Fireplace Safety Tips

Fireplace Safety Do's and Don'ts

• Do check the manufacturer’s guidelines for your wood stove or insert.
• Do use seasoned hardwood.
• Do use commercial fire starters if you like. They eliminate the need for fuel and reduce the amount of kindling required.
• Don’t use charcoal, lighter fluid, or other flammable liquids. These are extremely dangerous.
• Don’t use coal in a wood stove or fireplace unless there are specific written instructions – it will burn, but not safely.
• Don’t burn artificial logs in a wood stove unless they are specifically designed for wood stove use. Fake logs can dirty the chimney much faster than regular wood and can be hazardous in certain situations.
• Don’t burn treated lumber, trash, or anything other than wood in your fireplace or stove.

Chimney Odors?

The sour, sickly odor is the smell of creosote. The solution is to call The Chimney Doctor to clean your chimney and install a chimney cap to prevent water from entering and reacting with the creosote. The Chimney Doctor can also recommend a good chimney deodorant to handle any remaining odor which has been absorbed into the masonry.

Creosote Buildup?

Slow-smoldering fires and using unseasoned wood can create “cool” smoke and weak drafts. Under these conditions, the smoke condenses and sticks to the chimney’s interior, forming highly flammable creosote. A fire or an errant spark could ignite this substance into a roaring chimney fire. This terrifying disaster kills hundreds annually and causes millions of dollars in property damage.

Smoke Problems?

Is your damper open? If it is and the smoking continues, open a nearby window a crack for a minute or two until the fire is going well – then you can close it again.

If it just smokes when you light the fire, it may be because the flue is cold. Did you warm the chimney with a burning rolled-up newspaper held in the damper region? (If not, that usually works.)

If the chimney continues to smoke, contact The Chimney Doctor. Your chimney may be clogged by animal nets or an accumulation of soot and creosote or have additional problems.