How do You Know if it's Safe to Have a Fire in Your Fireplace?

[CincyDave]

I always make sure I have a draft before torching the fuel.

Propane torch placed inside the FP for a half minute, then test with smoke to verify draft. If draft good, light fuel. No problem.

How do I know this? By filling the house with smoke 3 times and setting off the smoke detector.

Yeah, sometimes you will get a "plug" of cold air in the chimney and when you light off the fuel the smoke has nowhere to go but in your house. Not a good thing and really not good in the winter when you need to open windows and turn on fans to rid the smoke.

That's why I always verify draft before torching the fuel -

Same here. First couple fires we had and got a lot of smoke in the house. Then learned about heating the chimney first. I build the fire with paper, kindling and a couple skinny logs, and then use a propane weed burner to heat up the chimney. Once chimney is warmed up, I'll touch off the paper. Haven't had a problem with smoke using this method

 

[Jerry1]

My dad had a gas line run into his fireplace to light the fire. I never realized it, but that probably worked like the propane torch to preheat the air going up the chimney. I never noticed him having any blowback. Plus, he never needed any kindling or paper to get his fire going.

 

[ncbill]

If there is no creosote (should have been taken care of from by the chimney sweep) and the chimney is structurally sound then it shouldn't be a problem. Just burn hardwood only. I like the idea of using a Duraflame log first if only to check the draft. Sometimes chimney haven't been designed well. I bought an old house with a beautiful chimney but it didn't draw well and the first time some of the smoke didn't make it up the chimney. I had a metal trim fabricated to lower the opening inside and never had a problem.

Cheers!

Yes, that's the issue.

In one large house a relative had where I met the chimney sweep the main flue was fine.

But the flue in the master bedroom (never used, AFAIK) had cracks so the sweep installed a stainless steel liner so the owner had the option of a wood fire...the sweep did say a gas fire would have been fine w/o the liner.

 

[Sue J]

My dad had a gas line run into his fireplace to light the fire. I never realized it, but that probably worked like the propane torch to preheat the air going up the chimney. I never noticed him having any blowback. Plus, he never needed any kindling or paper to get his fire going.

Our house, built in 1955, has a gas line to the fireplace and a slim tube with holes that sits under the grate that holds the wood. There is a valve with a key to open the gas jet and light the flame under the wood. From what I remember it worked well. Once the fire is started you turn off the gas. Someone who likes a fireplace will appreciate this someday.

 

[Jerry1]

Our house, built in 1955, has a gas line to the fireplace and a slim tube with holes that sits under the grate that holds the wood. There is a valve with a key to open the gas jet and light the flame under the wood. From what I remember it worked well. Once the fire is started you turn off the gas. Someone who likes a fireplace will appreciate this someday.

That’s exactly how the one my dad had looked and worked.

 

[samcat]

Oh my gosh. I could have written almost your whole post. We have lived in our house for 28 years. Never used the fire place until we installed a gas insert 3 years ago. When we bought our house in 1994, the inspector told us our firebox was cracked and we should never use it so we never did. We finally installed an insert in 2019. We are so happy we did. I never realized how depressing the empty hole of a fireplace was. Now that we can have a fire, it makes the whole living room come alive.

Doesn't answer any of your questions except that a working fireplace is totally worth it.

 

[NXR7]

Having been on many chimney fires when I worked on a fire department:

- Creosote build-up is one cause. This is what we used at the fireplace to put the fires out. It kind of works like a road flare except it drafts an extinguishing agent up the chimney, Chimfex: https://www.amazon.com/Original-Chimfex-Chimney-Suppressent-3412/dp/B002RRIKT2/ref=sr_1_2

Yes. Buy some for your home. Not only may you save your home you likely will dramatically reduce the amount of smoke damage by putting the fire out quicker. Fireplace and big box stores usually carry Chimfex as well.

