Are You Using Your Damper Correctly?

Your fireplace is the heart of your home. When using it, you don’t want to have to deal with smoke coming into your house or the fire alarm buzzing from the smell. Proper control and usage of your damper can be the answer to these worries. 

The damper is a movable metal door or valve inside the fireplace or chimney that controls airflow. The sole job of the damper is to allow air and smoke to go up the chimney and to close completely to keep out cold air and unwanted critters. 

Proper Damper Usage

• When lighting the fire in the fireplace, the damper must be open. If the damper is closed, the smoke will billow and come back into your home.
• Adjusting the heat. You may learn to adjust the damper’s throttle to increase or decrease the fire’s intensity. 
• Closing the damper. The only time that you will actually close the damper is when the fire has been out for quite some time, and the coals are completely cold. Any smoldering embers will cause smoke and toxic gases to reenter the house.
• Maintenance. Regular maintenance is important for all components of your fireplace. Rust, warped, and stuck components can cause issues. Age and humidity can cause these issues, which need to be corrected. 

Techniques To Control Heat

• For a hotter fire, your damper should be fully open. This will allow maximum airflow, which will fuel the fire with oxygen. 
• When a slower fire is needed, at times when you aren’t looking to benefit from the heat, you can close the damper slightly. This will allow for slow combustion, creating a longer-lasting fire. 
• If you are solely looking for ambience, the damper can be set to the last notch, balancing energy efficiency with heat entering the room. The damper should be reopened if smoke starts to return to the home.

The bottom line is that the damper is the key to the safety and efficiency of the fireplace system. If the damper is working appropriately, you will barely notice it, but when it’s not, you definitely will.

Safety Consideration

The damper process seems simple, but when misused or malfunctions, it can become a serious safety issue. 

A closed damper during a fire can cause smoke, toxic gases, and carbon monoxide to enter the home, creating a risk of CO poisoning, smoke inhalation, and soot damage to walls and ceilings. 

At Approved Chimney, we know well the importance of chimney sweeping for the safety and efficiency of the home. For more than 15 years as chimney sweep experts in New Jersey, we have seen firsthand how effective chimney cleaning with inspection can help prevent harmful creosote, soot, and debris buildup. Our experienced chimney sweepers use the best procedures and cutting-edge equipment to thoroughly clean chimneys, fireplaces, and wood stoves, preventing disastrous fires in the most critical heating elements.