Fire has been with man throughout history, and even today few people will refuse to bask in front of a comfortably crackling fireplace. But what to do if it turns out to be not the most attractive place in the house, but, on the contrary, the cause of constant hassle for the owners? Most likely the reason is improper handling. Answers to questions about how and with what to properly light a fireplace will solve numerous problems.

So, what should you pay attention to when lighting a fireplace?

Firewood

An open fire is the main attraction of a fireplace, so the choice of fuel for it must be approached with the utmost seriousness. Hardwood, such as oak, hornbeam, chestnut or beech, is best suited for this purpose. They have excellent heating properties and do not smoke. Popular birch logs are not recommended for use precisely because of their high tar content, which causes a lot of soot. For the same reason, you should not use coal.

Firewood from coniferous trees is attractive due to its cost, but this is not the best option for fireplaces. The resin contained in the needles is unable to burn completely, which means it will clog the chimney and cause condensation.
Of course, only thoroughly dried logs can be used to light a fireplace, so it is best to take care of purchasing them in advance. They are stored in a specially designed closed room or outdoors, wrapped up.

Chimney

Cleanliness of the chimney is the basis when using a fireplace or any other stove. With each ignition, soot inevitably accumulates in it, and if it is not cleaned out, a fire may occur. Ceramic and steel chimneys promoted on the market by modern companies such as bestkaminy.ru are resistant to fire. In addition to fire safety, such chimneys are more durable and aesthetically attractive than traditional brick ones.

Any chimney needs cleaning, and the cleanliness of it depends on the mode in which the fireplace is used. If every day, then cleaning should be done at least once a year, if only on weekends - less often. In any case, this procedure is best left to professionals.

Starting the fireplace

Properly lighting a fireplace or stove is not at all difficult, but if practice is not enough, then it would be useful to listen to the following tips:

1. Before starting kindling, the view always opens. If you miss this step, within a few moments the entire room will be filled with thick smoke. Depending on the fireplace model, the view can be opened by pulling a lever or turning a handle.
2. Ashes usually remain in the fireplace from previous fires. There is no need to remove it - the ash protects the walls from overheating, and the fire from cold air entering. Above the ash you can see a metal grate - the logs are placed here.
3. To ignite a flame, you need kindling, that is, thin, necessarily dry branches or wood chips. They are placed crosswise on the grill so as not to prevent air from reaching each splinter. For faster combustion, you can place a wad of paper or newspaper under the wood grate.
4. Firewood is placed on top of the kindling. For fireplaces, logs no larger than the length of a palm in diameter are selected. An important rule: they must be thoroughly dried. The logs are placed in the firebox not in a pyramid, but with an inclination towards the room. This is done so that the heat is directed into the room and not into the chimney. The thickest firewood is placed on the far wall of the fireplace, and the rest is placed on it at an angle towards the person. For faster combustion, you can place paper between the logs. It is most convenient to ignite with a newspaper rolled into a tube in the form of a torch.

Keeping the fire going

1. Once the flame has ignited properly, it must be maintained. To do this, you need to stir the logs periodically: using a poker or tongs, turn them over so that they burn evenly.
2. There should not be a lot of firewood in the fireplace, but as soon as the previous ones begin to burn out, new logs are added. It is also safest to use forceps for this purpose. Fresh logs are placed closer to the wall, and those that are almost burnt are moved closer to the front of the grate.
3. If firewood is added gradually, then without adding new firewood the fire will quickly go out naturally. It is unsafe to extinguish it using artificial methods. After the end of combustion, it is necessary to close the screen in the fireplace and keep the viewer open for several more hours, until the coals have completely cooled.

By following these simple step-by-step instructions, you can easily learn how to properly light any fireplace. The main thing is not to forget about quality materials and safety precautions.

Take it for yourself and tell your friends!

Read also on our website.

Pechnik Company How to use a fireplace

How to use the fireplace

How to use a fireplace correctly

We drown for the first time

The operation of a fireplace installed together with a firebox must be preceded by drying it, which, depending on humidity, can sometimes take from three to five weeks. The first kindling should be light, not very hot, with a small amount of firewood. After the first kindling, a pungent smell of burning and smoke may be felt: charring and burning of paints and binding materials occurs. The smell disappears after several subsequent fires. Before lighting, all fireplace dampers must be open. The fireplace is lit gradually, using small wood; It is not recommended to use alcohol, gasoline, solvents and similar substances for this purpose, since there is a risk of explosion or thermal shock due to a sharp rise in temperature, but you can use special liquids for igniting wood.

