Technically, a flue is any open vertical space in a chimney that allows smoke to escape the home from the firebox. But because every chimney's flue must be lined, a chimney liner is usually referred to as the flue, as well. Every wood-burning or gas fireplace has a flue.
How do I know if I have a chimney flue?
They are made up of interlocking metal flue pipes. You can easily identify a prefabricated flue by the metal cowl on the roof, which looks like a thin metal chimney. What fires can you have with a prefabricated flue? You can have electric, gas and gel fires with a prefabricated flue.
Do all chimneys have a damper?
Not all chimneys or flues have a damper. Open fireplaces can usually be found with damper located within the upper part of the firebox. It's common to find a damper as part of an open fireplace, but in some cases there may be no damper at all.
Is a chimney A flue?
A flue is a duct, pipe, or opening in a chimney for conveying exhaust gases from a fireplace, furnace, water heater, boiler, or generator to the outdoors. Historically the term flue meant the chimney itself.
What fireplace does not need a flue?
Ventless gas fireplaces are a sub-category of gas fireplaces. They run on natural gas or liquid propane. They are designed to operate without a chimney or vent. The design is achieved by reducing the number of emissions by burning less gas.
43 related questions foundCan you have a gas fireplace without a flue?
Do Gas Fireplaces Need A Flue? Natural vent gas fireplaces may not have a flue but will use the existing chimney flue to vent waste air from a home. Direct vent gas fireplaces will need a flue that vents air directly out of a home, and ventless gas fireplaces won't need any form of flue.
Do modern gas fires need a flue?
Standard gas stoves
A regular gas stove does need a chimney or flue. As gas doesn't produce any heavy smoke, as a wood burning stove would, they don't require you to have a Class 1 brick chimney – though they usually can be installed into one of these without any issues.
What is difference between chimney and flue?
A chimney is a passage way for combustion byproducts to travel up that runs from a fireplace or stove up to the top of a house. It is usually made of stone or brick. Inside the chimney is a flue. In most cases, a chimney flue is made up of a steel chimney liner or ceramic chimney tiles.
Where is the flue on my fireplace?
The flue is essentially a channel inside the chimney the smoke is funneled through, and it's controlled by the damper -- a pair of small steel doors. These doors, located at the throat of the flue before it exits the chimney, need to be opened prior to igniting a fire.
Where is my fireplace flue?
You can reach inside of the fireplace opening and behind the lintel to touch the damper. You should be able to open and close it with a knob (this is usually located on the front face of the fireplace) or rod (located in the fireplace, above the firebox).
What if my fireplace doesn't have a damper?
And while older wood-burning fireplaces can function safely without a damper (gas fireplaces cannot), a chimney without a damper is just a gaping hole in the roof of your house. It's a gateway for frigid air to enter and for heated air to escape in the winter.
What is the difference between a chimney flue and damper?
A damper is located in the flue of your chimney. The flue is where the smoke escapes when the fire is going. Dampers are placed inside of the flue to help control ventilation. Your damper should have a chain or handle that you can access in order to open and close it.
Do I need a flue damper?
Newer models of wood stove don't typically require a damper. A damper was traditionally used on older, less efficient, models of stove to help reduce the flow of air leaving the firebox. Certified modern stoves meet stringent regulations and typically won't need a damper to perform well.
Does my chimney need a flue liner?
Is a chimney liner necessary? A chimney liner is obligatory if you are installing a woodburning stove, gas fire or open fire in a new build property to comply with Document J of current Building Regulations. A chimney liner may be necessary in an older property if the flue inside your chimney is no longer safe to use.
Does a chimney flue have to be straight?
As excessive bends and horizontal runs can accumulate soot with the risk of blockage, the flue pipe should be kept as vertical as possible and the angle of bends should be no more than 45° from the vertical.
Why are chimney pots different?
Chimney pots give the opening on the chimney extra coverage to keep out debris from trees like leaves, acorns, and sticks, while also protecting the interior of the chimney from rainfall, snow, ice buildup, and small rodents or birds that find their way inside chimneys to make nests and seek shelter.
Why does my chimney have two flues?
A flue is a venting system. Each system needs its own flue, so if you heat your home with gas and have a fireplace, you would have two flues. Often times they are in one chimney, so if you were to look down the chimney, it would be separated into two venting systems within the one chimney.
Should chimney flue be open or closed?
The damper should always be fully open before lighting a fire and when the fireplace is in use. Close it when it's not it use. Operating the fireplace with the damper partially closed will not generate more heat. Instead, blocking the passage through the flue will result in smoke entering the home.
Is a chimney a vent?
A chimney generally carries pollutants to a greater height than a wall or roof vent. This improves air quality in the area. It could prevent an unpleasant odor from pervading the yard or finding its way into your home's windows. Atmospheric vents and flues normally need to be longer than power ventilation systems.
What is the purpose of a flue?
The purpose of the flue pipe is to remove harmful byproducts of the combusted, or burned, fuel from inside your home. If the byproducts are not properly ventilated from inside the home, then you can have a dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide.
What's a flue in a fireplace?
FLUE – (lining in a masonry chimney)- “A clay, ceramic, or metal conduit installed inside of a chimney, intended to contain the combustion products, direct them to the outside atmosphere, and protect the chimney walls from heat and corrosion.” Although building codes vary from one state or locality to another, the ...
How do I know if my gas fireplace is vented or not?
A vented fireplace has attractive yellow and orange flames that lick upward around the sides of the ceramic logs. An unvented fireplace, by contrast, has much less striking flames. These flames tend to be smaller and bluer. As a result, an unvented gas fireplace won't create quite the same illusion as a vented one.
Does a fireplace have to have a chimney?
Traditional flued gas fires are designed to look good with glowing coals or logs, to give that authentic real fire look. However, in the process they produce mountains of carbon monoxide and dioxide, that need to be vented up a chimney, for the gas fire to operate safely.
How do you vent a gas fireplace without a chimney?
If you don't have a chimney, a natural vent system can also use a pipe venting system, which is typically installed through the roof. Here, you can get around having to use a brick and mortar chimney to rid the home of fumes and use a pipe system instead.
