by blogediter | Feb 1, 2019 | Chimney Problems
Baffled chimney Cap
Q: Jason, whenever we have a really good fire in our fireplace, the whole house gets smokey. The flew is open so I’m not sure why. What should we do to fix this? I called my fireplace shop and they said to open a window a crack, that seems counter-intuitive since it is 5 degrees outside. I kind of like being warm.
A: I always get a kick out of people who say if your fireplace is smokey when you use it just open a window a little. Those people must not live in a cold climate because who wants to open a window when it is cold outside?! Tell them: “I live in Minnesota for crying out loud!”
Honestly, the best thing you can use to keep smoke where it belongs is some glass doors for the fireplace. They will keep the smoke and the sparks in and keep you from loosing quite so much interior heat to the combustion process and the suction of the chimney draft.
Another option is a directional wind may be blowing down at your chimney. Often winds can bounce off nearby trees and push wind currents down at your chimney. In this case, a baffled chimney cap will do the trick. My fathers Avalon wood stove had this problem and a baffled cap fixed the issue. See the image below of the baffled cap.
Remember to close that damper up good and tight when the fireplace is not in use. If you still have outside air entering even with the damper closed. Get a plug like a Chimney Balloon and it will keep the room more comfortable.
by blogediter | Dec 19, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Gas log
Q: Jason – I have an old vented gas log that is crumbling and needs to be replaced. What is better to replace it with, a vented gas log or a vent-less gas log?-NW
A: NW- If you go with a vented gas log install you will certainly have to commit yourself to having the chimney damper removed or clipped or disabled in the open position according to current code for vented fireplace install. This means you will have a gaping hole to the outside
all the time. Many gas log owners are surprised to find that their fireplace flue damper has already been disabled when their original gas log was installed. The building fireplace code that states to disable the damper, is often an adequate enough reason for a homeowner not to go with any vented variety gas log.
In the vent-less model, you do get the benefit of retaining all of the heat if you keep the damper closed, but any of the CO, CO2, Nitrogen or moisture that it puts out will enter your living area as well. In the winter when your home is closed up you really want to minimize the extra pollutants you introduce to your already recycled inside air. This is not just with the fireplace, this goes for candles, sprays, paints and other pollutants. You obviously can’t avoid these items all-together, but do you want to introduce new contributors like a vent-free fireplace?
From our conversation on the phone, I am sure you have your heart set on a vented gas log, and you were just looking for brand-name references from me. But please take into account other options like electric fireplace inserts if you are looking for fireplace ambiance, or maybe even a candelabra with candles burned with the damper open as other suitable ambiance option that won’t cost you in heat loss. – Jason
by blogediter | Sep 21, 2018 | Gas Logs
Gas Burn
Q: Jason, I have a wood fireplace right now but no supply of wood. I am thinking of converting to a gas log fireplace to supplement my home heat. What do you think? -CM
A: CM, I have my opinions on this but this story from a customer speaks so well on the subject I will share that with you instead:
“…If you live in a cold climate area I wouldn’t really recommend you do anything with a wood burning fireplace, but plug up the chimney and maybe put a few candles in it. Why?… because I learned the hard way that fireplaces and gas logs are excellent ways to suck money right out of your pocket.
A few years ago I thought I would supplement my heat by burning wood in my fireplace. Turns out my heating bill went up because the fireplace was sucking the air out of my house when I burned. So I converted to a gas log fireplace (which it sounds to me like you have a partial gas log setup right now that needs fixing.) Well, part of having a gas log installed to code is to disable the damper or clip it open. This was even worse! I was constantly losing heat and the living room was drafty.
I ended up plugging the chimney with a Chimney Balloon to stop the cold draft from coming down the fireplace flue. This was allowable under code since the Chimney Balloon would melt and fall out if I accidentally light a fire under it. You see, this stupid “disable the damper building code” is only there so people don’t light a gas log and leave the damper closed on accident and therefore asphyxiate everyone in the house or set the place ablaze.
OK, long story short…I ran up my heat bill and spent $500 on a professionally installed gas log only to end up with a fireplace I don’t use because it wasted too much heat. So I put candles in it and plugged it with a Chimney Balloon.” – Terry B
