Santa's Friend Chimney Service

Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

Why Are Open Fireplaces So Inefficient?

Sitting in front of an open fireplace in the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin noted, “The strongest heat from the fire, which is upwards, goes directly up the chimney and is lost.” And, honestly, Ben Franklin was right. An open, traditional fireplace is one of the most inefficient wood-burning heating appliances you can use to heat your home. In some cases, the lack of efficiency is so bad that an open fireplace can make your house colder. We at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service would like to tell you more about why the way open fireplaces work make them so inefficient.

Open Fireplace - Jackson MS - Santa's Friend Chimney

Creating a draft is the most important mechanical function of an open fireplace.

Think about a hot air balloon. It rises because of a mass of hot air rises to its top and serves as its “motor.” This same concept goes on in a fireplace and chimney. The fireplace makes a column of heated gas inside the chimney. As that air goes up and exits out the chimney, more hot air from the fire is pulled after it. When this happens, a draft of smoke and hot gases up the chimney is generated. The draft also feeds necessary oxygen to the fire to keep it burning.

Knowing how heat moves can help you understand why an open fireplace can be so inefficient.

Heat moves by conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction is when a hot object touches a cooler one, convection involves a movable substance, like hot air or liquid, circulating into cooler areas, and radiation is when warm electromagnetic waves, like sun rays, fire, and a heat lamp, carry heat to cooler objects to warm them by making their molecules move faster. A fireplace, of course, uses radiation to move heat. However, convection is also involved, and this is what makes an open fireplace so inefficient. Most of the heat created by a fire is in the form of hot gases. Convection pushes these gases out of the chimney and wastes them.

The draft also can lead to the inefficiency of an open fireplace.

The draft can actually draw more warm air from inside the house up the chimney, which makes the inside colder than it previously was. Experts estimate that open fireplaces can draw up to ten times as much air from the room than is needed to build the fire.

Open fireplaces can even have negative efficiency.

When more heat is lost by convection than is replaced by radiation, negative energy occurs. The colder the temperatures are outside, the colder the air is that gets sucked in by the fireplace. This means that the colder the outside air is, the less efficient your fireplace will be.

Have questions about what to do with an open fireplace? Contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to find out how installing a wood-burning fireplace insert can solve your problems.

By Jim Robinson on December 15th, 2014 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment

Choosing the Right Firewood

Believe it or not, but the type of wood you use to build fires makes a big difference in the performance of your fireplace and chimney. Choosing the right firewood provides convenience, efficiency, and safety when the time comes to light a fire, but what exactly are the qualities of excellent firewood? Once you have found good wood, how do you properly store it to ensure it remains effective? How do you know if your wood truly is the right kind for a safe and beautiful fire? At Santa’s Friend Chimney Service, we are often asked these questions about selecting the most successful firewood. To help you purchase the best wood for your money, we would like to share some tips with you to ensure a great wood-burning season.

Seasoned Firewood - Jackson MS - Santa's Friend Chimney

Seasoned or Unseasoned Wood?

While all firewood has a certain amount of moisture content, seasoned wood has been dried to contain less water than freshly-cut, unseasoned wood. Dried wood burns easier and cleaner, and it also provides more heat because the fire does not have to waste energy on burning up a large amount of water content. Unseasoned or “green” wood can be responsible for smoke and odor issues, and using this type of firewood poses a hazardous risk of causing a chimney fire due to rapid accumulations of creosote deposits. Even though some species of wood are recommended for burning fires because of their density, the seasoning aspect makes much more of a difference on the quality of the firewood, according to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA).

Properly Storing Firewood

You could purchase a wood moisture meter to be sure your firewood is sufficiently dry; however, you do not have to use an expensive tool when you can follow these natural guidelines to test your wood:

  • Seasoned wood is lighter in weight.
  • Seasoned wood will have cracks in its end grain.
  • Hit two pieces of firewood together, and if properly dried, you should hear a hollow sound. Wet wood will make a dull, thudding noise.
  • Firewood darkens from white or cream to yellow or gray as it seasons.
  • Unseasoned wood makes a sizzling sound when burned.
  • Split a piece of your firewood, and if its exposed face feels warm and dry, it is well-seasoned. If it feels cool and damp, the wood is unseasoned.

For more advice on choosing the right firewood, contact us today. Our staff loves sharing knowledge on the secrets to building the best fires.

By Jim Robinson on August 27th, 2014 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment

Types of Masonry Restoration

Notice problems in your chimney masonry? Call us and we'll do the necessary restoration so your chimney will look as good as new and function efficiently.

Notice problems in your chimney masonry? Call us and we’ll do the necessary repairs so your chimney will look and function as good as new.

