fireplace question

new homeowner questions ...

we are using our fireplace for the first time and a little bit of smoke is coming out into the room... is that normal? (sorry if this is silly)

we have screens, not glass?

Re: fireplace question

Sometimes a little bit gets in, just verify the damper is open - make sure you have carbon monoxide detector also

Re: fireplace question

did you have it cleaned and/or inspected prior to using it the first time. While a little smoke can be normal, you don't know if the prior owners properly maintained it.

Turns out the fireplace in my new house (only 8 years old) was not connected correctly and I could have burned down my house.

Re: fireplace question

It's normal, but should dissipate once it gets going (you shouldn't be inhaling smoke the entire time the fire is burning). I also agree that you should have it check out and cleaned before you use it.

After the initial maintenance check and cleaning, I believe you only need it to be inspected after you burn a cord of wood. Or at least that's what DH tells me, because we are not getting ours checked out this year. So if you go through a 1/3 of a cord each winter, you only need it checked once every three years, if you use 1/2 cord, then once every 2 years, etc.

Re: fireplace question

yes, we had it checked last friday - cleaned as well.

it was a disaster. we had to fill buckets with water and pull the logs out, there was so much smoke. once we opened the windows, it cleared quickly but the lower levels of my house smell this morning.

i think that the logs just werent lighting properly to get a really good combustion draft moving upward. maybe the wood wasnt dried properly? we are having doors installed this week so maybe that will help too....

we will have a family friend who is very familiar with wood burning fireplaces come over and take a look.

Re: fireplace question

a little bit is normal at first. I know it sounds silly but make sure that the flue is open. Make sure you have the logs on the rack - not laying on the bottom of the fireplace. You need to have air circulating underneat in order to create the updraft.

You can try lighting some newspaper or kindling BEFORE lighting your fireplace and wave it under the flue - which will create the updraft.

The glass doors won't help. You need to keep them open when the fireplace burns (or it will create more smoke). Just keep the screens closed.

I'm in no way an expert on fireplace use (just started using ours last week), but I just had a whole fireplace lesson by the person who cleaned our chimney.