What You Need to Know Before Using Your Fireplace the First Time

Is this your first winter with a fireplace? Maybe you just had one installed or moved into a new home with a beautiful hearth. You are in for some fabulous evenings around the fire. But, before you use it, follow these tips to make sure your experience is as enjoyable and safe as it can be.

Prepping Your Home and Chimney

Install smoke and CO detectors

It’s critically important when using any fire-based heating appliance to have working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide (CO) monitors in the house and near the appliance. Smoke detectors alert you to smoke. CO detectors alert you to deadly carbon monoxide, which you can neither see nor smell. These detectors are vital to keeping your family safe while heating your home.

Ensure that the chimney is clean

This doesn’t apply if you have a brand-new fireplace and vent system. But if you just moved into a new home, don’t judge your chimney and fireplace by appearance alone — only a professional chimney sweep can determine if your flue is loaded with flammable creosote or obstructions. Arrange for a CSIA-certified professional to clean your appliance before firing it up.

Have the fireplace and chimney inspected

If you are moving into a new home with an existing fireplace, it’s important to get it inspected before you use it. Make an appointment with a certified service company like Black Moose to do a thorough safety review. A trained inspector will determine if the unit is safe and all parts are in working order or if there are any structural or component issues that need to be addressed first. 

Start Off with Good Burning Practices

Once you’ve had your fireplace cleaned and inspected, you should learn how to burn firewood the right way. This starts 

with using only dry (seasoned) wood, rather than wood that is damp. Unseasoned wood creates much more smoke and therefore adds more creosote to your flue. Also, damp wood burns sluggishly and incompletely.

Once you have a nice supply of seasoned firewood, building a fire the right way is easy: Stack the logs with some breathing room between them. Add smaller wood scraps (kindling) on top. Then finally, add tinder on top of everything, which can be crumbled-up, uncolored newspaper.

Never use the following in your fireplace:

• Gasoline, lighter fluid, charcoal starter or any other accelerant
• Christmas trees
• Packaging materials/cardboard boxes
• Clothing or any type of fabric
• Pieces of treated or painted wood
• Household garbage
• Plastics of any kind

Next Steps for a Safe Fire

• It’s always smart to install quality glass fireplace doors or at least set up a proper fireplace screen in front of the firebox to keep fiery embers from popping out of the flames and causing damage.
• Keep young children and pets away from the fireplace while it’s in use and after a fire.
• Don’t overload the firebox. It’s better to occasionally add logs than to jam in a ton of wood at the start, because that could overheat the system.
• Make sure the fire is fully extinguished before leaving the house for any length of time.

Know the Signs of a Chimney Fire

• Odd clicking or tapping noises
• Huge amounts of smoke coming from either end of the system
• A rumbling noise like a distant train
• And, obviously, flames leaping out of the top of your chimney

If any of these happen, call local emergency services and, if safe to do so, put out the fire in the fireplace. After the situation is under control, have your chimney professionally inspected before using the fireplace again.

Black Moose Chimney & Stove of Antrim, NH, wants everyone to get the most out of their new fireplaces and enjoy them for many years. If you’re getting ready to use your fireplace for the first time, call us to perform a thorough inspection and necessary cleaning to make sure your fireplace and chimney are safe. Reach us any time at (603) 525-7905 or complete the form below.