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Message |
    
marinab
Citizen
Username: Marinab
Post Number: 86
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 10:24 am: | 
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We love burning fires in our fireplace--one of the great boons of leaving a city apartment and having an old house.
However, the smoke from our fires always winds up staining the front of the mantel--the stone and the white part (don't know what it's made of). I've had a chimney sweep look at our fireplace and chimney and there's nothing wrong with it, other than being a bit narrow, since it's an old chimney. We took their advice and build the fire in the back, raised the grate, but still it's the same thing every time.
Can one do anything about the smoke going right up the mantel like that, other than scrubbing it off every time? Do hoods help prevent the smoke traveling that way? |
Neen
Citizen
Username: Neen
Post Number: 101
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 11:46 am: |
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Do you warm up the flue before lighting your fire? |
marinab
Citizen
Username: Marinab
Post Number: 87
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 1:14 pm: |
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Yes we do. Though the first fire of the season sends out a lot of smoke, after that it's not as if there's a lot of smoke in the room. |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7370
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 1:34 pm: |
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Do you have the flue cleaned regularly?
Unfortunately, as you indicate, the flue is fairly small and there isn't much you can co about this. Possibly using a glass screen might help. |
Rick B
Citizen
Username: Ruck1977
Post Number: 444
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 2:00 pm: |
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What are you burning? Perhaps you could try a differnt type of wood? Sounds like it would have to be a lot of smoke to stain your mantel, doesn't it bother your breathing?
Seperately,
How do you warm up a flue? What is the purpose?
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marinab
Citizen
Username: Marinab
Post Number: 90
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 2:14 pm: |
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Yes, we have the flue cleaned. I don't know about the wood--we've used different woods. The smoke really isn't bad, after the first fire or so.
Perhaps I'll ask the chimney sweep about glass enclosures. To warm the flue, just take a rolled up lighted newspaper and hold it up the chimney so the bricks are warm when you start the fire. |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 371
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 2:24 pm: |
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Do you have a smoke guard?
http://whitecaps.com/smoke_guards.htm
It's on a spring, so you don't have to install anything - just stick it in there - we have a black one, and it is barely noticeable.
We actually have a gas, not a wood burning fireplace, so I can't vouch for how well it works with wood-burning smoke. But, the reason we got it was when we first had the unit installed (after having a flue built into our chimney, and having the firebox rebuilt), I smelled gas in the living room, and it didn't seem normal to me. The installer said that we should try getting one of these things because what might be happening is that some of the gas may be hitting the roof of the firebox before going through the flue, and some of it could be rolling into the living room. Because the smoke guard blocks the top portion of the firebox, it may prevent it from "rolling" out and will direct itself into the flue.
So, it worked for us with the gas -- haven't had a problem since (and we also have CO detectors all over the place in our house in case you're wondering).
We got ours through the Firelace Place in Summit. |
SlowDog
Citizen
Username: Bca
Post Number: 34
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 3:31 pm: |
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We had the same problem, periodically. My father-in-law suggested the following, and it works for us: Place a fairly large log (not huge, and preferably square cut) in the front of the grate and build the fire behind it. Keep the fire small until it gets hot enough not to smoke. Eventually you can push the blocker log back and it will burn up too. |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 376
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 3:57 pm: |
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SlowDog - The first time I read through your post, I thought it read "Place a fairly large dog in front of the grate.... 
Must have had your screen name in my head when I read your post |
kws
Citizen
Username: Kws
Post Number: 96
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 9:49 pm: |
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I'd second the smoke guard.
I think the problem is that the flue is almost at the same level as the mantel opening. There is simply not enough dead air space in there if the smoke from the fire rolls a bit before it heads up the flue.
And when that happens it tends to spill out and stain the brick. |
Rick B
Citizen
Username: Ruck1977
Post Number: 447
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 8:26 am: |
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Not to harp on this...but I don't understand the purpose of warming up the flue? |
Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 1427
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 8:37 am: |
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Warming up the flue cause air to flow from inside the house up the chimney. Obviously hot air rises so you heat the flue a little to get the process started.
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marinab
Citizen
Username: Marinab
Post Number: 93
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 12:38 pm: |
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Just spoke to the Village Sweep and they said much the same though are big proponents of using glass doors. I'm going to experiment with putting foil across and then try the smoke guard I think. I think the combination of the dead space mentioned and a large opening and narrow chimney causes the smoke to roll out and do all that staining. |
marinab
Citizen
Username: Marinab
Post Number: 96
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 1:53 pm: |
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Voila! The tinfoil did a world of good. Now I don't have to do my Martha Stewart Mr. Clean routine and scrub down the mantel constantly. So now I'm going to look into smoke guards ... |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 385
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 1:58 pm: |
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Excellent! Glad that worked out well. Enjoy the warm fire on these cold days... (And no one should have to get out the Mr. Clean if they don't have to!) |
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