What fuel should I use?

Only approved types of fuel must be burned in the firebox.

Dry wood =3200 kcal/kg

Wet wood = 1750 kcal/kg

Solid wood produces good heat and burns slowly. The best wood for this is oak, ash, birch, elm and beech.

Less dense wood of soft and coniferous species, on the contrary, gives more fire, but less coal and heat. This is pine, spruce, poplar and linden wood.

Heat of combustion of wood

A ton of dry wood gives the same calorific value as 0.4 tons of fuel oil.

The heat of combustion depends mainly on the moisture level of the wood. To turn the water contained in wood into steam, you need to spend 600 kcal per kilogram of water. That is why the heat of combustion of wood is inversely proportional to its moisture content.

Average percentage of wood moisture content depending on drying time

Prohibited fuels

Solid mineral fuel (coals and their derivatives);
Fireplace inserts are not designed to burn coal due to the risk of carbon monoxide released and accumulated in the room, leading to severe health problems and even death.
Liquid mineral fuels: gasoline, fuel oil, solvents, waste oils.
Alcohol
Wood impregnated with creosote.
Freshly cut and unseasoned wood.
Paper and cardboard.
Carpentry waste - shavings, sawdust.

One of the events in all pioneer competitions was the ability to light a fire. Years have passed, but we remember many of the subtleties associated with this process. From a physics point of view, for the combustion process it is necessary to provide access to oxygen and remove combustion products. These two principles are implemented in any fireplace and any stove using design features.

A real fireplace, regardless of its type, is based on the release of heat when fuel burns. The characteristics of the fireplace, including its efficiency, are constant parameters depending on the design of the device and the material. But under all the same conditions, fireplaces can produce different amounts of heat. It turns out that it all depends on how you light the fireplace.

Filling the house with warmth and comfort

Preparation

Before dealing with fire, you should prepare the fireplace for use. Even if you heat it daily, still do not neglect this step for your safety.

• It all starts with a chimney inspection. The accumulation of soot on its walls can lead to uncontrolled combustion, that is, to a fire. Soot contains flammable resins and a substance called creosote. They need to be disposed of in a timely manner.
• While the fireplace insert is not filled with wood, you should check the draft. This is easy to do if you set fire to a piece of old newspaper. If there is draft, the fire flame will clearly deviate towards the chimney.

Each owner independently determines what to light the fireplace with, but there are a number of tips that you need to heed. Each of us has wondered why dry wood burns better. Damp firewood contains moisture between the fibers. It is necessary to transfer the amount of heat for a long time so that it completely evaporates, and only then the firewood will ignite.

Dry firewood, ready to use

Therefore, if you have a wood-burning fireplace, you should use only dry logs, preferably hardwood. , of course, it is possible, but it will require a lot of effort from you. A freshly felled tree is suitable for firewood after a year of proper drying, so owners of wood-burning fireplaces have pre-prepared firewood.

Proper use of a wood-burning fireplace

1. For the fireplace to burn well, it must be clean. The firebox needs to be cleaned every season, and the chimney once every three months. Before the start of the heating season, remove soot and ash through openings covered with bricks or doors. After working with a poker, after cleaning, close the door tightly, and insert the brick into place, fixing it with mortar (pre-moisten the brick and masonry with water). Remove ash and debris from the firebox (make sure the fireplace is completely cool before cleaning) and sweep or vacuum up any small particles. Before using the fireplace again, make sure that the damper is wide open.

2. The wisest decision is to entrust the chimney inspection to a professional. The specialist will inspect the deflector that protects the chimney from dust, debris, precipitation and small birds, clean the pipe, check the seams and joints, eliminate defects and confirm the safety of the fireplace.

H. If the fireplace smokes, put a cap on the chimney. The following test will help to eliminate other causes of smoke (improper masonry or design defects): place two halves of bricks at the corners of the pipe and cover them tightly with a sheet of metal. If the problem is in the hood, the fireplace will stop smoking.

