July 7th, 2021

Common Issues with Older Wood Fireplaces

There are two types of metal chimney used in wood burning fireplaces; air-cooled and insulated. Even older fireplaces may even have all clay flue liners build on top of a brick and cinderblock fireplace in your home. If you are experiencing problems with an old wood fireplace it is likely that you do not have an efficient unit utilizing insulated pipe.

Some common issues faced with old air-cooled and clay chimney systems:

• Cold air dropping into the home as well as heat loss from room air used for combustion
• Frost formation on pipe during cold months causing water and potential water damage
• Smoke build up in the room from “hard starts” and negative pressure conditions
• Excess wood usage because of fast, uncontrolled burns
• Insufficient heating and/or heat loss

To remedy these issues, many customers are opting to replace their fireplace with something more efficient. The entire system can be removed and replaced with a new gas or wood unit, but sometimes we can find a “fireplace insert” to fit. This means that the unit will slide into the existing opening and vent up the current pipe using a compact flexible chimney system. Essentially “inserting” a whole new system into your existing one. You will find cold drafts mostly eliminated, efficiency increased, and heating capacity increased exponentially. Call us today to get more information on inserts or ways of retrofitting your old wood fireplace system!

<3 Hearthside