Being good to the environment also means making sure your fireplace habits
are safe and will not pose a danger to your home or your neighborhood.
1. Clear the area around the fireplace and chimney. Debris
too close to the fireplace could cause a fire. Check the flue for obstructions
like birds' nests, and trim any overhanging branches or large trees near
the chimney.
2. Always use a fireplace screen.
3. Never overload the fireplace with too many logs. Don't use the fireplace
as an incinerator, and never burn garbage, Christmas trees, or piles
of paper.
4. Keep a fire extinguisher on hand and place smoke detectors throughout
the house. Test the smoke detectors and batteries regularly. See that
the extinguisher is in good working order and that all family members
know how to operate it.
5. When building a fire, place logs at the rear of the fireplace, preferably
on a grate.
6. Never leave fire unattended. Be sure the fire is extinguished before
you go to bed.
7. Keep wood stacked, covered, and out-of-doors, away from the house
and off the ground. Bring in only as much as you need for one evening
to prevent insects that may be in the wood from entering your home. Manufactured
Firelogs, which are packaged to eliminate insects and mess, can also
prevent this problem.
8. Have your fireplace inspected annually and cleaned when necessary
by a chimney sweep certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America.
A dirty fireplace can cause chimney fires and inhibit proper venting
of smoke up the flue.
Think
Clean!
1. Have your fireplace inspected and cleaned annually by a National
Chimney Sweep Guild Certified chimney sweep. A dirty fireplace can
cause chimney fires or contribute to air pollution. Your local NCSG-certified
chimney sweep will diagnose your fireplace and recommend what it needs
in order to burn cleanly and safely.
2. Choose the right fuel. In general, hardwood firewood (oak, madrone,
hickory, ash, etc.) burns cleaner than softwood firewood (fir, pine,
cedar, etc.). Independent tests (conducted by Shelton Research Labs,
Santa Fe, NM) have proven that manufactured firelogs burn much cleaner
than firewood.
3. Use seasoned wood, wood with a moisture content of less than 20
percent, burns much cleaner than green (high moisture content) wood.
Check with
your cordwood supplier to make sure that the wood you purchase is seasoned.
4. Burn smartly. Good fireplace habits can decrease fuel consumption
in the home while maintaining the same level of warmth. Make sure the
fire gets enough air to burn properly. Close the damper when the fire
is out to keep warm room air inside.
5. Minimize creosote buildup which causes chimney fires. Creosote is
the black tarry or flaky substance formed in chimneys during the wood
burning process. While firewood leaves flammable creosote and carbon
deposits on chimney wells, tests show firelogs leave significantly
less creosote accumulation than wood.
6. Make a fire that fits your fireplace. A fire that's too large or
too hot not only wastes fuel, it can crack your chimney.
7. Keep your fireplace in good working condition. If you notice any
cracks in the chimney, and any loose mortar or brick, have your chimney
repaired.
Have the chimney liner inspected for cracking or deterioration.
8. Read and follow the label when using firelogs. Use one firelog at
a time, starting it with a fireplace at room temperature. Don't poke
or break manufactured logs. This will cause them to crack apart, releasing
their energy at a high rate and resulting in a shorter burn time. Firelogs
perform best when burned on a supporting fireplace grate with a maximum
of three to four inches of space between support bars.
9. If your fireplace is equipped with glass doors, leave them open
while burning a firelog to allow proper draught and cleaner burning.
Once you're
sure the fire is extinguished, close the damper and glass doors to
retain warm air inside the house.
