Gas Fireplace Damper Open Or Closed

Fireplace damper clamps are typically used for gas fireplace inserts or gas logs sets where it s required for the damper to be in fully open position at all times.

Gas fireplace damper open or closed.

A damper does not need to be used to control a gas fireplace fire and it can be very dangerous to use a gas fireplace with a damper in the closed position. It blocks off the air flow when it s closed and lets air in when it s open. And in fact in some gas log situations where it s conversion from a wood burner to a gas burning log they put a bracket on a damper to prevent you from ever being able to close it because that could be very dangerous. Unless you have a vent free fireplace the first step you should take before lighting a fire in a wood burning fireplace or gas fireplace is to open the damper.

The damper in a gas fireplace should remain open all the time. The glass between the firebox and your home prevents cold or heat from coming down the chimney and by leaving the damper open at all times you eliminate the risk of having gas build up or backdraft into your home. Gasketed sealed doors keep cold air from infiltrating. Close the fireplace damper in preparation for a hurricane or heavy rains.

The damper should always be fully open before lighting a fire and when the fireplace is in use. Close it when it s not it use. In the picture above you see an open masonry chimney damper and the picture below shows it closed. It s not slightly open it s all the way open.

If you start a fire when the damper is closed you ll realize the mistake quickly when the room fills up with smoke. The damper in many zc fireplaces is a simple metal plate that pivots open and pivots closed when a lever is pushed or pulled. See hurricane fireplace tips to see more about why you should close the fireplace damper with you are expecting heavy rains. To close a throat damper in a fireplace lift the handle and pull it back towards you.

If you home is 2 story and you leave the damper open and don t have glass doors the flow through the damper and this is with fireplace at room temp can be over 500 feet per minute. Just a bit of fyi. How to open your chimney damper. You ve got to make sure that vents ph up the house.

Operating the fireplace with the damper partially closed will not. A fireplace damper is a little metal flap that sits inside your flue.