4. The fireplace may smoke when lighting, if it has not been heated for a long time and is damp, and also due to reverse draft in the chimney, when the house is cooler than outside. In such cases, you need to open the forward stroke valve (if any) or warm up the pipe by burning the paper at its base (in cleaning) and at the same time starting a fire in the firebox. You can also warm up a cold chimney with a torch or fireplace lighter pointed at the chimney before lighting a fire. After lighting, do not forget to close the valve.

5. The fireplace copes worse with heating due to low quality fuel, soot deposits or a leaky damper. Check the condition of the firebox every month and periodically fuel the fireplace with aspen or alder wood: they help burn out soot. The danger of soot is that creosote accumulates with it during incomplete combustion of fuel, and this is a flammable substance that can lead to a fire.

6. If soot accumulates on the steel-ceramic door, short-term intense combustion is sufficient: high temperature will burn the soot particles. Otherwise, wet a crumpled piece of paper, dip it into the ash at the bottom of the fireplace, and wipe the glass with the ash-coated paper. Then wipe the glass with clean paper - not a trace of soot will remain.

7. But you shouldn’t get rid of ash too often. The ash at the bottom of the fireplace insulates the surface from the heat. In addition, pieces of unburnt coal will help light the fire faster. Coals can smolder for a very long time, so collect the ash in a metal bucket with a lid and do not throw it in the trash in a smoldering state. Ash from untreated wood (without ash and packs) can be used as fertilizer, but cannot be put into compost.

8.To clean the namin from soot less often, heat it correctly. If you use wood to fire your fireplace, make sure it is dry. Deciduous wood dries more slowly than coniferous wood. The ideal solution is to use logs that have been separated into different varieties and stored separately for at least six months. If you store firewood outside, make sure that it is not in contact with the ground (the distance should be at least 30 cm), and that there is ventilation between the logs. To protect your woodpile from dew and rain, cover it with a tarp.

9. By burning paper and wood together, you can create a small fire that produces a lot of heat. As soon as the fire intensifies, you need to add large logs to the kindling. To keep the fireplace warm, add hardwood firewood to the fire. There will be almost no dirty smoke from a small hot fire.

10. Use only natural wood and white matte paper to light the fireplace. Other flammable materials can harm the chimney and your health. If you burn with briquettes, choose those with the minimum amount of pollutants. It is better to avoid coniferous wood: resins will cause creosote to accumulate in the chimney, which can lead to a fire. It is safer to burn a fireplace with wood and briquettes made of hardwood (maple, birch, oak) - they are the most environmentally friendly and give a long, hot fire.

11. Heat for 1.5-2 hours (depending on the fuel) in the morning and evening, without overheating the fireplace. The hotter the stove gets, the more heat will simply fly out. The walls of the fireplace should not heat above *80″C.

12.In optimal combustion mode, the firewood crackles provocatively, and the fireplace hums slightly. The flame is light yellow in color, and the smoke from the chimney is colorless. The quality of combustion depends on the correct placement of firewood. The height of the bookmark should be up to 30 cm.

13. Do not try to increase the power of the fireplace by replacing wood with coal or other higher-calorie fuel. And don't open the damper all the way to speed up the heating; the draft will increase, but the heat loss will be higher. When the fire becomes steady, close the damper.

14. To regularly care for your fireplace, get all the necessary tools - a dustpan, a brush, tongs, a poker. For fireplaces with an open firebox, purchase a protective screen that will protect your home from shooting sparks.

15. Never douse the fire with water: the fireplace will crack due to temperature changes.

A little about heat transfer

Classic fireplaces with a shallow open firebox built into the wall and framed by a portal are beautiful, but not functional. At a high cost, they have a significant flaw - low efficiency, the limit of which is 20%. Such fireplaces will only heat a small room, and it is impossible to influence the amount of heat they produce.

Practical owners prefer cast iron stoves with a closed firebox, the efficiency of which reaches 80%, to classic fireplaces. Two or three stacks of logs (although they can run on different fuels - peat, coal, diesel and gas) - and a fireplace with a closed firebox warms its owner all day long. Power up to 25 kW allows you to heat an area of ​​250 m2. In this case, the flame strength can be adjusted using a damper. Stoves with transparent doors (the hearth in such fireplaces is covered with heat-resistant glass) are equipped with secondary combustion systems for flue gases and have an advantage in maintenance (less ash). Stoves without lining, painted with heat-resistant paint, are unlikely to decorate the interior, but they are more convenient to use. Such fireboxes are mobile (they can be placed in any desired place) and easy to install (they can easily be connected to the chimney). For zealous owners, fireplace stoves are also good because you can cook on them: some of the models are equipped with a small stove.

