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What Is a Flue? Your flue liner (located inside your chimney) is the vertical passageway that transports the waste gas to the outdoors. Think of chimney liners as an exhaust pipe that transports smoke and combustion products safely outdoors.
How does a fireplace flue work?
The flue directs exhaust gases and debris from a fireplace upward to vent outdoors into the atmosphere. This has the effect of drawing the exhaust gases and ash, which are lighter weight than the cold outdoor air, up through the flue and venting them outside.
Where is the flue in a fireplace?
A chimney flue is a vertical passage or duct that runs from the firebox (where the fire burns) to the top of the chimney. Technically, a flue is any open vertical space in a chimney that allows smoke to escape the home from the firebox.
What is the difference between a flue and a chimney?
A flue is the channel, pipe, or tube through which gases and smoke travel from a source of combustion (fireplace, furnace, boiler) to the outside environment. A chimney is, on the other hand, in its simplest definition, the housing that encases the flue. It is usually made of masonry, brick, or stone.
How do I know if my fireplace flue is open or closed?
Before lighting a fire, you can tell if the damper is open by placing your hand into the fireplace. If you feel a draft coming down the chimney, it is a good indicator that the damper is open. If you don’t feel any cold air coming down the chimney, it means that the damper is closed.
Is it OK to leave the flue open overnight?
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.
Is a damper and flue the same thing?
A damper is located in the flue of your chimney. The flue is where the smoke escapes when the fire is going. Dampers are placed inside of the flue to help control ventilation.
What happens if flue is closed?
Operating the fireplace with the damper partially closed will not generate more heat. Instead, blocking the passage through the flue will result in smoke entering the home. The damper should be kept open until all embers are finished burning to prevent smoke from escaping into the home.
Does a fireplace need 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.
Why do you close the flue on a fireplace?
This is done to prevent warm, interior room air from being pulled into the firebox and up the chimney. The damper is a door of sorts, that when closed, separates the firebox from the chimney. If a damper is not opened when a fire is built, smoke will back up quickly and fill the room. Guaranteed!Dec 26, 2019.
Why is it called a flue?
Historically the term flue meant the chimney itself. In the United States, they are also known as vents for boilers and as breeching for water heaters and modern furnaces. They usually operate by buoyancy, also known as the stack effect, or the combustion products may be ‘induced’ via a blower.
Is a flue a vent?
Understanding Flues A flue is simply a passage for conveying exhaust gases from an appliance to the outdoors. A flue may be a duct, pipe, vent, or chimney. An unlined chimney is technically a flue, even though an unlined chimney is a fire hazard.
When can I close the flue after a fire?
Close Fireplace Damper When Fire Is Completely Out. Shut the damper when the fire is completely, absolutely out. That means ashes are cool to the touch even when stirred. If you close the damper before that, you risk carbon monoxide poisoning.
Should the damper be open all the way?
When should the damper be kept open or closed? The fireplace damper should always be in the open position whenever you have a fire in the fireplace. Close the damper when the fire is extinguished. This will prevent the heated air from escaping through the chimney and will keep water and other debris out of the flue.
Should I close my chimney flue in the summer?
The chimney damper is the last line of defense to keep water and critters out of your home. Even if you have a chimney cap, it is a good idea to keep the damper closed in the summer. The hot, humid air that the damper lets into the chimney won’t air out chimney odors. It may actually cause your chimney to smell.
How do you close a flue?
How to Close the Chimney Flue Turn off the gas to the fireplace or wait for wood to burn out. Put on work gloves to keep your hands free of soot. Push the lever up slightly to disengage it from its support tab and then pull it away from the tab horizontally as the damper lowers into a closed position.
