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

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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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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)
 
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
 
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.
 
Reviving this thread. Mods, please let it live on.

OK, I had a chimney sweep company come out to my house to inspect my chimney. The tech had a camera mounted on a telescoping pole and went from the firebox all the way through to the roof. I watched the video monitor as he ran the camera up the chimney. He pointed out several areas, took photos of the video monitor screen and explained what he was seeing. Cost was $229. If cleaning was necessary it would have been an additional $50.

I've got several spots where the mortar is missing between the clay flue tiles that line the flue. Not too many spots, maybe 5 or 6. Here is a picture of one of the worst spots.

Missing-Mortar-Pic3-lores.jpg


Apparently these small gaps in the joints between the clay flue tile interface could allow smoke to escape and get into the surrounding air space (the air that surrounds the brick chimney where the flue passes through.)

Is this really a problem?

My chimney is entirely outside of the house. There was no creosote buildup in the firebox or the flue. I think the likelihood of a chimney fire is remote.

They are suggesting removing the existing clay flue tiles. Then installing a 10" round stainless steel liner. Finally, remove the existing cement chimney crown (it's cracked) and replace it.

Cost = $7,950.

DW says to forget it and install a gas fireplace insert instead.

Comments?
 
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Can't they simply install the flue liner without doing repairs to the chimney brick?
That's what we had done years ago when we installed a wood stove insert. It has lasted 30 years, we just last summer had the outside chimney rebuilt, company said everything else still looked good.
 
Can't they simply install the flue liner without doing repairs to the chimney brick?
That's what we had done years ago when we installed a wood stove insert. It has lasted 30 years, we just last summer had the outside chimney rebuilt, company said everything else still looked good.

I thought they were going to recommend sliding a steel tube inside the existing flue. Instead they want to physically remove the clay flue tiles, then put in the liner. Before they emailed the estimate I told DW to get ready for $800 or so estimate to put in a liner. When I saw $7,950 I thought I've lived without a fire in my fireplace for 27 years, I can probably go another decade. LOL.
 
Another question: If do nothing to the flue and we go to sell the house, would the missing mortar in the flue tile joints be a code violation?
 
Yes, it's a real problem. Your inspection is a point-in-time condition check. Burn the wrong wood, have more mortar fall out, whatever, and you could burn the house down.

I used to work on a fire department and the next month here is Chimney Fire Season because people are starting to use their fireplaces they have not used all summer. If you're not going to do any repairs then buy this three-pack of ChimFex: https://www.amazon.com/Chimfex-Orion-Safety-Products-Extinguisher/dp/B0BWLKF5HX/

Actually, buy them even if you do repairs.

It's essentially a road flare-like device that you put in the fireplace and the draft from the fire pulls the extinguishing agent up into the chimney. That's the first thing we would try, usually two of them, because shooting water up the chimney is a massive thermal shock to the materials.

There often is no reason why a metal insert cannot just be installed. They might have to go smaller than 10" so they would need to justify why they need to do what they proposed. Anytime something is removed from a structure you can, you know, affect the structural integrity.

Is it a code violation? Only if your city/town/village has a regulation saying it is. You may have to disclose the condition legally but that also depends on local and state laws.

We had natural gas logs in our fireplace when we bought the house decades ago. We've never had the chimney inspected because we'll never burn wood in it. Hit the remote control to turn the fireplace off when it's bed time and forget about it. :) But natural gas lacks the heat of a wood burner although newer ones do have blowers. My BIL has a wood burning insert and that thing really cranks out the heat with the blower.

What you should do depends on what you want to use the fireplace for. But if you're burning something and you hear a loud ROAR go outside and look up.

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I would go out and buy a chimney brush kit (about $50 here - approx) .... brush head and set of screw together poles , and push brush up yourself - as in all the way to the top. If it goes up easily (remember there will / should be a kink in the system somewhere ? ), you are good to go , when bringing it down again - note how much "stuff" comes down (dirt soot , etc) , Should be very little if it was cleaned and fire not used.
I sweep ours every 5 or 6 weeks , won't bore you with why ! (but it does need it)
It's good exercise too - especially if you have two storeys.
 
