Smoke guards lower the fireplace opening and hold in the smoke, correcting the problem. Fireplaces will also smoke for other reasons such as an undersized flue or insufficient air supply. Chimney Cricket
Cricket
A cricket or saddle is a ridge structure designed to divert water on a roof around the high side of a chimney or the transition from one roof area to another, the cricket is normally the same pitch as the rest of the roof, but not always. Smaller crickets are covered with metal flashing, and larger ones can be covered with the same material as the rest of the roof.
How can fireplace smoke guards help improve my fireplace experience?
Using fireplace smoke guards can help improve your hearth experience tremendously. Wood fireplaces produce smoke as a matter of course; use our wide product selection to ensure this smoke is directed away from your room and, instead, filtered through your chimney, protecting your air quality and your hearth leisure.
How do I mount a smoke guard to a brick wall?
In most cases, there will be enough of a brick ledge behind the doors to allow the guard to be anchored. However, you will likely need to remove the door surround in order to mount the smoke guard.
Do I need a smoke guard for a wood stove insert?
Unfortunately, no. Wood stove inserts are typically operated with the doors closed, so smoke guards for them are not very common. How do I know what size smoke guard I need?
Do I have to remove the door surround to Mount smoke guard?
However, you will likely need to remove the door surround in order to mount the smoke guard. Removing the doors will allow access to either side of the surround and will provide the ability to anchor the shelf into position. You can then re-install the door assembly.
How does a fireplace smoke shelf work?
The smoke shelf sits between the smoke chamber and the firebox. Its purpose is to collect small pieces of debris and water that have gotten into the chimney. The smoke shelf helps with the transition of smoke and works to prevent downdrafts from blowing into your home.
How do I get my fireplace to stop smoking?
How To Keep Smoke From Coming Out Of A FireplaceUse A Fireplace Grate. ... Build Fires Towards The Back Of The Fireplace. ... Build Fires Using The Top-Down Method. ... Burn Dry & Low Moisture Content Firewood. ... Open The Damper Fully Before Each Fire. ... Preheat The Chimney To Start The Draft. ... Build Smaller, Hotter Fires.More items...•
Why does smoke come back into house from fireplace?
One of the most common causes of a fireplace smoking back into the home is due to poor quality firewood. This usually slips past homeowners and they think that their back puffing problem is from something relating directly to a fireplace or chimney part.
How do you measure a fireplace for a smoke guard?
To determine the proper size smoke guard, we must first determine the ideal height of the fireplace opening. The typical formula is to take the width of the fireplace opening and multiply that by 0.75. The height of the fireplace opening should be no greater than that amount.
Why is smoke not going up the chimney?
Smoke sometimes won't go up a chimney because there is a column of cold air in the chimney flue that pushes the smoke back into the home. It's important to check the draft before lighting a fire, to be sure priming isn't needed.
Why does my house smell like smoke when I use my fireplace?
A: The odor is from creosote. Your chimney may need cleaning. But it also could be that your chimney is having trouble drafting, due to creosote buildup or pressure imbalances within the house, rather than outdoors.
Should I crack a window when using fireplace?
To alleviate this problem, make sure that your basement fireplace damper is closed. The best solution is to crack a window in the basement (about a quarter of an inch) when you use your upstairs fireplace.
Should fireplace damper be open or closed?
openA fireplace damper should always be kept open while the fire is burning. Furthermore, keep the damper open until all the embers are completely out; since smoke and dangerous carbon monoxide can enter the house. Once the ember bed is entirely out, close the damper.
How do you stop Backdraft in a fireplace?
Try opening a window near the fireplace to increase airflow into the home before opening the fireplace door. The area will be exposed to more air, allowing for less to be immediately taken through the chimney. Also, consider using a fan or turning on exhaust fans to troubleshoot this problem.
Do fireplace doors reduce smoke?
One of the first benefits from installing a glass door onto your fireplace is preventing smoke from entering your home. Smoke from burning wood is harmful to your lungs and you home, it can stain your ceiling, and it can be a hard to get the smell of smoke out of your clothes and furniture.
