Having a wood burning fireplace is an excellent way to stay warm in the
cold winter months while reducing your heating bill. The way you can
tell a wood fireplace is a good one is that there will be no smoke
spilling into the room nor will there be any odors when burning wood
other than the wonderful aroma of the wood itself.
For homes that do not have a fireplace, more and more people are
spending the money to have one installed. After all, fireplaces are
pleasant and relaxing. As the years have passed, technology has moved
forward, improving the standard wood burning fireplace that we knew from
years before. That means that the fireplaces you can buy today, they
are top quality and built for efficiency.
To have the fireplace installed, it is important that the professional
know exactly what he or she is doing. If the fireplace is not vented
properly by the location of the chimney, major problems will occur with
smoke spilling into the home. As you will see from the information
below, the steps are not difficult but crucial to follow closely:
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- The fireplace and chimney need to be installed inside the building envelop
- The building envelop should be penetrated at or near the highest level
- You should always avoid large and uncompensated exhausts
- Avoid using short chimney systems as well
- Be sure the chimney systems you use are straight
- Use glass doors
Typically, installation involves putting the fireplace and chimney in a
chase that projects outside the building envelop. The primary reason
for this is to conserve interior floor space. Although putting
fireplaces outside the chase is very popular, it is also a common
complaint. In this case, odors can spill inside along with cold air
whenever the fireplace is not being used. Another common problem again
goes back to having smoke spill inwards when the fireplace is lit.
To draw in combustion air and create the proper flow going up the
chimney, the fireplace is dependant upon buoyancy of the hot exhaust.
However, if the chimney runs on the outside of the home, then it no
longer has the ability to resist negative pressure. This is due to the
stack effect, which is weakened.
The draft of a wood fireplace is the difference in pressure needed to
vent the fireplace successfully. This is then influenced by the
exhaust's temperature along with the chimney's height. When the gases
become very hot, the draft is very strong. Additionally, when a chimney
is extra tall, the draft is also stronger. The goal is to have a
well-defined system for your wood burning fireplace that there is a low
level of draft anytime the fireplace is not being used.
Again, if you are thinking about having a fireplace added to your home,
the most important factor is safety. By having a professional build the
fireplace, you can be assured that the fireplace, chimney, and all the
components will be done properly so you and your family are not just
safe, but also have warmth in the winter
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