Have I ever seen a chimney fire when a metal insert was used? Yup, once, my neighbor. :)

The pager went off for a chimney fire on our street and it was almost our address. I went outside and saw flames coming out of his roof near the chimney, which also was entirely on the outside of the house but attached to the house. It was winter and although his garden hose was partially frozen I was able to get some water on the fire that was burning inside his attic before the engine showed up.

But the fire inspectors could not figure out what happened. The metal insert that had been installed years ago had become partially disconnected inside the chimney where two sections twist-locked together. The flames escaped the metal insert and went into the wood through the defective mortar and cracks (remember, flames are HOT).

How the heck could that happen after so many years?

I knew. He had his buddy install a new roof that summer without getting a building permit and inspection. In this city, the permit assures the contractor has the proper qualifications and insurance and requires a bond so the City can recover money from a contractor if needed to repay the defrauded homeowner.

I remembered seeing the chimney insert lying on the ground. Why it was touched is something I do not know. When his uninsured, unregistered buddy reinstalled the insert he failed to line up the two sections and lock them together.

Yet another "my buddy" job that ended up costing a lot more than a professional would have cost.
 
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Another question: If do nothing to the flue and we go to sell the house, would the missing mortar in the flue tile joints be a code violation?
Even if not a code violation, it could be caught with the home inspection. Happened to us about 25 years ago. We only occasionally used the fireplace, and had no clue there was a problem. We gave them a credit on the sale, so they could repair as they wanted without us in the middle. Several thousand dollars (3 or 4?), so the quote you got does not seem out of line.
 
We live in a house built in 1857, with four original brick fireplaces. One of the very first things we did when we moved in was to get the chimneys lined. They did it by putting a long canvas tube down the chimney and inflating it. Then they poured a lightweight concrete all around the tube from bottom to top. After the chimney was full of concrete, they deflated the tube and pulled it back out. Now, we have concrete liners in all the chimneys, so we don't have to worry about leaks between the original bricks. We don't burn more than one or two Duraflame logs a winter, so cleaning is not an issue.
 
I thought they were going to recommend sliding a steel tube inside the existing flue. Instead they want to physically remove the clay flue tiles, then put in the liner. Before they emailed the estimate I told DW to get ready for $800 or so estimate to put in a liner. When I saw $7,950 I thought I've lived without a fire in my fireplace for 27 years, I can probably go another decade. LOL.
If you have lived without a fire for 27 years what would be the rush now? We stopped using our 3 sided brick fireplace decades ago and installed an electric closed system that directs the heat into the room. The chimney is sealed at the top and damper has been closed so no heat loss except what little sneaks through the damper. The fireplace has a spark chain screen surrounding all three sides and when closed it looks like there is a real fire.
I would listen to the wife and replace with a gas system or if you would only use it on occasion then electric. Since I have to buy wood the cost of electric is cheaper and less trouble.
 
I used to clean our chimney in our old house more than 30 years ago. I knew it was clean when I first used it as a new house. And I think I cleaned it once every couple of years. I gauged how clean it was by how much gunk was falling into the fireplace when I put the brush down the chimney. It never was dirty enough to need cleaning, but did it as ordered by DW. Probably only used it 5-10 times between cleanings.

I'd say OP is probably safe to use their fireplace if it hasn't been used since it was last cleaned.

But OP wants to make sure it's safe, I'd say the $295 quote to clean the chimney is reasonable. I wouldn't do it myself to save $295.
 
I’d get a gas fireplace. And a nice one too, such as a Town and Country, that is energy inefficient and has an all glass front, which has a beautiful look. I’d avoid one of the mini-furnace gas fireplaces. They let off too much heat and you’ll be baking if you let it run too long.

When I added on to the old house, we had a wood burning fireplace put in and only used duraflames. Even then it was a pain, since we’d have to determine if it was worth burning a log and there was always a draft around the fireplace.

When I had a gas fireplace installed, we removed the metal chimney and patched up the roof (one less point of failure), which sealed that area nicely. The gas fireplace vents out the side.

The biggest bonus is that you can turn the fireplace on/off whenever you want, so you can use it more often. And when it’s on, it adds a lot of warmth to a space.

ETA: and no smoke issues.
 
I grew up on a farm in Minnesota burning wood. Then I had a gas fireplace. It was loud and blew out often. Now I have an electric fireplace.

Electric fireplaces are my favorite by far. No comparison.

I live in Minnesota, I need a fireplace. I've had them all and prefer the electric option.
 
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