OPEN OR CLOSED? The damper should be kept closed when there is no fire or coals burning. Warm air from your home will not be lost up the chimney when the fireplace is not being used. Fully open the damper before your start a fire and keep it fully open until all embers and coals have burned out.
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.
After the fire burns out completely, it is safe to close the damper. Closing the damper will lock the heat inside your home, keeping it warmer longer. Otherwise, the warm indoor air will go out of the chimney, and it will be cold and drafty when you wake up in the morning.
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.
Many people are under the impression that opening the damper helps cool the house, because warm air rises and will travel up the true. This is simply not true. Leaving your damper open will actually allow hot outside air to draft in, negating the effects of your air conditioning system.
In the summer, a closed damper helps to keep cool, air-conditioned air inside the home where it belongs. 2. In the winter, when you're not using the fireplace, a closed damper helps to keep cold air from swirling down into the house.
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.
HVAC Damper Open Or Closed In Summer/Winter
In most homes, dampers going to the upstairs are open in the summer and closed in the winter. By closing the dampers to the upstairs in the winter, it allows for the heat to rise naturally after first being introduced into the lower levels of the home.
Evenly distributing small pieces of wood throughout the fireplace will increase air circulation and speed up the burning of the wood. This creates a sustainable fire, but the wood burns faster. Placing large logs closer to the fireplace will keep the fire burning longer between refills, maximizing heat output per log.
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.
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.
If the fire is dwindling or there are a few burning embers left, partially closing the damper will reduce the oxygen level in the chimney. The burn rate will be decreased too, allowing the fire to run longer. A downdraft will force the heated air back into the fireplace, and increase its efficiency.
The damper and flue are two different parts, but they are related and involved in the same function. The flue is the inside tunnel of your chimney that brings gases from your fireplace out of your home, while the damper closes or opens the access to the flue.
A curtain-type fire damper or usually referred to as a fusible link fire damper is the most common of all fire dampers found on a project and operates via activation of a fusible link, releasing a curtain that drops under gravity aided by a spring to provide a barrier between different zones of a building.
Issues may arise from a variety of factors: creosote build up or other blockages in the chimney flue, insufficient ventilation, or negative air pressure within the home. These factors impact not only the heat of your fires, but also the safe usage of your fireplace system.
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.
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.
Proper Damper Use
It's important to open the damper all the way when you're using your fireplace, a partially open damper can allow smoke and gases to escape, but can also cause a backdraft that can bring cold air into the home. When you're not using your fireplace, it's important to close the chimney damper.
What Damper Setting to Use. With a little experimentation, you will find the damper setting and drag factor that work best for you. We recommend starting out on a damper setting of 3–5. Really focus on technique, and as you improve, you may find that a lower damper setting gives you the best workout and results.
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.
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.
Usually there is a small lever, handle or chain next to the damper that can be pulled to open or close it. Even though it may sound obvious, it needs to be said that dampers should only be adjusted when there is no fire in the fireplace.