Where is the flue in a fireplace?

Author: Alison Yundt  |  Last update: Wednesday, December 17, 2025

It may be inside a chimney or a simple flue pipe—but the flue is the duct by which smoke and waste gases exit the home. The duct should be sized properly to match the capacity of your fire system and smooth for optimum airflow.

How can I tell if my fireplace flue is open or closed?

Check if you can feel a draft.

If you feel a draft, your damper may be open. Another way to check is to roll up a newspaper or match and light it up. Place it inside your fireplace, near the top section. An open damper will pull up the smoke and flames upward, while a closed damper will not.

What does a flue look like in a chimney?

Inside a chimney you'll find one or more vertical passageways called flues. Ideally, each appliance connected to the chimney (such as each fireplace, each furnace, each wood stove) has its own, separate flue. More than one flue might be contained in one masonry chimney.

Where is the flue pipe located?

A flue pipe is an integral component of home heating installations. It is usually located at the fireplace, furnace or water heater installations. Exhaust gases and other byproducts of combustion are expelled into the outside atmosphere through the flue.

How do I find my flue pipe?

To find your boiler flue, first, identify where your boiler is installed. The flue typically exits directly through an external wall close to the boiler or extends upward through the roof. It will be a pipe or duct that leads from the top or side of the boiler to the outside of the property.

How Does a Chimney Flue Work?

Where is your flue located?

In most modern boiler applications, the flue passes horizontally through the wall the boiler is mounted on. Boilers located outside have a different flue arrangement that keeps them in line with regulations. Some boilers, especially oil burners, usually have their flue going vertically through the roof.

Where is the flue on a fireplace?

Fireplace Flue Tiles: The vertical passageway up the inside of the chimney is the flue.

Does every fireplace have a flue?

Generally, each fireplace, wood stove, or fuel-burning appliance should have its own flue. This separation provides proper venting and prevents the mixing of exhaust gases from different sources.

Is flue and vent the same thing?

A flue is simply a passage through which smoke, gas, and other combustion by-products can exit. These can either be pipes, vents, or chimneys. Most places with a fireplace have a lined flue that helps improve safety, increase efficiency, and keep the flue clean.

How do I know if my fireplace flue needs cleaning?

Signs That Indicate Your Chimney and Fireplace Need Cleaning
  1. 1 – Noticeable Buildup of Soot and Creosote. ...
  2. 2 – Smoke Entering the Home. ...
  3. 3 – Bad Odors from the Fireplace. ...
  4. 4 – Poor Fire Burning. ...
  5. 5 – Animal Activity or Debris. ...
  6. 6 – The Damper is Hard to Operate. ...
  7. 7 – Tar-Like Substance Dripping Down the Flue.

How do I make sure my fireplace flue is open?

Feeling the breeze is another method you can use to know whether you have an open or closed flue. Locate your hand inside the fireplace and wait to notice if you can feel the air flowing. When the flue is open, air will flow down the chimney. Damper controls vary depending on functionality and structure.

What is the difference between a fireplace damper and flue?

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.

How do I check my flue?

Inspect your fireplace's flue prior to use for any obstructions or blockage by using a flashlight and looking up the flue. This also assures that the flue's damper control is open prior to lighting the fire. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from the fireplace or wood stove.

Is it OK to leave fireplace flue open?

It's best to keep the flue closed when the fireplace is not in use.

What is the lever on the side of my fireplace?

The handle on the left-hand side is for your combustion air intake; think of this as a gas pedal in a car but is used for controlling the intensity of your fire. The handle on the right-hand side is for your flue damper; this control is used primarily to slow down the chimney draft.

How do I know if my fireplace flue is closed?

If you don't feel any cold air coming down the chimney, it means that the damper is closed. Another way to find out if the damper is open is to do a visual check. If your chimney has a traditional damper, all you need to do is shine a flashlight up the chimney. If you can see the sky, it is open.

Can I use my fireplace without a flue?

The answer is yes! There is a chimney-free fireplace solution. Modern ventless fireplaces don't need any chimney or venting allowing you to have an indoor or outdoor fireplace in your house, apartment, or a condo without a chimney.

What is the bottom part of a fireplace called?

Hearth. The hearth is located at the fireplace base and usually extends from inside the firebox anywhere from 16 to 18 inches outside the firebox onto a raised base or flush with the floor. The hearth protects the interior flooring from heat and embers and must be made from a non-combustible material.

How do I know if my chimney flue is blocked?

Some of the warning signs that could be due to a flue obstruction include:
  • Your carbon monoxide (CO) detector is sounding an alarm.
  • The fireplace fills with smoke.
  • Difficulty lighting a fire.
  • Fire burns out quickly.
  • Black, tarry flakes inside the flue.
  • Strange odor inside the firebox.

How to close a fireplace flue?

For fireplaces with levers, you want to free the flue from its support tab by pushing up. After it releases, keep pulling the lever away from the tab to close the flue. Once it's tight, run your hand up the chimney to make sure you don't feel any air.

Where is my flue pipe?

When you look at your furnace, you'll notice a large pipe sticking out of it that leads into a wall or ceiling. From the outside of your house, you may notice a pipe sticking out of your roof. Both of these pipes are your furnace flue pipes. They exhaust water vapor, carbon monoxide, and other gasses from your home.

How to find chimney flue?

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is very effective in locating chimney flues in buildings. This can be done with no intrusive works or damage to the building structure.

What part of the chimney is the flue?

> Chimney - this is the structure which connects your fireplace to the outside world. A chimney contains a flue (some chimneys will contain more than one flue). > Flue - this is the space or cavity within the chimney which allows the smoke and gases from your fire to pass up, away from the fire, and out of your home.

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