Fireplaces And Energy Efficiency
Fireplaces are completely incompatible with energy efficiency. Wood Fired fireplaces can provide a really comforting radiant heat source but, in today’s day and age, we just don’t have time to use them. They can be a bit of an effort…
- to organise the wood,
- keep the area clean,
- and in some cases, starting the fire can be a hassle
Chimneys introduce the following issues into your home when they are not in use;
- Allows bugs and creepy crawlies to come inside
- Dust and debris can come in through the flue
- In some cases of birds have been found coming inside via chimneys
- Warm air in your home freely passes out of your home, at a very significant rate.
- They may leak water into the home when it is raining
There are a few solutions available out there to seal them up temporarily or permanently. Chimney balloons can help but are often not fully effective. A combination of Proctor tape and membrane or rigid foam board can provide a more reliable solution.
Warning! You must be careful not to try to use the fireplace if you’ve sealed it.
When a fireplace is in use, it requires a source of air leakage to operate safely. Air needs to be drawn from wall vents or gaps in the building envelope. This provides convection to get all the nasty gases and particulate produced by the combustion process out of your living space. Without adequate airflow, combustion gases can build up indoors, posing serious health risks.
Most of the time people do not use their fireplaces, and we rely on gas ducted heating systems, split systems or other types of heating to do the job.
Ducted heating running, with an open chimney, with or without the fireplace in use, will lose a lot of air from your building envelope. You are warming up the neighbourhood
