HY-C Smoke Guard for 28.5 to 48-Inch by 4-Inch Fireplaces, Black Powder Coat

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Likewise, before starting a fire on below-freezing days or after the fireplace has been inactive for several months, light a rolled-up newspaper and hold it in the flue near the damper (just above the firebox) for one to two minutes to avoid a cold flue. This rectangular grate supplies air from the outdoors to the fire, balancing indoor-outdoor air pressure and encouraging fire by-products to escape the flue. Once you do, you can continue to wash your hands, and even though you’ll wind up with a bit less water pressure, the water will at least drain properly and won’t pool in the sink.

Once installed, paint the smoke guard with high-temperature spray paint that matches your fireplace surround to achieve a seamless look. The instructions aren’t the easiest to understand, a criticism heard from other people that I can confirm. Here I will show how most smoking problems can be handled relatively easily, with little or no expense. Think back to our sink analogy — adding a smoke guard is just like turning the knob on the sink to reduce the flow of water.There are several causes of smoking problems; some serious, such as poor placement of the grate in the firebox or an oversized grate which allows part of the fire to be too close to the front of the firebox.

When you see a fireplace like this, with smoke stains discoloring the face of the firebox, you know the home owner has a smoke problem, even if they don’t mention it. The smoke guard can be used to reduce the height or width of the fireplace, making the ratio of the fireplace opening to flue size more compatible. If your chimney professional determines that the flue really is too small, the solution is a smoke guard or fireplace doors. If you don’t follow proper burn practices and use wet, moisture-filled firewood in your fireplace, creosote can build up in the flue pipe.It is essential that the area of the fireplace opening is proportional to the chimney liner area to avoid smoke spillage.