Can you have a chimney without a flue?
Does Your System Have a Flue? If you have a wood-burning fire, no matter what type of appliance or fireplace it is, your system requires a flue. It may be inside a chimney or a simple flue pipe—but the flue is the duct by which smoke and waste gases exit the home.
Should an unused chimney be sealed?
Capping is undoubtedly the best option when it comes to dealing with your unused chimney. Failure to secure proper chimney ventilation could damage your chimney and roofing.
How do you vent an unused chimney?
You should cap any unused chimneys with a flue ventilator. Flue ventilators can be found on our chimney pot page. The flue ventilator stops rain entry to the chimney but still allows a small amount of air passage for ventilation.
Why do chimneys have vents?
Chimney venting is when the by-products of combustion are exhausted through the chimney to the atmosphere. This passageway is called the flue. This applies to both your fireplace (or wood stove), and likely, your heating/hot water equipment.
Can an unused chimney cause damp?
Chimney damp will often occur if your chimney is unused and boarded up. Unused chimneys usually aren't ventilated properly, so moisture can easily get trapped inside with no way out. If your chimney is open at the top but is not in use, rainwater can travel all the way down to the bottom of the chimney stack.
Is it OK to clean chimney every 2 years?
It simply depends on the creosote buildup. However, it is recommended that a chimney is cleaned after ever face cord of word, or every two years.
Is it OK to leave chimney open?
The idea of airing out the fireplace by keeping the damper open does more harm than good. Humid outside air can mix with the creosote buildup in your chimney and fireplace, producing a foul odor. Soot and dust may also get inside your home via downdrafts of warm air, impacting your home's indoor air quality.
How much heat is lost through an unused chimney?
If central heating is on when a fire isn't lit, a roomful of / 40 cubic metres warm air will disappear up the flue within an hour. This escaping air needs to be replaced, so cold air is pulled in from under doors and round windows, creating cold draughts.
Can cold air come down a chimney?
Fireplace and chimney basics The path for smoke also is a path for air. When a fireplace isn't in use, cold air from outside can come down the chimney into the home, and warm interior air can escape up through the flue.
Which chimney is better with duct or without duct?
Ducted chimneys have great air suction capacity which helps in cooling the environment and helps to get rid of the smoke easily. Why is a ducted chimney preferred over ductless chimney?
What is the difference between a flue and a chimney?
Usually, flue pipes or tubes run vertically through a home to the outside. In some cases, flue pipes or tubes can run horizontally through a house to the outdoors. A chimney is a passage way for combustion byproducts to travel up that runs from a fireplace or stove up to the top of a house.
Does most of the heat go up a chimney?
Putting a Damper on Your Energy Bills What's more, between 80 and 90 percent of the heat produced by wood burned in an open fireplace is lost up the chimney. This means that for every $100 you spend on firewood, you get only $10 to $20 worth of heat. The rest goes up the chimney.
Is it OK to leave chimney open?
The idea of airing out the fireplace by keeping the damper open does more harm than good. Humid outside air can mix with the creosote buildup in your chimney and fireplace, producing a foul odor. Soot and dust may also get inside your home via downdrafts of warm air, impacting your home's indoor air quality.
How do you seal a fireplace when not in use?
You can seal off an unused fireplace by installing wood or light-gauge metal framing, insulation and drywall over the entire wall or opening. If you intend on using it in the future, install an insert constructed out of 2" rigid foam board glued to MDF. Seal around the insert using neoprene backer rod insulation.
How do you seal an unused chimney flue?
1:002:38Sealing a Chimney - DIY - Air Tight removable seal - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut just make sure you put a generous bead of silicon caulk all the way around the rim. And you willMoreBut just make sure you put a generous bead of silicon caulk all the way around the rim. And you will be able to get a nice bond. Between the chimney and the metal.
Should I close my chimney flue when not in use?
The smoke from burning wood contains carbon monoxide, so in order to prevent this toxic byproduct from entering your home, it is important to leave the flue open overnight. This enables a draft to carry the compound out into the atmosphere, instead of sinking down the chimney and saturating the room.
What happens if there is no air flow in a chimney?
If there is no air flow, condensation will form inside the stack and will be soaked up by the old coal soot. This will eventually saturate the brick and cause damp patches forming on the plastered wall that surrounds your chimney breast.
Where does moisture run down a chimney?
The moisture from the rain will run down the internal brick work which can easily enter the attic and also collect at the bottom of the chimney breast.
How Do You Cap An Unused Chimney?
There are so many different options nowadays to cap off an unused chimney.
Why do chimneys need C caps?
Because of the way the C Cap fits, it provide sufficient ventilation for your chimney breast, but also keeps heat loss to a minimum (very important).
Why do you cap a chimney?
Capping a chimney has it’s benefits if your no longer going to use it, the main benefit is the thermal efficiency it will give your home.
Do chimneys look ugly?
They also look very ugly and eventually let the water back into the chimney stack once the mortar lines fail .
Does a chimney stack stop birds?
It will also stop any birds or insects nesting inside the chimney stack or becoming stuck and dying (such a shame)
What happens if your chimney doesn't have a liner?