- Cracked mortar and cracked flues are a big problem. These defects allow the heat to escape the chimney and go into the walls and attic to start a fire. Just because a chimney was fine a quarter-century ago does not mean the flue and mortar are still OK even if you never had a fire in the fireplace.

- Steel inserts are a great thing but we had a chimney fire because of one, sort of...

The fire actually was two houses away from ours so I was first on scene. The attic over the garage was on fire, in the winter, and I was up there hitting it with a garden hose until my co-workers arrived. But the hose was partially frozen so there was not much water flow. The roof also was on fire around the chimney.

The homeowner had a buddy replace his roof (the shingles) in the summer and there was no permit pulled or inspection done. The roofer had to pull the cap off for some reason and partially removed the steel insert. The sections went together as a "twist lock" and he did not get two of the sections mated fully. So when they started their first fire the heat and smoke went up the insert and out where the sections were not joined. There was a lot of smoke and fire damage but the house was not lost.

Oh, and a building permit and inspection cost $35.

- If you hear a train-like ROAR after you start your fire, you probably have a chimney fire. The first chimney fires usually are around Thanksgiving in the north where we live. You can set your calendar by them.

Use that Chimfex you bought when you hear the ROAR.

 

[meleana]

My wife and I have lived in our house for 25 years now. We have a fireplace but have never had a fire. When we first moved in we had a chimney sweep come out and clean the chimney. (I don't remember it being very dirty.) He also put a new chimney topper on (a wire cage to keep animals out of the chimney.) The charge was $350, which I thought was exorbitant, considering he was at the house for less than an hour. Did he really clean the chimney, or not? I also felt that I was unnecessarily upsold on the chimney cap. Obviously, it made an impression on me as I still remember it clearly 25 years later.

We thought it would be nice to finally have a fire in our fireplace this Christmas. But I hesitate because I don't know the integrity of the chimney. I fear we get a fire going and the smoke doesn't draft up the chimney. Instead it backs into the house and we have a huge problem on our hands.
A visual inspection with a flashlight shows it is unobstructed all the way up.

I figured the fire department would be the people to call for a chimney inspection. It makes sense to me that the people responsible for putting out house fires would be eager to inspect chimneys as a preventative measure. My wife called the city but was told they don't do this service for liability reasons.

My wife called some chimney sweep companies. The expense varies from $99 to $295. The $99 charge is for coming out to your house and inspecting the chimney. If there is nothing more to be done the fee is $99. If the chimney needs to be cleaned it will be $295, which includes the service call/inspection fee.

So, what is the inspection going to consist of? A person with a flashlight looking up the chimney, right? They are not going to climb up on my snow covered 2 story house and peer down the chimney. I feel like I'll be paying $99 for someone to shine a flashlight. Call me a cynic, but I figure any chimney sweep I have out here is going to tell me I need to clean the chimney. I kind of feel helpless in this situation.

Questions:

1. How do you know if it's safe to have a fire in your fireplace?

2. Other than a visual look-see, what does a chimney inspection consist of?

You also have to be concerned about the outside of the chimney- on the roof. Make sure it doesn’t have to be refaced ( if it’s brick, for example)

 

[d.davis]

Had a fireplace insert installed around 1995, included a 6" stainless flue going up the chimney ( firebrick inside, air gap, decorative brick outside). Osburn 2200. Money well spent. Being fully enclosed with glass in door, we can leave the house while there are still embers. And Bois d'arc is quite spectacular viewed thru the glass.
Multiple several day power outages in single digit weather over the decades were handled easily (2400 sq ft house kept above 62 deg for 4 powerless days).
We use it often in the winter. No matter what you try it will dust the room when you scoop out the ashes.

Sent from my moto g power using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[Davis65]

Wow. How much is your house worth?

Does $295 seem reasonable to give you peace of mind that you're not going to burn your house down because you want to have a Christmas fire? My house is worth a fair bit more than $295, so I have the chimney swept and inspected every two years, even though we probably have only six fires a year. But you might make a different conclusion if you house is worth less to you.