fire place tips

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Skins_Brew

Skins_Brew

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Alrighty, time to ask for help because I cannot figure it this out. Last winter the wife and I rented a house that had a fire place. I got a 1/4 cord of wood delivered (which was a mistake.) I came to the determination that the wood was not seasoned enough because I just could not get it to burn effectively. The wood hissed and would just eventually turn into big pieces of charcoal and unburnt wood. After trying and trying I finally noticed that there was some type of bugs living under the bark of this wood and I gave it away because I did not want to risk having termites in that house. Fast forward to the present. We now own a house that has a fireplace. Being nervous about getting random crap wood off craigslist, I bought one of those little bundles of wood at the hardware store. The wood looked seasoned enough (the ends were mildly split). So I go to try this wood out the other day and the same thing happens. The newspaper and fatwood burns up and then the logs just smolder. I thought maybe this little bundle of wood was crap so I picked up another bundle at a different HW store today and tried to burn a few logs. SAME THING HAPPENED. Am i doing something wrong or does this fireplace just suck too bad? The flu is open all the way. There is a cleanout box too if that makes any sort of difference. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do? I really want to burn wood this winter but I am not going to hunt down and pay for some wood if my fireplace just flat out sucks. Thanks!
 
To get a good burn, you need good air flow over the wood. To get good air flow, you need a hot chimney (will draw the air up) and a decent firebox design and grate (so the air will flow over the wood). It can also take a while to get the chimney hot - if I haven't had the wood stove going, I'll fill it full with nothing but newspaper and burn that to "prime it".

That all said, hissing (and popping) are definitely signs of moisture. Though - surface moisture isn't that big a deal and should dry up relatively quickly if kept in a dry location. Moisture in the logs/unseasoned wood can still be burned, but it takes a hot bed of coals to get it going and keep it going.

For fireplace starting, I never had great luck with newspaper (it doesn't burn hot enough or long enough), but did have good luck with those fireplace stones that you soak in lamp oil. They'll burn for about 10 minutes or so at a decent enough temp to get at least one or two of the logs going. If not, you can re-soak it - but be very careful!!! Both dunking and re-lighting a heated stone can be dangerous.
 
Try starting the fire with a Duraflame log. Once it gets going put one regular log next to and two more diagonally across the top of both. Make sure there is plenty of room for air circulation.


EDIT: does your fireplace have a grate or are you just laying the logs on the bricks? (Maybe a dumb question)
 
No need for lamp oil. Newspaper, thin kindling, thick kindling, split logs. That's all you need.

and +1 on making sure you have a grate. A cast iron grade will improve air flow and also helps to keep the fire where it belongs so you don't get flaming chunks of wood rolling out.

Your house might also be pretty airtight and making it hard to get a good draft going. Try cracking a window just a tiny bit.
 
Yea there is a decent size grate. I have a few dura logs so I will try that, and the window thing. Thanks for the tips all! I will have to look into one of the stones.
 
+1 for something other than newspaper....you got to get hot gases going up that chimney first...in order to create a draft that will pull air up. If your house is newer, you may have to crack open a window just a hair, or the patio door, as newer houses are sealed up tighther than a drum these days and aren't very drafty. Or if your fireplace as a fresh air intake..that's cool too. Anyway...I use those starter "sticks"..they are kind of a waxy mix of wood pulp, wax and other combustibles..they'll burn for about 10 minutes or so, and you just put 1 or 2 under your logs, and should be good to go. Remember, fire NOT smoke will heat your chimney up fastest.

Dan
 
ChshreCat said:
No need for lamp oil. Newspaper, thin kindling, thick kindling, split logs. That's all you need.

and +1 on making sure you have a grate. A cast iron grade will improve air flow and also helps to keep the fire where it belongs so you don't get flaming chunks of wood rolling out.

Your house might also be pretty airtight and making it hard to get a good draft going. Try cracking a window just a tiny bit.
Click to expand...


+1 good advice
 
I say go old school. Go scrape a cedar tree to get some tinder. Get a flint and steel ... or two rocks if your really good, get a spark on the tinder and your good to go, or make some char if you can actually the fire going for 10 minutes ....

But seriously, get some good dry kindling, split one lo into about 1 inch square pieces with a hatchet. then start from the bottom up, sticks, then the split small los, then some logs. It's also better to put the softer woods towards the bottom. Don't put a hickory log right on the kindling and expect it to light right away, put oak on the bottom. It took me awhile to get the hang of it too, and opening a window definitely does help to get going. It is nice to use the fire starters too, I get the small cheap things from the camping section at walmart, the duralogs are expensive and overkill if you ask me .... and it really only makes sense, at least to me, to have a fire to keep warm if you gather your own wood. Buying firewood can be just as expensive as running the heat
 
Lay your fire: tinder, kindling/fatwood, sticks, split & quartered logs, split logs, whole logs. Make certain you have some space between things for airflow. Use dry/seasoned wood. With good, dry wood & a properly laid fire, you should be able to light it with 1 match. Regards, GF.
 
