1) Before using your fireplace, make sure your damper is fully open!
- If the damper doesn’t completely open, your fireplace may dump toxic smoke and carbon monoxide into your living area. Do not use the damper to attempt to control the fireplace’s heat output!
2) The #1 cause of a smoking fireplace is green or wet wood.
- Well seasoned wood should be gray or pale colored, not tan or brown. It should show signs of splitting or cracking on the ends. And it should sound hollow when two logs are hit together.
3) Factory-built fireplaces are not designed to heat your home!
- Fireplaces with black metal fronts, concrete panels, and small grates are intended to be used as decorative appliances, not home heaters!
- They are not designed to be used for hours on end.
- Do not overload the grates with firewood or attempt to put in a larger grate! Putting more than 2 or 3 logs in at a time may cause these fireplaces to overheat and increase the risk of a house fire.
4) After the fire ends, the danger isn’t over!
- Don’t close the damper until the next morning – coals and ashes may still create carbon monoxide for hours after the fire is “out”.
- Be careful with ashes – the inside of a bed of ashes can stay hot and reignite for many hours, even if they’ve stopped emitting heat.
- Use a metal shovel and bucket to remove ashes and let them cool for a day or two before throwing them in the dumpster.
5) Stay warm but be careful! The only safe fire is one that is completely out!
- Do not leave your fire unattended.
- Stay alert and be on the lookout for signs of carbon monoxide poisoning (flu-like symptoms including headache, dizziness, upset stomach, confusion, etc.).
- Keep a functional fire extinguisher nearby.