Tips to Make Your Fireplace Eco-Friendly

Ecofriendly Fireplaces

Ecofriendly Fireplaces

A fireplace adds to the beauty of a house. It is a wonderful heating source that is highly efficient and reduces the heating bills considerably. A fireplace also increases the resale value of the house considerably.

That being said, traditional fireplaces are not always energy-efficient or environment-friendly. This is because burning wood generates a high carbon footprint. It emits poisonous chemicals, gases, particulates etc. into the atmosphere.

The good news is, there are certain ways to make your fireplace more eco-friendly.

Clean the Fireplace After Use

The first step to make your fireplace eco-friendly by cleaning it appropriately. The fireplace gets dirty with every use. This is because the fumes, soot and other particles emitted due to the fire get accumulated along the flue of the chimney and in the fireplace itself. With every usage, this accumulation thickens. This is also known as creosote. Creosote is highly flammable and increases the amount of pollutants that are released into the atmosphere, thus making it dangerous. Therefore, it is wise to clean the fireplace properly after use.

Inspect and Maintain the Fireplace

Every fireplace undergoes various kinds of damages owing to the extreme stress that they have to bear. This is why cleaning the chimney is not enough. You would need to maintain the chimney appropriately. First of all, the chimney should be inspected thoroughly for any signs of damage. These should be fixed immediately so that they do not get aggravated.

Check the flue lining for any damage and get it repaired. Additionally, the chimney should not be blocked. Also, the damper should be open fully. The firebox should also be in an undamaged condition. Check the bricks of the chimney for any spalling, flaking of bricks, accumulation of white particles in the bricks and so on.

Periodic inspection and maintenance by a professional chimney sweep can help in making your fireplace and chimney eco-friendly. If you live in Brighton, hiring a professional chimney sweep in Brighton for this purpose will be wise.

Install a Fireplace Insert

A fireplace insert is highly efficient. They can heat a room faster than a traditional fireplace. This is because the conventional fireplaces usually have an open hearth. This draws in warm air from inside the room. This causes the logs to burn faster. Additionally, the fireplace insert can prevent the down-draft problems.

The fireplace inserts produce less smoke and emissions, thus making them extremely environment-friendly. A fireplace insert reduces the carbon footprint considerably. These fireplace inserts are available in various designs to match your home’s interior. A fireplace insert can be installed easily in an existing fireplace. It can also be used as a stand-alone heating source.

Use Environment-Friendly Kindling

The fuel you use has a major impact on how eco-friendly your fireplace is. You would need to use the right fuel to ensure that the fireplace is environment-friendly. For a wood-burning fireplace, it is important to ensure that wood does not contain moisture. For this, you should use seasoned wood. If you plan on preparing the wood for your fireplace yourself, you should let the wood dry. If there is moisture in the wood, burning it would produce more smoke than heat. Seasoning of the wood takes about six months. However, this depends on the type of wood you are using. Seasoned wood is available in stores.

Keep in mind that you should only use firewood in the fireplace. Avoid using colored paper, treated wood, household garbage, wood with glue, chemicals and so on that aren’t meant for use in the fireplace. This is because the smoke and particles that are released from burning these that are harmful and can affect the environment.

Do Not Let the Fire Smolder

A smoldering fire is not environment-friendly. It emits soot and harmful particulate materials into the atmosphere. This is because of the incomplete combustion that takes place for a smoldering fire. Therefore, it is important to ensure that there is a clean-burning fire in the fireplace. A pellet stove is one of the best examples of complete combustion. You can consider switching to a pellet stove for the best results.

Implementing these steps will ensure that the fireplace at your house is environment-friendly. Following these will keep your fireplace running in good condition.

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Adrice White is an experienced chimney sweep working in England. He takes an interest in writing articles on smokestack cleaning. He has been in this field for the last 10 years. You can avail more information about Chimney sweep Tunbridge Wells from his recent articles and blog posts.