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With the growing trend in restoring to use these fireplaces that have been bricked or boarded up, it is crucial that these restored fireplaces and chimneys are operating effectively. For wood or coal burning fires to burn effectively, a good supply of air is needed along with a chimney to expel the hot exhaust gases and smoke. Also the fuel ought to be held in a grate clear of the hearth floor permitting complete circulation of the air and waste ash to fall by means of, so as not to stifle the fire. If the chimney or flue is inadequate or the flow of air insufficient, the fire will not function successfully.
In his thesis on the ideas of fireplace style published in1799, Count Rumford emphasized the importance of the size of the flue compared with the size of the fireplace opening. He encouraged that the cross-sectional region of the flue should be about a tenth of the size of the opening. However, fireplaces tended to be smaller sized following the mid nineteenth century. Contemporary flue liner producers favor a ratio of one particular to seven, and there are sizing charts published that give details of present requirements.
If your fire smokes or wont burn correctly, see if opening a window improves matters. If it does, you need to have much better ventilation in the space. 1 answer is to install a window vent, even though this may possibly result in a troublesome cross draft. A a lot far more efficient type of ventilation is either a single ducted vent set into the floor in front of the fireplace, or twin ducted vents set into the floor or external walls on each side of the chimney breast.
When wood and coal are burned, flammable gases, tarry substances, acids and dust are provided off. Nevertheless, because domestic stoves are comparatively inefficient not all of these substances are consumed. Rather, they rise up the chimney and some of them condense on the inside of the flue. Unburned carbon combines with these tars and acids producing soot which builds up over a period of time hence decreasing the size of the flue. It is critical to have frequently utilized chimneys swept at least twice a year, ideally before, throughout and at the end of the heating season and the regional trade directories include specifics of totally qualified and suitably insured sweeps. A soot laden flue is a fire hazard, given that the unburned elements of the soot can ignite, causing a chimney fire which can reach higher temperatures and damage the chimney.
If a flue is too significant, its size can be reduced to enhance its efficiency by the fitting of a liner. A assortment of methods and components are utilised, such as flue liners created of flexible stainless steel, ceramic, lightweight concrete sections, or concrete cast in situ. Other approaches of lowering the fireplace opening in order to enhance fire efficiency is to raise the level of the hearth or to fit a baffle across the best of the opening. If raising the hearth level or adding a baffle are not sensible or unsightly then it might be worth asking a fireplace specialist whether fitting a metal smoke hood or canopy in the opening is the finest resolution.