+1 to Arturo and to Chshrecat with Arturo's method being easiest. Be careful with using a lot of paper to start a fire, because if your chimney is not clean you can start a chimney fire, trust me you don't want this. I saw one at my sisters house. Think of a 30 foot blow torch. Be sure to have your chimney checked every year and cleaned if needed before you use it.
 
I am going to have to get that chimney fire suppressor if I can ever get this thing to work. Alright, so i tried cracking the windows in the rooms and I threw a duraflame log in there next to two regular logs. The duralog burned all the way but the other logs did the same crap. They just charred up. I even laid a log vertically across the duralog and regular logs and it did not even burn. Here is what the fireplace looks like... (I guess you have to click to enlarge now)....

Note: I was running the fireplace with the glass doors open and the screen closed. Also made sure that the little vent underneath was open.

IMGP0186.jpg

When we bought the house in April the home inspector noted that there was an issue with the chimney liner. We told the owner this is something she had to fix, so she had the liner replaced, flue replaced and fireplace cleaned. Here is a shot up the chimney...

IMGP0192.jpg

Here are the windows I cracked...

IMGP0194.jpgIMGP0195.jpg

Post is not complete without this pic...

IMGP0196.jpg

Is it possible I am still using crap wood? Or could it be something else??? I cant get this thing working I will probably get a gas log. I wanted to use fire to reduce my gas bill, but oh well.
 
Clean the box of the ash.

If you let too much ash build up undet the wood pile it wil suffocate the fire.

Periodically, I have to use a poker to spread the coal out to allow the air to draft up through the wood pile in order to keep it burning.

Also, looks like the knob in front is what adjusts the draft damper. If not open enough when starting the fire suffocates. If too open after the fire is going it just creates a draft furnace and the fire burns too quickly.

I find that it helps to keep the doors closed while starting the fire. Once the logs have a good burn I open the doors.
 
That looks like quite the mountain of ash underneath the grate. I don't think you are getting any airflow. Those ashes should be removed after each fire.
 
Skins_Brew said:
Is it possible I am still using crap wood? Or could it be something else??? I cant get this thing working I will probably get a gas log. I wanted to use fire to reduce my gas bill, but oh well.
Click to expand...

Unless you have a wood stove insert in there you wont save any and may actually increase you heating bill. Fireplaces are terribly inefficient beast more hot air goes out the chimney . Reason being once the fire dies down you can't just shut the damper and then the air you heated in the room goes up the chimney with the air heated by you furnace from the rest of the house. Even when you close the glass as the fire dies a lot of heat will exhaust out of the house

Fireplaces are nice ambiance item like when its snowing out and the kids are asleep and you and SWMBO relax by it.

13676d1259084803-fire-place-tips-imgp0192.jpg


What is the wire or cable going up the flue? is it for the damper? Reason I ask is every flue I have ever seen has a steel damper at the top of the firebox with a metal handle to open and close it . Granted most of them are 30 years old or older .If its to open the damper on top of the chimney it may need adjustment and its not opening up enough the presto log will burn anywhere you put it with little air flow its wax.
 
springer said:
Unless you have a wood stove insert in there you wont save any and may actually increase you heating bill. Fireplaces are terribly inefficient beast more hot air goes out the chimney . Reason being once the fire dies down you can't just shut the damper and then the air you heated in the room goes up the chimney with the air heated by you furnace from the rest of the house. Even when you close the glass as the fire dies a lot of heat will exhaust out of the house

Fireplaces are nice ambiance item like when its snowing out and the kids are asleep and you and SWMBO relax by it.

13676d1259084803-fire-place-tips-imgp0192.jpg


What is the wire or cable going up the flue? is it for the damper? Reason I ask is every flue I have ever seen has a steel damper at the top of the firebox with a metal handle to open and close it . Granted most of them are 30 years old or older .If its to open the damper on top of the chimney it may need adjustment and its not opening up enough the presto log will burn anywhere you put it with little air flow its wax.
Click to expand...

Yea, I know what kind of damper you are talking about. The wire is for the flue. My father in law mentioned the fact that fireplaces can suck the heat out of your house. Now, there is a lever that on the ducting that leads to the room with the fireplace that allows you too completely isolate that room from the rest of the house. Is that why that lever is down there. My dad was trying to sell me on the gas log and stated that running a gas log is much more efficient then using your furnace. I may have to ponder the gas log.
 
arturo7 said:
Good point. I guess I do this also. The ashes are a helluva lot easier to dump into a grocery bag when they are not glowing...
Click to expand...