If you have a masonry chimney, you should know that the Chimney Safety Institute of America claims water is your chimney’s greatest enemy because if it penetrates into your masonry joints, it can cause all sorts of expensive repair work, such as structural damage. Another victim of water damage is your chimney crown. To repair this water damage as well as to prevent water damage from even happening, you will need some sort of type of masonry restoration work from a professional chimney company like Santa’s Friend Chimney Service. We have experienced masons on hand that can perform several types of masonry restoration work, and we would like to tell you more about the types of masonry restoration work we provide.

Repointing/Tuckpointing

To provide a better understanding of repointing, the Masonry Magazine, the official publication of the Mason Contractors Association of America, states that looking at the differences between the 100-year old definitions of the masonry terms “pointing,” “jointing,” “repointing,” and “tuckpointing” will give you a better idea of what repointing means today.

  • Pointing – The definition of pointing is the placement and careful tooling of a mortar joint between bricks and stones, and contrary to jointing, this process scrapes back the mortar joint several days after the completion of the brickwork.
  • Jointing – Jointing is what bricklayers do today, the process of finishing the joint along with the brickwork being completed.
  • Repointing – Typically the type of restoration work done on older mortar, 100 years ago, repointing meant replacing a failed mortar joint, which happened about once a century.
  • Tuckpointing – The word “tuckpointing” referred to a specialized application of pointing where the bricks were first sanded to a smooth surface and the original mortar joint is masked with a thin strip that matched the brick in color. Then, the joint was meticulously shaved down to match exactly the other joints in the chimney, and a fine, usually white mortar was tucked over the lines and finely manicured to look like no repairs had ever been done.

Today, “repointing” refers to repairing damaged mortar joints by filling in the gaps and holes created by water penetration, and “tuckpointing” refers to replacing deteriorated mortar with new mortar. The experienced and trained masons at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service are able to provide both types of masonry restoration to repair spalling and other damage due to water penetration of your masonry joints.

After explaining the different types of masonry restoration we provide, Santa’s Friend Chimney Service would like to tell you about a water penetration prevention service we offer:

  • Waterproofing – Using specially formulated materials that prevent water from penetrating into your bricks and masonry joints but allow vapors to pass through your chimney, our technicians have been applying the Chimney Saver Water Repellent for the past 20 years successfully to chimneys all over the Central Mississippi area. Your chimney will be protected from water penetration that causes the damage that needs masonry repair work.

If you have loose bricks and chips in the mortar of your chimney, contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service today to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced chimney masons. We would be happy to provide our masonry restoration services to you.

Keep it Safe, Keep it Warm

Helpful Tips in Maintaining a Safe and Efficient Fireplace and Chimney

Experts in chimney maintenance always say that prevention is better than cure. This is very true. You can’t just wait for the actual accident to happen before you start ‘preventing’ it in the first place. As the homeowner, you need to do your part to keep your fireplace and chimney intact, safe and useful all year round and especially during the winter season. There are many aspects to consider. That’s why professionals are still needed in its overall maintenance. If chimneys are taken for granted, they will crash and burn and cause bigger problems that even experts can no longer repair.

At least once a year you need a certified sweep to come and clean your chimney. You will also need an annual inspection.

At least once a year you need a certified sweep to come and clean your chimney. You will also need an annual inspection.

Chimney damage may threaten your property, health and lifestyle. These are five simple tips in using your fireplace and chimney that can be done to avert any future problems.

  1. Make sure that your chimney is checked and inspected on an annual basis by professionals that are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. There is a rich database in the Internet to look for top of the game companies in this field.
  2. Before even thinking of starting a fire, check and double check that the flue in your chimney is open. Also check if there is enough flow of air up in your chimney.
  3. When starting the fire, manufactured fire logs are the better choice instead of plain wood. They burn up to 80% cleaner than typical wood fire. Garbage and plastics are prohibited.
  4. If there are no fire logs around, wood can be used provided that they are dry and seasoned to up to six months to leave only 20% moisture or less.
  5. When the fire dies down after burning, let it cool and remove the ashes to maintain proper airflow for future use. The ashes should be sealed in a metal container and put outside the house. Some tiny pieces of coal may still be able to cause fire if allowed to be in contact with flammable materials.

These are all easy steps you can take in doing your part as a homeowner. However at one point or another in your chimney’s life, there comes a time when you need to call for professional help so you can enjoy your chimney for many more holidays to come.  This is where an outstanding company like Santa’s Friend Chimney Service comes into the picture because they live by the highest standards of Ethics and Business Practices.  For 24 years now at the heart of Mississippi, they have provided the best service for cleaning chimneys. No wonder they are certified by numerous organizations. Yes, they are the ones to call for guaranteed high quality services at low prices.

 

By Jim Robinson on October 28th, 2013 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , | Leave a Comment

What Is Wrong With My Fire?

