Fire Places 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 in 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
- Allows dust to come in
- We have heard of cases of birds coming inside via chimneys
- Warm air in your home freely passes out of your home, at a very significant rate.
- They can leak water
There are a few solutions available out there to seal them up temporarily or perminently;
- Chimney balloons aren’t perfect most of the time.
- Proctor Tape and membrane or foamboard
Warning!: You must be careful not to try to use the fireplace if you’ve sealed it.
When Fireplaces are in use they need air leakage in order to work. Without air leakage, they can be unsafe to use. Air needs to be drawn from wall vents or other places, in order to provide convection to get all the nasty gases and particulate produced by the combustion process out of our indoor environment.
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
