Why It Is Important To Center the Chimney and Venting System?

Why It Is Important To Center the Chimney and Venting System?

September 12, 2022

Having a fireplace or wood stove can be a great addition. These offer a natural way to warm your home and can also provide fun memories and a comforting ambiance. If you own a fireplace, it is important to know which type you have and ensure it is properly ventilated. Today, fireplaces come in three types: natural-draft, mechanically drafted, and direct-vent sealed-combustion. You should aim to have centered and clear ventilation in all of these types.

Why Ventilation Is Important

When you have a fireplace or wood stove, proper ventilation is very important. No matter what type of fireplace or stove you have, a fireplace needs adequate combustion air. Good ventilation ensures that the fireplace has proper airflow and that the fireplace will not be affected by other exhaust fans in your home.

Another reason you want proper ventilation is that it can help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. This is particularly important if you have a fireplace or stove that operates off of natural gas or propane. Without proper ventilation, the gases may struggle to escape your home and could end up being a serious safety hazard.

Having proper ventilation is also typically a code requirement. If it is not properly ventilated upon installation, you could have a code violation, and a fix will be required. If you have purchased an existing fireplace with poor ventilation, you could still be required to make ventilation changes due to its risks.

How To Improve Ventilation

If you do have a fireplace, it is important to ensure it is properly ventilated. The right ventilation can make it safer and help you avoid long-term damage to your chimney. Some tips can help you improve your chimney ventilation.

Keep Chimney Clean

One great way to improve ventilation is to have your chimney cleaned at least once per year. Soot and other chemicals can be created when burning a fire. These have the habit of clinging to the interior of your fireplace and could prevent air from flowing efficiently. A chimney sweep will help to clear this up and can also help to reduce your fire risk.

Repair and Clean Exterior Vents

If you are not getting good airflow, it could be due to faulty vents. Having the exterior vents repaired and cleaned could be a good way to allow air to pass through. If air is not passing through, having them inspected is important to ensure a good connection is in place.

Keep Everything Open When Starting a Fire

As you are beginning to start a fire, it is important that you keep the damper and fire doors open before starting it. This can help allow fresh air to pass through. You should then prime the chimney before lighting any wood on fire. You should experience better airflow through your chimney moving forward.

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