney. Because they are exposed to both hot and cold air – as well as the elements – it is recommended that dampers should only be repaired or replaced by licensed professionals.

While closed dampers can prevent unwanted cold air from entering a room, dampers should always be left open when a fireplace is in use. Doing this prevents smoke and other harmful gasses from entering the home, allowing them to travel safely up the chimney instead.

Firebacks 

Sometimes seen as only decorative, firebacks are large metal pieces placed at the back of a firebox. The primary purpose of a fireback is to reflect heat back into the room, preventing warm air from travelling up the chimney and out of the room. In addition, firebacks protect the fireplace masonry from damage from long-term exposure to fire and heat. Because of the ease of installation and the number of different styles they are available in, adding a fireback is a fast and easy way to improve the efficiency of an existing fireplace without undertaking a major remodel.

Fireplace doors 

Professionally fitted fireplace doors are an attractive, decorative way to seal their fireplace when not in use. Like firebacks, fireplace doors are available in a number of different styles and finishes, giving homeowners the ability to choose a style that fits their décor and budget.

Similar to the damper, fireplace doors should always remain open while the fireplace is in use. The primary way they improve efficiency is through a combination of preventing cold air from entering and warm air from leaving when the fireplace is not in use.

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