Even if they're not glowing, you should put them in a covered metal ash bin for a few days. Ash has an amazing ability to smolder.

A couple things to try w.r.t. the fire -
1) definitely clean the ash
2) preheat the chimney by burning a bunch of wadded up newspaper and nothing else (after opening the flu of course)
3) try getting one additional pack of wood from some other vendor - making sure the wood is inside or clearly under an overhang, and ideally, still sitting in direct sunlight. The pack should include a bunch of different size wood, but in your case, make sure it's got a bunch of small wood for kindling. The log in the photo is a bit large for a starter, but should still work w/a duraflame unless its just not ready to burn yet.
4) take a picture of how you're building the fire before you light it and share with the board
5) once the duraflame has been going for a bit, get a candle or something that puts off a decent amount of visible smoke and hold it in front of the doors and somewhat low - the smoke should be drawn into the fireplace - ideally, beneath the grate and up through the logs - test a few different places and with the doors open/closed
 
Well, gas logs certainly are more efficient and dump less crap into the air but...

...they suck.
No pop, no crackels, no aroma, no fun to mess with. And you'll never have the opportunity to say, "throw another log on the fire."


Once you get this thing figured out you'll be diggin' the real fire and scoffing at the gas people like they're BMC drinkers.
 
I totally agree that if you don't have a specific fresh air intake that goes into the firebox, you'll be pulling hot air out of the room. I only burn my fireplace for special occassions or when I know I'm going to spend all night in there watching TV and getting drunk.

My process involves rolling a few sheets of newspaper into balls and putting them on the grate, layer some twigs about 1/4" in diameter on top, then a few more that are 1/2" or more. I stand a few thinner split logs up on the sides of the grate so they warm up during the initial burn. Crack a window open and light a sheet of newspaper that's been rolled up and hold it in the firebox, up high to create a draft. This will keep smoke from the initial fire from pouring into the house. Once the draft is started, I light balls of newspaper. Once it gets going, knock the logs over into a teepee.
 
Skins_Brew said:
Yea, I know what kind of damper you are talking about. The wire is for the flue. My father in law mentioned the fact that fireplaces can suck the heat out of your house. Now, there is a lever that on the ducting that leads to the room with the fireplace that allows you too completely isolate that room from the rest of the house. Is that why that lever is down there. My dad was trying to sell me on the gas log and stated that running a gas log is much more efficient then using your furnace. I may have to ponder the gas log.
Click to expand...

I suspect you have forced hot air correct? If so that is to balance the system if say too much or too little hot/cold air is being ducted into the room. Even with it closed off unless you have some way of closing the room off to the rest of the house like french doors or regular doors the air from the whole house will drawn up the flue.

So the wire opens and restricts the flue , that would be the first thing I would check if its not opening fully the fire will just smolder like you say its doing . Its most likely an adjustment at the top of the chimney.

Gas is nice since when you shut it off you can close the flue up and no heat loss up the chimney. But it lacks the appeal of a wood fire. I have a pellet stove and while its nice as i can see the fire its artificial , blowers going and no crackle of wood. I removed it and put it in the garage


I now have this Vermont Castings coal and wood stove I can open the door and have a nice fire or close it to make buttloads of heat and still watch the fire .. With coal it drives you out unless its below 20° out. Mine is brown porcelain enamel .

vermont defiant.jpg
 
A proper fire is doesn't care how it was started. You can start you fire with a gallon of jet fuel, but it will not stay lit if your fireplace does not draft properly.
+1 on cracking windows
+1 on it sucking the heat out your house
+1 on special occasions only
+1 Dry, seasoned wood.
You will have to kick the wood around and roust the fire no matter how dry the wood is. A small fire will not burn correctly. It needs the convection of a good size fire to pull the air through.
Such is the life of a fireplace owner.
 
I cleaned the ashes out and attempted to start another fire. Still a no go. I will probably check the flue when I get up there to put Xmas lights up.
 
The biggest mistake people make is not enough little kindling. You can't light big logs with just paper.

You need tiny **** to light with the match, that will light slightly bigger kindling, and so on and so forth.

actual LOGS are like the fifth step.
 
If it were me, I'd just look into getting a wood stove. Much more efficient if you're wanting to burn wood to save on your heating bill. Most fireplaces are built for looks, not for heating. A wood stove and a nice ceiling fan will heat your house pretty well.
 
Skins_Brew,

You may want to look into fireplace inserts. They run on gas and use outside air (via a duct) to burn. This would leave the heat inside, especially if you buy the model with the internal fan.

I have been researching gas stoves, but no experience yet. Here is one website as an example: http://www.regency-fire.com/Gas/Energy/

Just keep them in mind as you make changes to your house.
 

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