On a note:

How to properly light a stove or fireplace

When lighting a stove or fireplace, you must always remember that a warm friend can become a dangerous enemy if you do not show him proper attention. A few simple rules will help you safely enjoy the comfort of your hearth.

I consider lighting and maintaining a fire in the hearth an art. Of course, there is a set of rules, but there are also some personal techniques for controlling tamed fire. Everyone who does this with love begins to use their own methods, sometimes without even realizing it. For example, I always put a birch log in the fireplace, bark side down, just to see and hear a living, cheerful, crackling flame.

Kindling

There is no rush to start a fire. If the firewood is dry, a piece of birch bark and a few thin splinters are enough for the fuse. And now the fire is already frolicking merrily in the fireplace. But more often it happens that the firewood is damp; when kindled, it turns black, smokes and goes out, with angry blue tongues of slightly smoldering flame running across it. Such firewood does not have enough temperature to burn. In this case, you need to slowly make 2-3 heatings with thin splinters, let them burn out and form at least a small layer of hot glowing coals. Wet firewood placed on such coals will slowly begin to dry out and hiss slightly, and then start a fire. When the side of the logs lying on the coals burns and becomes grayish-white, you need to carefully turn the firewood over with a poker and distribute it in the firebox so that there is a small distance between them - about 2-3 cm. The firewood will immediately light up well.

Combustion process

When the flame in the fireplace is already stable, there is no need to add a lot of firewood at once. They, of course, will start burning and will burn very strongly, with noise and hum - and the flame will beat not in the fireplace portal, but in the smoke collector. But, firstly, all the heat will quickly go down the chimney, and secondly, and this is the main thing, the fireplace can overheat in such a situation. The brickwork may burst and furnace gases will rush into the cracks, “emitting smoke from all the cracks.” Then such a fireplace is almost impossible to repair. One of my familiar stove makers said about this: “Very often a good fireplace is ruined by strangers. For example, workers renovating a house can burn construction waste and even foam plastic in the fireplace. Don’t trust the fireplace of your fireplace to strangers.”

Finally, you have lit the fireplace - now you can sit near it, resting your body and soul, for as long as you like. The flame in the fireplace should be calm, the ends of the tongues should not be higher than the top of the portal. If you have a fireplace with doors, when leaving it, cover them: the draft force can be adjusted with blowers in the lower parts of the doors.

The draft in the fireplace can also be regulated by a valve in the pipe, but you can cover it no more than a quarter during the fire. When the fireplace flares up and several hours have passed, the heated bricks of the firebox begin to emit the most wonderful and beneficial heat, which penetrates the body, warms very softly and pleasantly. You can treat your back, joint and colds with this heat - or just enjoy it on a cold winter evening.

End of the firebox

This is a responsible process, and there are several conditions that must be met.

The main thing is not to leave even part of the log in the fireplace, even if it is completely black, does not burn or smoke: it is dangerous! In a closed firebox the temperature is very high; unburned wood will almost certainly begin to smolder and then catch fire. Having finished the firebox and closing the valve, we block the exit of furnace gases, including dangerous carbon monoxide, which reveals itself as small blue flames. There should be no such tongues at all at the end of the fire. You can leave a small amount of small red coals by breaking them with a poker. But only if you have a simple stove valve in the pipe, 8 of which there is a small gap for the exit of hot stove gases. Although, of course, a large amount of heat is lost through such a valve.

There is a stove fitting - a view. This is a plate in the chimney - with a hole, covered by a completely round “blink” and a lid. This design allows you to save much more heat, but now it is extremely rare. However, if you have a view, do not leave even red coals in the stove or fireplace.

In the evening, when I finish heating my fireplace, I always close its doors with a feeling of regret and slight sadness from saying goodbye to the fire. And I believe that tomorrow we will meet again and again we will look at each other for a long time.

© Alexandra Zakharova

Home Improvement Double Sided Tape Nano Clear No Trace Acrylic Magic...

