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What? No comment to the fact that fireplaces are considered net zero in energy output due to hot air escaping up the flue when there is no fire? The only way to produce heat with a fireplace is to keep it running almost non-stop.
Get ready to burn up a forest to keep your house warm. Get a pellet stove insert or gas insert and update your home 100 years!
7 safety tips for fireplaces
By Shyra Peyton of This Old House
With natural gas and propane prices continuing to rise, you may be looking to the old fireplace this winter to help cut your home-heating bills. But before you spark up the logs, take heed that fireplaces and chimneys are involved in 42% of all home-heating fires. So first make sure yours is up to snuff by following these seven safety tips.
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7 safety tips for fireplaces
Hire a chimney sweep
The National Fire Protection Association recommends that chimneys be swept at least once a year at the beginning of the winter to remove soot and debris. Find a certified sweep in your area via the Chimney Safety Institute of America.
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7 safety tips for fireplaces
Check for damage
In addition to cleaning, a chimney sweep should inspect the chimney structure for cracks, loose bricks or missing mortar. Chimney liners should also be checked for cracking or deterioration.
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7 safety tips for fireplaces
Cap the chimney
A cap fitted with wire-mesh sides covers the top of the chimney and keeps rain, birds, squirrels and debris from entering. Repair a cap that is damaged or replace one that is missing.
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7 safety tips for fireplaces
Burn seasoned hardwoods
Choose dense wood, such as oak, that has been split and stored in a high and dry place for at least six months. Green wood and resinous softwoods such as pine produce more creosote, a flammable byproduct of combustion that can build up in the chimney.
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7 safety tips for fireplaces
Don't overload
Small fires generate less smoke, thus less creosote buildup. Also, a fire that is too large or too hot can crack the chimney.
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7 safety tips for fireplaces
Build it right
Place logs at the rear of the fireplace on a metal grate. Use kindling, rather than flammable liquids, to start the fire.
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7 safety tips for fireplaces
Use a spark guard
Prevent errant embers from shooting out of the firebox with a mesh metal screen or glass fireplace doors. A guard in front of an open flame is especially important when the room is unoccupied.
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