How do you make a smoke guard?
Fireplace smoke guard Before you buy one, do this: Take a piece of aluminum foil a little wider than the fireplace opening, and fold it in half width-wise, to make it sturdier. When the fire is going, tape it over the top of the opening, covering a few inches of the opening. (Go easy on the tape!
What is a smoke chamber for chimneys?
In your masonry fireplace there is an area called the smoke chamber. In most fireplaces it can be viewed by shining a strong light up through the damper. Its function is to safely transition smoke and hot gases from your fireplace to the narrow flue of your chimney.
Why use a smoke guard on a fireplace?
Using fireplace smoke guards can help improve your hearth experience tremendously. Wood fireplaces produce smoke as a matter of course; use our wide product selection to ensure this smoke is directed away from your room and, instead, filtered through your chimney, protecting your air quality and your hearth leisure.
How big should a fireplace flue be?
1 Answer. Ideally, your fireplace will have a 10 to 1 opening to flue ratio. That is to say, your fireplace flue will have 1 square inch of area to every 10 square inches of opening size. If you know the size of your flue, you can use that to determine how big your opening would need to be to get to that 10 to 1 ratio.
Does a smoke guard help with gas fireplace odor?
No, a smoke guard will not help odors from gas fireplaces. Vent free gas log sets always produce an odor. If you have a vented gas log set with a detectable odor, we would recommend having a local qualified service technician service the unit and check for issues.
Do you need smoke guards in masonry?
Smoke guards would only be needed in masonry installations where smoke rollout is experienced due to the fireplace being over-sized for the chimney diameter. Submitted by: Will M. on January 12, 2016.
Damper does not open properly
If the damper does not open enough, the smoke is dammed up and the smoke goes into the home instead of the flue. When this is happening, then the damper needs to be adjusted or repaired so that the damper can fully open. If the damper can’t be repaired, a new top-sealing damper can be installed.
New homes built in the past 20 years
In a modern, tight house, other issues can arise that can cause back drafting. Typically, this is caused by strong exhaust fans, such as a kitchen range hood. When the range hood exhaust fan is operating, it can be strong enough to pull the smoke backward into the house, instead of allowing it to travel up the chimney.
Written by Roy Mjelde
Roy has been in business as owner of Top Hat Heating Fireplace and Chimney specialists since1981. The business involves Heating and Air conditioning as well as Hearth and Chimney Sales, service, Design , installation, restoration and maintenance.
Why does smoke escape through a fireplace?
Smoke that escapes through the fireplace opening is the result of poor fireplace drafting which can be caused by a number of factors. Here are some of the most common causes and solutions. House is well insulated: Unlike a moderately drafty home, a house that is relatively air tight may not be able to supply enough outside air to ...
Why does my fireplace smoke?
If the fireplace starts to draw better, this is likely the problem. A running kitchen or bathroom exhaust fan could be the cause of your fireplace smoke. Another culprit may be the blower fan of a forced hot air heating system especially if the furnace return vent is in the same room as the fireplace.
What are the factors that determine the size of a fireplace?
There are critical parts of a fireplace that must be built to specific sizes in relation to other components. Flue volume and fireplace opening size ratios are extremely important. Other factors include smoke shelf construction, size and shape of the damper, chimney height in relation to peak of roof height and so on.
Does a fireplace smoke problem go away?
If you make sure that all of these types of fans are off while the fireplace is burning, the smoke problem may go away. Even fireplaces that draft great when its cold outside can be known to puff out fireplace smoke when it's slightly warmer out.
Can a fire happen when it's colder out?
Having a fire when it's colder out may help. Damper/chimney cap problems: Make sure that the damper is open all the way. Sometimes there is a rain cap or even another damper on top of the chimney which may be obstructed and need attention. Have a professional take a look to see if that's the case.
Can a chimney flue cause drafting problems?
Creosote build up in the chimney can reduce the the flow of exhaust gasses which can cause fireplace smoke and may also lead to a chimney fire. A shattered chimney flue can also cause drafting problems.