Also, if your chimney doesn’t have a liner, that increases the chances of your flue getting cold. What happens when your flue is too cold? It’ll force the smoke back into your home because the cold air is more dense. When you have an insulated chimney liner, this risk is nearly diminished.
Why is it important to clean your chimney?
When your chimney can’t effectively release by-products of combustion outside, it greatly increases the risk of a chimney fire. Plus, soot and creosote can more easily form on your chimney walls than it can in a chimney liner which means you’ll have to have your chimney cleaned more often.
Why is a chimney liner important?
A chimney liner might not seem like an important part of your chimney, but in reality, it’s extremely important and improves the safety of your fireplace and home. Additionally, a chimney liner is required to be present to pass inspection for property transfer. In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about chimney liners ...
How do you know if you need a chimney liner?
One of the most common signs that you need a chimney liner is when you notice that your chimney walls are deteriorating at a faster than normal pace. When your liner is not in proper working condition, the heat or condensation will damage your brick and mortar at a higher rate.
Why use a steel liner on a chimney?
People often get a steel liner to upgrade from their old clay or ceramic one. Steel chimney liners will keep your chimney walls safe and protected for many years to come.
How to keep carbon monoxide out of fireplace?
When you use your fireplace, carbon monoxide gets released and you want to keep that out of your home at all costs. A properly installed chimney liner that’s in good condition will be able to keep it out.
What causes condensation in a chimney?
If you notice condensation in your chimney or damage to your exterior brick, the problem could be a damaged or nonexistent chimney liner.
What happens when you burn wood in a fireplace?
Burning of wood in a fireplace produces smoke (quite a lot if the wood isn’t burning properly), and also releases other gases and particles. Over time, these can be seen as soot around a fireplace, up the chimney and on the glass door of a wood stove. Vented gas fireplaces also produce gases as a byproduct of the combustion process, ...
What happens when you burn logs in a wood burning stove?
When logs are burnt in a wood burning fireplace or stove, or when natural gas is burnt in a gas fireplace, byproducts are produced as a result of the combustion process. The processes within both wood burning and gas fireplaces are centered around an real flame that burns the fuel (either wood of gas) and produces heat, light and other byproducts.
Do you have to vent an electric fireplace?
An Electric Fireplace Doesn’t Need to be Vented. There you have it, you don’t need to vent an electric fireplace because there’s nothing produced by the fireplace, and nothing needs to be vented out of your home. There’s no real flame in an electric fireplace, and so there’s no byproducts released through its use.
Can you use an electric fireplace in an apartment?
Electric fireplaces are ideal for use in an apartment as they don’t require a vent or chimney, and only require a standard electrical supply to run. Electric fireplaces don’t have a real flame and don’t produce any smoke, fumes or other byproducts such as carbon monoxide, making them perfect for those living in apartment ...
Can you use a gas fireplace to get carbon monoxide?
You can therefore be at risk from carbon monoxide when using a wood burning or gas fireplace, but not from using an electric fireplace. Only when the fire has been starved of oxygen can Carbon Monoxide be produced. Burning wood or gas with plenty of air supply will create carbon dioxide as a byproduct, and not carbon monoxide.
Do you need a chimney or vent for an electric fireplace?
An electric fireplace does not require a vent, flue or chimney. An electric fireplace does not have a real flame and so doesn’t release any byproducts such as smoke and harmful gases. As no fuel is burnt in an electric fireplace, and there’s no combustion, you do not need to vent an electric fireplace. Whether you have standalone electric fireplace ...
Is there a combustion process in an electric fireplace?
There is no combustion process in an electric fireplace. With no flame and no fuel, there are no byproducts produced that need to be removed from home.
What to do if you don't have a chimney?
If you don’t have an existing chimney, it’s usually best to look into alternative venting options for your gas fireplace , such as direct vents (more on this later).
How does a natural vent work?
A natural vent works with a chimney or with a pipe venting system install through your roof. The pipe system allows you to remove the fumes from the gas fireplace without the costs of adding a chimney to your home.
How does a direct vent work?
Direct vents specialize in keeping the fire’s fumes separated from the indoor air. They achieve this with two separate chambers. One chamber is for circulating the indoor air around the fireplace, while the other expels the fumes outside.
What is the biggest problem with a gas fireplace?
The biggest threat you may find with a gas fireplace is condensation in the chimney. Damp patches can stay there and may seep through to the walls or ceilings, causing damage inside. Servicing your gas fireplace can help check the chimney and other parts for issues including:
Why does my fireplace turn off?
All of these machines have oxygen sensors available. The fireplace will turn off if it notices the oxygen levels are not safe in that room. The products used in a vent-free system are also clean burning so there are fewer harmful chemicals used compared to a traditional gas fireplace.
Can a ventless fireplace be vented?
Only a certified ventless fireplace should be installed. If the fireplace was designed to use a vent, it must be vented.
Is ventless gas fireplace legal in California?
Update: it seems that Massachusetts may have reversed the ban on ventless gas fireplaces, but they are still banned in California. If you’re currently living in California, I wrote a post that you might find helpful. See: using fireplaces in California.