Before lighting the fireplace, you need to ventilate the room and open the chimney damper, then check that there is no backdraft from the fireplace into the room, and clean the ash chamber if it is overfilled with ash and unburnt coals.
After that, you need to put crumpled paper (except glossy paper), dry wood chips, wood splinters and small firewood on the grates. Then set fire to it all, starting with the paper, and as it burns, add firewood crosswise, filling the entire area of ​​the fireplace grate. You need to wait until the firewood is almost completely burned out before adding new ones.
To maintain the required burning intensity, take small firewood, but in large quantities. If slow burning is required, then you can burn a small amount of large wood.

Fireplace fuel

It must be selected in accordance with the design of the fireplace for which it is intended. The most common designs are wood-burning, gas and some liquid fuel fireplaces.
Sometimes peat and coal briquettes are used as fuel, which has some advantages. You can also use a type of fuel such as anthracite. This modern material is quite efficient when burning, generates heat intensely, while soot settles in a small volume in the chimney.
And yet, for a fireplace it is better to use environmentally friendly fuel - wood that does not contain a lot of resin (alder, oak, aspen or maple, birch, spruce, pine), which does not produce soot and sparks.
Hardwoods are the most efficient because they burn slowly with a long, even flame, making them more suitable for larger fireboxes. Soft wood burns faster, accompanying the process with abundant sparks and loud crackling sounds.
There are several rules for burning a fireplace with wood. So, the thickness of all logs should be approximately the same and equal to 6-10 cm, and the length should be 2/3-3/4 of the width of the combustion hole. It is necessary that between the logs when laying firewood in the firebox there should be air gaps of up to 1 cm. The normal height of the masonry is 25-30 cm. If all conditions are met when choosing firewood and placing it in modern fireplaces with high efficiency, then one stack will be enough for several hours . How much heat there is from burning wood depends on its humidity. For example, when burning 1 kg of dry pine firewood, 4500 kcal are released, if the firewood is 30% wet, then 3250 kcal, and in the case of 50% humidity - 2050 kcal.
Freshly cut wood has a moisture content of 50-55%. Therefore, it must be stored for 1-2 years to dry, preferably under a canopy outside. If stored outdoors, the humidity will drop to 25%, while in a warm room it will be 15%. Therefore, it is recommended to bring firewood into the house in advance, allowing it to dry near the fire, in the firewood niche, which is found in many fireplace models. However, it is also not recommended to use too dry firewood, since it quickly burns out.
When choosing fuel, you need to take into account that birch produces a lot of soot when burned. Aspen, on the contrary, has the ability to burn settled soot from the chimney. Cleans the chimney and burning dry potato peelings in the fireplace. Total cleaning of the chimney from soot is carried out through an opening with a door, which is located on the side of the auxiliary room (front room, entryway, corridor, etc.). It is wise to make a cleaning hole from the side of the yard if the fireplace is built against an outside wall.
When stumps and roots are burned in a flame, a beautiful pattern is formed. And if you use various additives, you can color the flame in the fireplace to your liking. So, table salt will give the fire a bright yellow color, copper chloride will provide a whole palette of colors with strongly pronounced blue and green shades. Additives can be poured directly into the fireplace, or you can prepare a solution from them and saturate the wood with it before placing it in the fireplace.
A pleasant smell is emitted by burning firewood or dry branches of juniper, cherry, and old apple trees.

Eliminating soot from the chimney

• mechanical cleaning with brushes
• dry cleaning
• vacuuming

An experienced chimney sweep, equipped, as a rule, with a special video camera, after inspecting the condition of the pipes, will immediately determine which method needs to be used. Before building a country house, it is necessary to consult with a specialist at the design stage so that cleaning chimneys does not become a serious problem.
In order for the fireplace to work properly, it is necessary to carry out periodic inspections - at the beginning of the heating season and after a long absence from the house. Clogging of the chimney in the absence of the owners often happens: birds build nests, and insects weave webs in the pipes and lay larvae.
The chimney sweep must know the requirements for the use of heating equipment. After cleaning the chimney, the chimney sweep will be able to issue all the relevant documents for the work. They usually provide some guarantees, and if problems arise, the responsibility falls on the person who cleaned the pipes.

