How do I operate my fireplace?

How do I operate my fireplace?

Fireplace Safety, Operation, & Maintenance

1. Place kindling, newspaper, and logs on the fireplace grate.
2. Open the damper.
3. Open a window a few inches, to further help with the draft.
4. Light a match and quickly blow it out, watching to see if the smoke goes up the chimney as it is supposed to.

How do you use a wood fireplace?

1. STEP 1: Stay Safe. Before bringing out the lighter, it’s vital to understand safety precautions for using a fireplace.
2. STEP 2: Gather the Kindling.
3. STEP 3: Open the Damper.
4. STEP 4: Prime the Flue.
5. STEP 5: Build the Fire.
6. STEP 6: Clean the Ashes.

How do you start a fire in a fireplace?

Start by placing two pieces of firewood on the grate in your fireplace. Now crumple newspaper, which is your tinder, and place it between the firewood. Place the kindling on top. Add one or two more pieces of firewood on top of the other logs, and be sure to leave enough room for air to circulate around the logs.

Do you need to open a window when using a fireplace?

Open a window when using the fireplace to prevent the room from becoming smoky. The window needs to be open only a few inches. You can check to make sure the smoke will go up the chimney properly by lighting a match, quickly blowing it out and watching the smoke to see whether it’s going up and out.

Should I use my fireplace?

How do I know if my fireplace is safe to use? Whether you have a gas or wood burning fireplace, you must be sure that it is safe to use. Falling debris, water streaks, excessive soot or heat, and strong smells from your fireplace are warnings that you may have a problem with your fireplace.

Can I use my wood burning fireplace?

Select the firewood you want to use in your fireplace. Only use wood that has been seasoned for at least six months, otherwise it will be too wet to burn properly. Do not burn pine in your fireplace because it causes creosote buildup and puts your home at risk for chimney fires.

What can I put in my indoor fireplace?

For indoor fireplaces, choose hardwoods like oak, hickory, ash, or locust. Hardwoods burn slower and create smaller flames, but that’s exactly what makes them better and safer for indoor use.

How can I get more heat from my fireplace?

5 Tips to Getting More Warmth Out of Your Fireplace

1. 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.
2. Caulk it.
3. Keep heat in.
4. Install a heat exchanger.
5. Seal it.

What’s the best way to light a fire in a fireplace?

Take kindling wood (the thinner, drier pieces of firewood) and lay them lengthwise across your grate. Next, take two large logs and lay them perpendicular to the kindling. Finally, lay additional firewood lengthwise on top of the stack. Before you light the kindling, open the damper and hold a lit newspaper up into the flue to warm up the chimney.

What do you need to know before building a fireplace?

Try a site like Fireplace Antique Store or Ebay. Once your fireplace is deemed safe for use, you’re ready to build that roaring fire. To build the most effective fire you’ll want to use seasoned firewood. Wood that was split over a year ago won’t contribute to creosote buildup or be as smokey. Also, do not burn wood scraps.

What’s the best way to stack wood for a fireplace?

Position large pieces of wood in the bottom of the fireplace in one row, perpendicular to the opening of the fireplace. Next, take mid-sized pieces of wood, and stack four or five rows on top of the base layer in alternating directions. Make sure the stack takes up no more than half the height of your fireplace.

What’s the best way to preheat a fireplace?

If you feel a rush of cold air (which usually occurs if the chimney is built on the outside of the house), then you need to prime the flue—in order words, you need to preheat it. Otherwise, the cold draft may cause smoke to blow into the room. Light a roll of newspaper and hold it against the open damper to send warm air into the flue.

What do I need to know to safely use my fireplace?

Whether you have a gas or wood burning fireplace, you must be sure that it is safe to use. Falling debris, water streaks, excessive soot or heat, and strong smells from your fireplace are warnings that you may have a problem with your fireplace.

What’s the easiest way to create fire for a fireplace?

• and small.
• Line up your largest logs across the fireplace grate.
• Lay a row of smaller logs across the logs that you arranged in the previous step. (These should be set perpendicular to the layer beneath.)
• again running the opposite direction of the layer directly below.
• top layer. Make sure the stack takes up no more than half the height of your fireplace.
• and enjoy fuss-free flames all night.

  How to tell if my fireplace is safe to use?

  • Checking From the Outside. Examine the chimney to make sure a chimney cap is present and in good repair.
  • and seals properly.
  • Inspecting a Gas-Burning Fireplace.

    Steps to Starting a Fire in Your Fireplace Open your damper. Clear the area around the fireplace opening. The fire grate should be moved as far back in the fireplace as possible. Place tinder under the grate. Kindling should be placed on top of the grate. Arrange small splits of wood on top of the kindling. Prime the flue before starting the fire.