Fireplaces can generate plenty of heat while you are standing in front of it. Otherwise, these fireplaces suck all the heat from a room and you can send it up the chimney producing a lot of smoke. However, you do not have to suffer from that.

Aside from paying for a chimney sweep, you should do other things as well. The fireplace is seasonal, but you should still clean up to snuff despite not using it regularly. No matter what kind you have, you should use the best tips to make sure that your fireplace is always ready and efficient.

If you want to make your fireplace more efficient, you can read this article until the end to get tips.

Use the Right Wood

At the center of the fire is fuel. If you get this wrong and the fire will not be efficient, nor is it going to generate the heat you are capable of.

Therefore, before anything else, you will need a pile of suitable wood.

When it comes to ‘suitable wood’, it is something more than just dry and suitable wood.

If you burn wood green, wet, and moldy wood, or which has been treated or painted, you will either fail to light the fire or you will end up using a fire that burns poorly and give you a lot of smoke and particulates.

Keep the Dampers Closed

The damper is made of metal, and it keeps the moisture, air, and debris from your firebox when no one is using the fireplace. Forgetting to close the damper after turning off the fire is similar to keeping a window open.

All the heat generated will go out through the chimney. You need to keep the fireplace damper closed once the fire is totally extinguished, and it will retain the heat in the firebox and you should continue to warm the living space for many hours.

Install Fireplace Doors

This is going to retain more heat, especially if you are careful in keeping the closed when no one is using the fireplace. However, the majority of doors do not close tightly enough to prevent anything from leaking. In case you install them on the fireplace, make sure that they are sealed around it so no drafts will be able to go through. You should close the doors and damper. The fireplace requires a metal mesh screen that you can pull close while the fireplace is burning. The screen contains logs and any sparks or embers that shoot out from your fire, but it will still allow heat to get through.

Add a Gasket

In case you do not have a fireplace gasket, you should get one.

A fire gasket provides you with a way to build fire, and it will also hold everything in place, preventing logs from rolling out from the opening of the fireplace. The important thing is that a fire basket makes your fire burn efficiently even more.

Reverse Ceiling Fan Circulation

Some ceiling fans come with a switch that is going to reverse the operation in clockwise. Reversing the ceiling fan circulation creates an updraft and it spreads the heat more efficiently throughout the living space.  It will save you up to 15% when it comes to heating costs. However, operating ceiling fans in the standard clockwise direction is going to have the opposite effect and it cools down the living space. This way, you will also become more comfortable in your place.

You can contact chimney repair Ellicott City anytime if you need them to clean your fireplace to improve its efficiency.