Rules for using the chimney

• Keep the chimney clean.
• Do not throw large pieces of birch bark into the fireplace; it smokes very much, as it contains a lot of tar. Use dry, medium-sized firewood.
• When the fireplace is just starting to light, opening doors or windows suddenly can create drafts that interfere with the kindling. If in the spring the fireplace suddenly starts smoking heavily for no apparent reason and nothing helps, then you need to leave the house and carefully examine the top of the chimney, because rooks and crows often make nests there. In this situation, you can protect the top of the pipe with a vertical mesh.
• The cast iron firebox is not intended to be used as a heating device separate from the casing and fireplace surround.
• The fireplace lining may have useful elements, for example, a special niche in which firewood is stored some time before burning. If air enters the firebox through it, the fireplace may overheat. To prevent this from happening, you need to ensure that the niche is not overfilled with firewood.
• It is useful to test fire a new fireplace. It is better to do this when it is hot outside, in the early or late hours - in these cases the traction will be better.
• If the fireplace begins to smoke and signs of deterioration in draft become noticeable, the chimney is clogged with soot. After cleaning, traction will be restored.
• Soot and creosote sometimes clog the pipe, settling on the walls. You can get rid of them using a long, heavy chain, which is lowered into the chimney and dragged along the walls of the pipe.
• In winter, it is recommended to use chemicals that prevent the accumulation of soot and creosote, for example, a mixture of copper sulfate and table salt. Half a cup of the mixture is poured onto the coals once a week.
• Regularly clean the firebox from soot with a brush and remove ash to always have good draft.
• Make sure that the ash box does not overfill, because the more it is filled, the less air is allowed to the grate, which leads to smoke and a gradual cessation of combustion. However, if there is a small amount of ash and unburnt coals on the grate and ash pan, this protects the fireplace elements from damage and the appearance of characteristic brown spots on the glass, and also simplifies the ignition process.
• If you have stopped using a cast iron firebox for a long time, you need to clean all its internal elements with a brush and paste to remove rust.
• The smoke duct may become damp and become excessively cold if the weather is cold or humid outside. The result is difficult kindling and the smell of drying mastic, since the draft is still weak. It will be restored when the channel is heated sufficiently and the unpleasant odor disappears.
• The weather has a direct impact on the quality of traction, which decreases when there is fog outside and increases when gusty winds blow.
• If the fireplace opening is too high, then a metal corner is bolted on top. Using a sheet of plywood, calculate the required part of the hole that needs to be closed, and at which the least amount of smoke enters the room, and then strengthen the corner instead of plywood.
• Do not burn resinous trees, leaves, plastic, or household waste in the fireplace.
• When lighting, do not use coal lighter fluid or gasoline, as a fire may cause an explosion and/or the flames may rise high up the chimney.
• Stores sell artificial logs in paper wrappers. You can only burn them one at a time, otherwise a small explosion is possible. You cannot add them on top of regular firewood.
• If the layers in the pipe catch fire, you need to close the damper, which will block the access of air, and the fire will go out.
• The chimney needs to be whitewashed twice with lime or chalk, since it is easier to notice cracks and other defects on a white surface.
• To reduce the amount of sulfuric acid formed in the chimney, it is necessary to maintain the temperature at the outlet of the pipe at least 70°C.
• To determine the temperature of the exhaust gases, do this: during the combustion process, place a dry thin stick across the hole in the view. After 30 minutes, scrape off the soot from the surface and set the temperature based on its color:

If there are no changes, the temperature should not exceed 150°C;
- if a yellowish color is observed, the temperature is about 200°C;
- if brown - 250°C; if black - 300°C;
- if coal is formed instead of a stick - 400°C.
Acceptable temperature is 250°C.

• A specialist should be called to check the condition of the chimney at least once every two years, and checked independently once a month.
• Place a fire extinguisher near the fireplace.
• The firebox should be fenced off with a special protective screen, and the floor in front of the fireplace should be made fireproof.
• Place furniture and other items at a distance of at least 1 m from the fireplace.
• Parts of the fireplace become hot when burning - the firebox, the door, so you need to use protective gloves.
• Do not fill firewood with water.
• Do not dry things on the fireplace.
• Do not leave children unattended in a room with a burning or hot fireplace.

