Is Your Fireplace a Bit Drafty? Here’s What to Do
A chilly breeze from the fireplace is certainly unexpected, and a drafty fireplace means heat has the chance to escape outside your home, rather than funneling inside as anticipated. Navigating the source of the draft and sealing it up is important to keeping the warmth where you need it, as well as keeping the heating bill in check. Luckily, there are some simple drafty fireplace remedies at hand to help combat the chilly creep of the outside air running back down the chimney.
The first place
to check if you’re feeling a fireplace draft is the dampener, or flue. The
purpose of a dampener is to ensure that the cold air outside is blocked, and
the warm air emanating from the fireplace stays indoors, while venting the
smoke up the chimney. Thus, make sure the dampener is in the closed position
when the fireplace is not in use, otherwise it’s essentially an open doorway
for cold air. If the flue is closed and you can still feel a noticeable breeze,
there is a good possibility that a piece of the dampener needs to be replaced.
Another quick test to try is to close the flue, light a candle, and hold it
just inside the fireplace. If you notice the flame of the candle flickering noticeably,
there is some form of airflow leakage present in the fireplace, and that is the
probable cause of your drafty fireplace.
The second
major place to double-check is the chimney cap. This sits on top of the chimney
and filters the smoke out while minimizing chances for wind to enter in. If the
chimney cap has come loose, or fallen off completely, the chimney will be left
open for a draft to come down through the fireplace. If there has been any
noticeable damage to the chimney cap, it’s always a good idea to get it
inspected and repaired before a draft sets in.
A temporary
stop for a chimney draft, but only while the chimney is not in use, is a fireplace
cover. The name is fairly self-explanatory — this is a cover that sits over the
opening of the fireplace, blocking all incoming and outgoing gusts and drafts.
Using decorative, fireplace covers come in a variety of materials and designs
to suite every type home décor. Of course, as mentioned, this is a temporary
fix for a drafty fireplace, and not a permanent solution.
If you’re
having trouble diagnosing the exact cause of the draft in your chimney, or if
your feel like there might be something greater at play, considering scheduling
an annual chimney inspection and cleaning to allow a certified chimney
professional the chance to thoroughly root out the cause of any possible
fireplace issues. To schedule your annual chimney inspection and cleaning, to
replace any damaged section of your fireplace, or for any general questions on
the breeze blowing through your fireplace, give the experts at Lindemann
Chimney & Fireplace a ring, at (847) 739-4199, or drop them a line through
the online scheduling portal.
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