Q&A Construction of masonry fireplace throat and damper area.

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.

QandA

New Member
Staff member
Nov 27, 2012
0
Question:

Is the dimension from the opening ( room side ) to the damper crucial ? smoke always seemed to circulate out toward the room at the lip of the opening. In my case it seems that if the room side edge was dropped by a couple of inches the smoke would not enter the room. Is there a formula as to size of the damper relating how high up the chimney it should be installed for maximum efficiency of the fireplace. Thank you Guy



Answer:

There are many rules of thumb regarding construction of the damper area and smoke chamber (area above the damper) of a fireplace. These also relate to the size of the fireplace opening and the size/height of the flue. The combination of all these factors is more of an art than a science. There are old "Rumford" designs with small flues and shallow fireboxes that are more efficient than deep fireplaces. You'll find more information at www.rumford.com.

Another article on flue and fireplace sizing at:
https://www.hearth.com/what/chimneysize.html

Link: Flue and Fireplace article sizing
 
Status
Not open for further replies.