Accessories for fireplaces

To make “communication” with the fireplace easy and pleasant, you need to have a set of fireplace accessories, which includes a stand with at least four items suspended from it and a fireplace grate. The stand contains: a poker about 70 cm long, tongs, a scoop for collecting ash and a broom.
The most common accessories are a firewood rack and a fireplace set.
The most common materials for fireplace accessories are steel and bronze. Sets are made in two ways: complete casting or casting with assembly.
If the fireplace accessories are completely cast, they are monolithic and do not fold, which creates some inconvenience when transporting them. But such casting helps to create the most unexpected effects that can capture the imagination of anyone.

Basic accessories

• woodshed
• poker
• serviter
• grate bars
• panicle
• scoop
• forceps
• fireplace screen

Drovnik

It is necessary for storing firewood, which should always be at hand. As a rule, a firewood box is a basket with a handle and is made of sheet metal - steel or brass. Drovniks come in matte, gray, black, polished to a shine and decorated with all kinds of embossing.

Poker

It is selected individually, depending on the size of the firebox and the height of the owner. Its length, as a rule, ranges from 50 to 70 cm. The poker, first of all, must be durable, so it is better if it is made of bronze or steel, since these materials are much stronger than cast iron.
The poker should weigh at least 500 g, but how heavy this accessory can be is up to the owner of the fireplace to decide.
A lightweight poker made from modern alloys is suitable for a fireplace made in a high-tech style; for a fireplace in a classic style, it is better to choose a heavy and massive poker.
With its help, it is very convenient to punch and stir coals, break logs that are stuck in the grate, so when choosing this accessory you need to pay attention to the shape of the end, which is called the beak.
The beak of a poker can be straight, with a pointed or flat end, with which it is very convenient to break and stir up coals. In addition, the poker's beak can be equipped with an additional spur, which can be used to easily catch a log, and have a strong curved end, which is convenient for splitting logs.
In a poker, the grip of the handle is especially valued - it should be simple and convenient. It is best if it is a round rod made of metal, ceramics, bone or an expensive type of wood. In addition, it should have smooth grooves for the fingers.

Serviter

A server is a kind of hanger, which is made in an elegant style, or a box of an unusual shape with accessories from the same collection and the same design. For example, a set of fireplace accessories can be made in the form of golf clubs.
A forged rack made of brass and decorated with all sorts of decorative tips in the form of flowers, rings or rectangles can also be used to store accessories.

Grate bars

The grate, or, as they are also called, the grate basket, is a metal lattice pedestal necessary for burning wood. It provides air access during combustion; without a grate, the wood in the fireplace may burn unevenly.
It is installed inside the chamber, then firewood is placed on it and lit.
Grate bars are produced in the form of grates without legs (in this case they require stands), as well as with legs and in the form of decorative boxes.
The grate bars must be as stable and strong as possible. They are made from thick-walled cast iron or forged steel.
The weight of some models can reach several tens of kilograms.

Scoops

Scoops for collecting ash must have strong edges. The recently popular scoops made of tin are not very convenient. When collecting ash, they bend and the scoop begins to deform. When choosing scoops, it is best to choose a product of 3 steel. The handle of such a scoop should be shorter than the length of the poker, but not less than 40 cm.
Recently, many companies specializing in the manufacture of fireplace accessories have been offering their customers dustpans, replacement broom attachments and a very convenient Ash-clean attachment for a vacuum cleaner, with the help of which it is very convenient to collect ash and small coals in a separate tank.

panicles

The brushes are made from natural horsehair or artificial bristles, the length of which must be at least 12 cm, but no more than 18 cm. The pile must be thick and dense. The length of the broom handle is not so important, but the main thing is that it does not exceed the length of the poker.

Forceps

Fireplace tongs are necessary to make it easy to firmly grasp logs and coal. They can come in a variety of shapes, but there are two main options: in the form of scissors with handles (possibly rings) or in the form of large tweezers, which are made of a flexible plate, with or without a handle.
Scissor-shaped tongs are very convenient for gripping large-diameter logs. The grip is made using special forceps that have a curved shape.
The most convenient models are pliers that have finger rings. The tips of fireplace tongs can be either flat or made in the form of “clawed” spatulas.
Recently, manufacturers of fireplace tongs have been making them in the form of spoons, with which it is very convenient to collect coals.

