If you own a fireplace, or have just moved into a new home with an open fire for the first time, you’ll want to keep yourself warm but do it in a safe and efficient way.
We will cover all of the basics including fireplace safety, selecting the right kind of wood, keeping air in the room, building a fire, and killing a fire. All in the context of an in-the-wall fireplace, also known as an open fireplace.
Table of Contents
How to Use a Fireplace
Below we’ll breakdown exactly how to use your fireplace into a couple of key areas:
Safety first:
The first thing to know about using a brick fireplace is safety. There aren’t many situations where safety isn’t necessary, but when dealing with fire, things can quickly go wrong.
First, ensure that the room with the fireplace has smoke detectors fitted and operating. If there is a problem, and smoke emits into the room instead of out the chimney, you will hear a loud alarm and be able to address the issue or exit the building. This is particularly important if and when you go to sleep and leave the fire on to warm your home.
As well as smoke detectors, you also need carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide is a clear and odorless gas. Breathing it in can cause various health complications.
You should also avoid keeping anything flammable near the fire. This includes books, aerosols, clothing, or anything that can burn or quickly ignite if left unattended.
Next, at the top of most fireplaces, you’ll find a damper. This is a small door that lets smoke escape out of the chimney. The smoke will go into the room if the damper isn’t open.
And finally, make sure to always keep the chimney clean. Did you know that 30% of fires caused by heating equipment happened because of fireplaces or chimneys? The appeal of an open fire is obvious, but they should always be treated with respect and caution.
Wood Choice:
The next step in using your fireplace is sourcing the type of wood right.
Firstly, make sure it’s dry. If you see any kind of green on it, it’s too wet to burn. Not only will damp wood create a lot of smoke, but your fire will use up most of its energy on evaporating the water rather than heating your home.
Burning wet wood will also result in more creosote in your chimney and increase the chances of a fire. Wood should contain no more than 20% moisture content if you wish to burn it.
Of course, as well as being dry, it should also be clean.
Remember, all of the above applies specifically to fireplace use within a home. If you’re burning wood outside, in an open fire pit then you will generally be able to burn whatever wood is available as you won’t be in an enclosed space.
Oxygen Supply:
When a fire burns, air will be sucked out of the room via the chimney- this is called a draft. Because oxygen is leaving the room, you will need to bring more in to keep the fire burning.
For a fire to burn, it always needs fuel and oxygen.
There isn’t a single “correct” way to ensure the room has enough oxygen. But the two most common are using air vents or keeping a window or door slightly open.
How to Build a Fire in a Fireplace
Now let’s look at the specifics of how to build a fire within your fireplace. Something that will heat your home and sustain for longer than a couple of minutes, so you can sit back and enjoy it.
The first step is to open the damper. When you see smoke, it will go up the chimney.
Next, check the draft. Light a match and place it under the open damper. If the flame goes downwards, there is something wrong. If the latter happens, close the damper, burn some newspaper, and open it again.
The third step is to set up the base. This is what will easily catch alight and be the beginning of the fire. Most people use old newspaper, junk mail or magazines for their base.
Fourth, put some kindling on top of this newspaper. Newspapers burn easily but quickly. The kindling helps you to get a longer-lasting flame. When laying your kindling, put it into a criss-cross pattern and don’t pack it too tightly, so there are gaps for air to pass.
Fifth, add two large logs on top of the kindling. These logs will be your first major source of fuel and the wood that keeps your fire burning over a sustained period of time. Again, don’t build anything too big or unmanageable. Your fire shouldn’t exceed more than half the size of the fireplace it sits within.
Finally, when you have everything set in place light the newspaper to begin the fire. The newspaper should light the kindling, which should burn the logs. After that you can simply add more logs or kindling as and when needed to sustain or reignite the fire.
How to Put a Fire Out
When the time comes to kill the fire, you should do so safely and in a controlled manner.
If you see any hot embers, cover them with ash to put them out. Spread the contents around using a poker. This allows what’s left to burn to burn out quicker as you’re reducing oxygen supply.
If you have a fire gate/grate (and we recommend all fireplace owners do), place this in front of the open fire just to ensure no sparks or hot ash can escape when you’re not looking.
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Relaxing in front of an open fire, as it roars and crackles in front of you, is one of life’s simple pleasures… but it’s important to understand the mechanics of a fire, how to build it and how to effectively kill it, before lighting one in your own home.
We hope this helps, and for everything else home heating stick with CosyWarmer.com