Fireplace and use of doors...or not

[Walter Cohen]

Hello. The house we bought has a fireplace and this will be our first winter where we can actually make use of it. As we've never had a fireplace before I want to make sure I use it correctly. I've checked out several sights on the net about how to build fires and how to prime the flue, etc.

One question I have is on the use (or not) of fireplace doors. My fireplace has two glass doors (no screens). From what I can tell the most common recommendation is to leave any doors open while the fire is burning.

Thoughts on this? When should/could the doors be closed? Do you think it would be a good idea to obtain a screen for the from of the fireplace?

Thanks, Walter

[calhoun]

I have a fireplace with glass doors. You will need a screen sparks will exit the firebox. I burn with the doors open. If I am leaving it unattended (i.e. going to bed) I close the doors. This not only for safety but to save house heat from going up the chimney till I get up in the morning and close the damper.

[Rick Brandt]

calhoun"

[carolcohen]

My fireplace doors have an air-intake panel along the bottom, with a sliding baffle to let you adjust the amount of air. I burn the fire with the glass doors closed and in this way I lose less heat up the chimney as the fire dies down and we go to sleep.

[Joseph Meehan]

Normally it is more efficient heating to use the doors closed. The only issue is air supply to the fire. Some applications will have an outside air supply within the fireplace, more require at least some room air. Many doors have adjustable air vents.

Using room air will cause cold air from outside to get into the house somewhere cooling that part of the house.

Limiting the air to the fire will slow it down and the wood will last longer. It also may cause it to create more deposits on the chimney and that can be dangerous.

[Martik]

Get an airtight insert and turn your fireplace into a real heater. You can probably find a used one for under $200.

[Roger]

Advice from Rick, Carol, and Meehan is right on. Keep those doors closed, or what little warm air is in the house will quickly be sucked out. Re a screen, it is useful when first starting the fire, where you want max. air flow, but no live coals on the rug..... Once well started,. pull the screen back out of the way, and close the glass doors. If the screen is left in place while the doors are shut, you get more smoke/tar deposits left on windows, and end up blocking a lot of useful radiation into the room. Another really good source for info on fires and home heating is newsgroup alt.energy.homepower. It is well attended by many who have expertise in home heating with wood stoves and fireplaces.

[James Nipper]

I too have always heard it is more efficient heating with the doors closed. I do think this is true after the fire burns down low, or out, as you don't want the heat left in the room to escape up the flue. But, just how is it more efficient heating with the doors closed, when the fire is going strong ?

Just where does the heat come from , if the doors are closed ? My question assumes there is no ventilator.

--James--

[Rick Brandt]

The heat moves (radiates) through the glass. Again at close range not nearly as much as with the doors open, but you avoid the draft that is pulling all of the warm air from your house and sending it up the chimney.

[ameijers]

Fire heats the room via radiant heat, through the glass. The hot air from the fire is going up the stack. Fireplace fires are mainly psychological anyway. They are a lousy way to heat a house, and will suck the heated air from the house right up the chimney, if you let them, even while fire is burning. If you want a fireplace to be a backup heatsource, you need to forget about looking at the pretty flames, and get good tight glass doors with an outside air source and a heat exchanger that blows room air through a sealed pipe built into the firebox, or better yet, an insert or woodstove coversion kit. There was a reason people invented furnaces.

aem sends...

[Walter Cohen]

Yes, I neglected to mention I have this also. So I'll burn the fire similarly - with the doors closed and adjust the baffles.

[calhoun]

[Tom Miller]

[Rick Brandt]

calhoun"

[calhoun]

[Suzie-Q]

-> Hello.

-> The house we bought has a fireplace and this will be our first winter where

-> we can actually make use of it.

-> As we've never had a fireplace before I want to make sure I use it

-> correctly.

-> I've checked out several sights on the net about how to build fires and how

-> to prime the flue, etc.

->

-> One question I have is on the use (or not) of fireplace doors. My fireplace

-> has two glass doors (no screens). From what I can tell the most common

-> recommendation is to leave any doors open while the fire is burning.

->

-> Thoughts on this?

-> When should/could the doors be closed?

-> Do you think it would be a good idea to obtain a screen for the from of the

-> fireplace?

Just adding to what has already been said: Check your fireplace to see if it has a fan. Mine has a little push-button switch in the lower right hand corner of the fireplace. The fan sucks in cool air at the bottom of the fireplace and blows out warm air from the top. Yours may not have a fan, but I thought you'd want to check.

[rosie readandpost]

susie, does the use of that fan heat your room?

[Scott]

I find my fireplace works most efficiently when I leave the doors open while the fire is roaring. Once the fire dies down and you basically have just hot coals left, then close the doors and the coals will last longer and thereby heat longer. By all means get a screen!!! Wood has a tendency to pop and throw sparks. If you have carpet or there is anything nearby that is flammable you are asking for trouble if you don't have a screen. It only takes one of those sparks to burn that new house down.