Fireplace Services
The listed parts behind a prefab repair in Lake Charm
Using the damper after a repair
The IHP guide asks for the damper to be fully open whenever a fire burns, and not to be closed until the embers and ash have cooled completely. A damper that opens only part of the way limits the draft, and the guide lists it among the reasons smoke escapes from the opening.
After a damper repair in Lake Charm, our pros show you the open and closed positions on your model, how the handle should feel and where it locks. It takes a minute and saves a guess the next time you light a fire. A handle that starts to drag again later is worth a call, since rust in the linkage often comes back first.
A tightly sealed house and a smoking fireplace
Some smoke problems start in the house, not the fireplace. The IHP guide lists a tightly insulated home, other appliances competing for air and kitchen or bathroom exhaust fans among the causes of smoke escaping from the opening, and suggests opening a window a small amount as a test. Its warranty also excludes draft problems caused by air conditioning, heating or mechanical ventilation that create negative pressure in the room.
Our specialists in Lake Charm check how the room behaves with exhaust fans on and off before blaming the fireplace, and they tell you when the answer is an air supply rather than a new part.
Air moving through the fireplace when it is off
A fireplace that is not in use should not move much air. The IHP guide gives three checks for drafts from a cold unit. Close the damper if air comes from the opening, close the outside air damper if it comes from the sides of the firebox, and caulk the fireplace frame to its enclosure if air comes in between the fireplace and the wall.
In a home in Lake Charm with the air conditioning running, that same gap lets outdoor air in and cooled air out. Our specialists find which path is open and repair the damper, the air kit damper or the seal around the frame.
Handling ash from a prefab firebox
Ash from a prefab firebox can hide live embers. The IHP guide says to put ashes in a metal can with a lid that closes tightly, stand it on a noncombustible floor or on the ground well away from anything that burns, and keep it shut until the cinders have cooled. NFPA heating safety advice adds that ashes should be cool before they go in, and that the container belongs well away from the house.
Before any repair in a firebox in Lake Charm, our specialists confirm the unit is cold and the ash is out. If you do not have a suitable container, we will tell you what to look for.
