Chesapeake Chimney Sweeps

410-535-0035

301-884-5107

Toll Free:

888-207-1829

P.O. Box 1016

Prince Frederick, MD

20678

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Tips on Starting a Fire

First, open your damper: This little chore is more often forgotten than most people care to admit!

 

Ingredients for a good fire: You will need 3 things to start a fire:

• Tinder-a few sheets of newspaper that has been crumpled up makes a good tinder, as do small twigs, pine needles, or pine cones.

• Kindling-large twigs, small branches, and small pieces of wood split into a thickness of between 1/4" and 1" thick will do. As the most important element for building a good fire, it shouldn't be overlooked.

• Fuel-use only well-seasoned hardwood. If you have to burn softwoods, make sure they are also well-seasoned. Look for split, dry wood that has been stacked for several months. good indicators of seasoned wood are loose bark and cracks in the ends of the pieces.

Arrangement: Arrange two small or medium sized pieces of firewood on the grate with your tinder in the middle. Cover the the tinder with several pieces of kindling; be generous. Place two more pieces of firewood on top of the kindling and two more at right angles to the last two. Leave air space between the logs for good air circulation.

 

Warm the flue: For fireplaces, warm the flue by holding a piece of burning rolled up newspaper in the (opened) damper region for 10-15 seconds. This helps to create a good draft.

 

Light the tinder: In a few minutes you should have a nice, hot, roaring fire!

Take advantage of our over 25 years of service and experience.

Let us inspect your installation and give you valuable advice on safety, proper wood burning procedures and efficiency.

Do's and Don'ts of Fireplace and Woodstove Use

• Do follow the manufacturer's guidelines for your woodstove or insert.

• Do use seasoned hardwood.

• Do consider the use of commercial fire starters. They reduce the amount of kindling needed and eliminate the use of tinder.

• Do burn small hot fires using hardwood. this will minimize the creosote buildup and maximize the heat output.

• Do keep your fire burning with flames, not smoldering with a lot of smoke.

• Do add smaller loads of wood more often rather than adding a large load of wood once.

• Don't add too much firewood. In a fireplace, keep the flames visible below the fireplace opening. In a woodstove, keep the flames in the woodstove itself only.

• Don't use coal in a woodstove or fireplace.

• Don't burn artificial logs in a woodstove unless they are designed for woodstove use. Artificial logs can dirty chimneys much faster than seasoned wood and can be dangerous in certain situations.

• Don't burn trash, treated lumber, or anything other than wood in your woodstove or fireplace.

• Don't close your damper until you are certain the fire and coals are completely out. When you are ready to put your fire out, separate  the logs by moving them to the side of the fireplace or by standing them on end in the back of the fireplace.

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Troubleshooting Hints

Problems with Smoke:

Is your damper open? Remember to open the damper before starting your fire.

If your damper is open and smoking is still continuing, open a nearby window a little for a minute or two until the fire gets going well; then, close it again. A bit of fresh air can create a draft to help pull the smoke up the chimney.

If smoke is a problem only when you light a fire, it may be because the flue is too cold. Warm the flue by holding a piece of burning rolled up newspaper in the damper region for 10-15 seconds before lighting your fire.

Creosote Buildup:

Several things can lead to a quick buildup of creosote in your chimney:

• Slow, smoldering fires

• Using unseasoned, newly cu wood

• Using artificial logs in your woodstove or fireplace

Smoke can condense and stick to your chimney's interior forming highly flammable creosote under these conditions. To reduce creosote buildup, burn a hot fire with all vents open to admit air for 45 minutes once or twice a day. Then adjust the vents back to your normal settings. This will reduce condensation and burn off some of the creosote baked onto the sides of the fireplace or woodstove chimney.

Chimney Odors

The smell of creosote is sickly and sour. Have your chimney cleaned by a chimney professional. Also, consider having a chimney cap installed to prevent water from entering and reacting with creosote. Your chimney professional can also recommend a good chimney deodorant to handle any remaining odor that may have been absorbed into the masonry.

 

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