Draft Problems

It can be frustrating when you build a fire and the smoke pours out into your living room instead of up the chimney. The heart of chimney design is to keep the smoke from entering your home and leaving in a safe manner to the outside. Smoke inside the house can set off smoke detectors and breathing in smoke is detrimental to your health. If you can smell wood burning inside your home, it is an indication that you have a draft problem. It important to remedy drafts in the chimney, but what causes these drafts is not always an easy answer.

If your fire is hard to start or produces a lot of smoke, it may be time to have a certified sweep take a look.

If your fire is hard to start or produces a lot of smoke, it may be time to have a certified sweep take a look.

If you have encountered draft problems in your chimney where smoke is entering your home, due to the variable nature of home and chimney design, an inspection will likely have to be done by a certified chimney professional to properly address any draft or down draft issues.

Chimney Design

Before understanding why down or back drafts occur, we must look at how chimneys work. The main principle behind the smoke going up the chimney is based upon hot air rising. As the hot air rises from the fire, it is gently pushed into the narrow opening into the flue. These angles and placements of design are critical for proper function. There is a delicate balance between heat and air pressures inside the home and the outside air pressure. Negative air pressure in the room (when air pressure in a room is lower than outside air pressure) prevents the smoke from leaving and causes the back draft and smoke enters the room instead of the chimney flue. Why this occurs can be a variety of factors including blockage, improper firebox design, improper flue design, structural damage, blockage, or other external factors.

Blockage

Blockage of the chimney can be anything from an improper functioning damper to animals that are stuck. The damper might also be too small for the opening needed. Animals can also leave nests behind inside or on top of your chimney that is creating a serious air obstruction. Creosote build-up is dangerous due to fire hazards, but there can be enough in the flue to cause this air pressure balance to sway the other direction. A proper and non-evasive inspection can reveal most of these blockage issues.

Improper Firebox and Chimney Design

In building a house, sometimes the look and design comes before function. An improper size firebox can easily throw off the ratio needed to pull smoke through the flue. The firebox must be in proper ratio of size to the chimney; a bigger firebox needs a taller chimney flue. Sometimes the chimney can be raised, or the firebox can be altered. Fire should also be at the very back of the firebox, and a firebox may be too shallow to function properly.

External Factors

Fire needs oxygen, pure and simple. A fire will pull the oxygen from a room quickly, and many modern day houses are tightly sealed and air pressure inside drops. It can drop so much so quickly, that the pressure inside is now lower than outside and a back draft is created. One remedy is opening a window in the house to equalize the pressure outside, but that defeats the purpose if you are trying to heat your home. An exhaust fan might be needed to properly vent the smoke out of your house and pull enough oxygen into the fire for the fire and chimney to work properly.

Tips

Here are some helpful tips to use in trying to prevent draft problems in your chimney

  • Have your chimney inspected by professional on a regular basis to ensure proper function and address any key issues.
  • Always burn properly dry seasoned firewood. Freshly cut wood is too moist and creates more smoke than fire.
  • Avoid using other air vents in the same room while the fireplace is in operation.
  • Always build the fire in the very back of the firebox to ensure proper smoke flow.
  • Never use a fireplace that has continual draft problems. Wood smoke is dangerous to your health and toxic.

If still unable to remedy the draft problem yourself, consult a chimney professional.

The Signs that It Is Time for Firebox Replacement

Most people choose their fireplace based on the way that it looks and never imagine that fireplace replacement will ever be something that they need. However, over time, a firebox does become worn down or damaged and may need to be maintained. There are a few signs homeowners can look for to let them know that it is time to call in some help.

Fireplace Insert - Jackson MS - Santa's Friend Chimney

Over time,  firebox panels may begin to look cracked or worn down. Although some homeowners enjoy this look, it can actually be dangerous. If it is cracked or there appears to be pieces falling down from the inside, it is time for repairs or for a complete firebox replacement.

In addition to the wear and tear of old age, water buildup can lead to significant damage in a fireplace system. If the it is exposed to a great deal of moisture, it will eventually weaken and fall apart. Try scraping the firebox and see if it starts to come apart in any places. If it does, then it would be a good idea to replace it before the damage becomes even more significant.

Some homeowners may look at their fireplaces and not be able to tell whether or not they require any maintenance. In this situation, it is better to be safe than sorry. Instead of playing a guessing game, call in a CSIA certified chimney sweep to take a look and determine what maintenance, if any, is necessary.

If a firebox is not properly maintained, the entire household may be at risk every time they decide to enjoy a warm fire. If any pieces appear to be crumbling or falling off, it is time to call in a professional to assess the situation. This damage may occur over time as the result of age, but it can also be caused by significant water damage.

By Jim Robinson on May 19th, 2013 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment