Controlling or Throttling the Damper After you open the damper and light the fireplace, wait a few minutes for the fire to build into a productive fire. Then, partially close the damper about one-third of the way. This will retain more heat inside your home, leaving plenty of room for the fumes to vent.
The damper to your fireplace must be completely open when a fire is burning. If you close the damper even slightly, you risk allowing smoke and other dangerous contaminants from the combustion process into the house. And remember, the most dangerous by-product of combustion is carbon monoxide.
The damper must be in the fully open position when using a wood-burning fireplace. Partially closing the flue (chimney) damper can cause smoke to spill into the room when burning wood, or cause carbon monoxide (CO) to come into the room when using gas logs.
The fireplace damper should always be in the open position whenever you have a fire in the fireplace. Never close the damper or leave the fireplace unattended while there is a fire in the fireplace. This is not only a fire hazard, it can also cause deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.
One common myth about chimneys is that leaving the damper open during the summer helps “air out” the chimney. However, the opposite of true. Leaving the damper open just fouls up the rest of your home, and does nothing to clean your chimney.
After you open the damper and light the fireplace, wait a few minutes for the fire to build into a productive fire. Then, partially close the damper about one-third of the way. This will retain more heat inside your home, leaving plenty of room for the fumes to vent.
Use the Damper to Control Heat
Depending on how far open or shut you have the damper, your fire will be smaller and cooler (and burn for longer), or larger and hotter (and burn more quickly). The damper is usually located at the bottom of the stove.
If the damper is left open during summer, you will notice a damp, musty smell from your fireplace. What is that smell? Its mold and mildew collecting from the humidity pouring into your home; shutting the damper will keep damp air, dew, and rain from coming down your chimney and causing it to smell moldy.
Leaving a fireplace on all night without proper ventilation can lead to carbon monoxide buildup, posing a severe risk of poisoning. Carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas, can be deadly if inhaled in high concentrations.
Allow ashes to COOL completely before disposing of them. Four days or 96 hours is the minimum recommended cooling period for ashes. Place completely cooled ashes in a covered metal container.
By not creating an airtight seal, these dampers minimize the strain on the system. In summer, you can close the dampers downstairs so cooler air reaches upstairs rooms. But in winter, closing upstairs vents halfway allows heat to rise.
The damper is the part inside your flue that controls the airflow entering and exiting the tunnel. Should you close a damper all the way? Always fully close the damper when you are not using the fireplace. This will lower your energy bills and prevent leaf litter or pesky critters from invading your home.
The handle to open and close the damper should be above the fireplace opening. To open it, slide it to the right. To create fires that produce more heat, open the damper as wide as possible when lighting a fire. A wide-open damper will increase the amount of air reaching the fire and improve combustion.
When the fireplace is in use, the damper (whether it's a throat damper just above the firebox or a top-mount damper at the top of the chimney) must be open. An open damper allows smoke to exit the chimney rather than backing up into the house. It also creates a draft of the air necessary for this to happen.
Warm air from your home naturally rises, and an open chimney provides an easy escape route. In fact, it's estimated that up to 30% of your home's heated air can be lost through an open chimney when the fire isn't in use.
always fully open the damper. If you're burning wood, keep it fully open until all the burning embers are completely burned out. If it's a gas log set, turn off the flames before the closing the damper as far as possible.
Leaving embers in the fireplace overnight is not safe. It presents a fire hazard as embers can reignite and cause fires if left unattended. Always extinguish embers completely before going to bed to prevent potential fire risks.
According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), fireplaces need to be cleaned once there is 1/8″ of creosote and/or soot buildup inside the chimney liner. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), all chimneys should be cleaned at least once every year, regardless.
In order to burn all night, you will need to make sure there is enough oxygen in your wood burning heater. Open the air inlets on your wood burning heater, to the maximum intake, for 10 - 30 minutes. Once your large logs have formed a black ash around the bark, slowly begin to close the air inlet.
In the summer, it's critical to open the dampers on the upper level and block as much air from entering the basement as possible. If you have someone to assist you, one simple method to see whether the dampers are open or closed is to have someone go up and cover each vent with their hand.
Should You Leave the Damper Open or Shut? This concept is simple: you should leave your damper open on your wood-burning fireplace until all the embers are extinguished, but leaving it open overnight is definitely not efficient. Cold air will float down the flue and make your home cold, increasing your heating costs.
Before lighting a fire, you can tell if the damper is open by placing your hand into the fireplace. If you feel a draft coming down the chimney, it is a good indicator that the damper is open. If you don't feel any cold air coming down the chimney, it means that the damper is closed.
Hardwood burns the slowest, produces the most intense fires, and produces hot coals that remain hot long after a fire has gone out. When hardwoods are burned in good conditions for a fire, they produce very little smoke or unhealthy particulate matter.
First, ALWAYS ensure the damper is fully open BEFORE lighting the fireplace. Otherwise, you and your home may be covered in soot and ash if the chimney back puffs. The damper has notches, so you can partially close it (throttling), like a manual stick shift in a car.
Keeping fireplace doors open results in a more lively fire but can lead to heat loss and safety concerns. Closing fireplace doors improves efficiency, enhances safety, and directs heat into the room. Oxygen is vital for a healthy fire, and closed doors draw air from outside to maintain an efficient burn.