Fireplace bellows

This is a device that intensifies the flame. The bellows, made in a classic style, is a container made of genuine leather, which is sandwiched between two wooden slats with handles and equipped with a metal spout.
Modern furs are made from well-dressed leather (bovine or cowhide), and their wooden elements are decorated with carvings or unusual ornaments.
To fan or intensify the fire, you just need to open and close the slats a few times, and the stream of air that escapes from the spout will intensify the flame. Furs can be small, decorative, no more than 30 cm long, as well as functional, the length of which can reach 70 cm.
Functional bellows should have long handles and an elongated spout, this will help avoid burns to the face and hands when using them.
Furs should only be stored folded on a special shelf, near the fireplace or mounted on the wall.

Fireplace screen

The fireplace screen protects against sparks and embers, improves air circulation and ensures even burning of the fireplace. Fireplace screens are most often made translucent or transparent, in a wide variety of designs and styles, designed to fit fireplaces of different sizes and designs.
Screens can be made of metal mesh with small cells. The mesh itself is usually decorated with decorative patterns in the form of various plants or figures of birds and animals.
Recently, fireplace screens made of special heat-resistant glass have also appeared. But such screens are not able to withstand prolonged heating by a flame, and can only protect against random sparks. Therefore, they must be installed at a distance of no closer than 30 cm to the fire.

Fireplace fan

This is a device with which you can get pretty good traction. Such a fan is best used at the beginning of the fireplace fire, especially when it is rarely used and the chimney has time to become damp.
Among other things, a fireplace fan prevents smoke from entering the room. The power consumed by this device is small. It is installed in a horizontal position on the surface of the fireplace chimney on a special insulating substrate, to which it is attached with metal corners. It is connected to the electrical network through a switch that is installed next to the fireplace.

Additional accessories for fireplace maintenance

• mittens and bags that make it very convenient to carry logs
• special brushes designed for cleaning chimneys and pipes, which can be stored in vases made of steel or jade
• unusual stands for fireplace matches, made in the form of a vine, crescent, etc.

Components of the firebox and chimney

Grate bars- a grate that serves in the firebox for more uniform and complete combustion of fuel. The firewood ignites faster, and the coals fall through the grate into the ash box.

Portal, among other things, is an external decorative part of the fireplace that adorns the firebox.

Smoke circulation- a system of smoke channels for removing gases that are formed from the combustion of fuel in the firebox. The movement is specially organized along an ornate route so that the gases have time to release the maximum amount of heat into the room. Smoke circulation is designed to increase the efficiency of the fireplace. They must have the correct cross-section, capable of passing the entire volume of gases. However, if the cross-section is too large, the thermal output from the gas will not be maximum, which is why the fireplace begins to smoke.

Ash chamber— ash and fuel particles collect in it. It is located under the grate brush. Its other purpose is to facilitate the flow of additional air through the ash pan and the spaces between the grate bars to the fuel in the firebox. This fireplace attribute is similar in appearance to a flat box. It can be pulled out at any time to remove ash.

Deflector- a windproof device that is installed on a chimney and increases draft using wind energy, sucking gases from the chimney.

Hilo- Since ancient times, stove makers have called the smoke collector of a fireplace. It is the place where there is a smooth transition from the firebox to the chimney. Therefore, the beginning of the smoke collector is equal in cross-section to the firebox, and the end is equal to the chimney.

Shiber- this is the name of the type of stove valve that regulates draft and does not allow heat to escape freely. The rotary gate rotates around an axis passing through its diameter (then it is called a “ram”). In modern conditions, these devices are made in such a way that under the influence of a gas flow they rotate, automatically locking at an angle optimal for regulating the flow.

Pre-furnace sheet performs both decorative and practical functions. Firstly, it improves the appearance of the fireplace, creating the effect of volume and depth of the fireplace portal. Its practical function is that sparks and coals flying from the fireplace fall not on the open floor, but on the firebox sheet. As a result, the floor does not get dirty, scratched or burned.

Additional fireplace elements

• A convector or fireplace insert is a modern electric heater. This is the combustion container itself in which the wood is burned.
• The flame cut-off, double combustion and forced convection system are designed to “pacify” and “control” the fire in the firebox in order to protect its parts from excessive overheating, as well as to ensure maximum heat transfer to the room.
• Additional lining is an optional part in the construction of fireplaces, which is either insulating material with foil or cast iron plates that emit additional heat.
• Safety doors made of fire-resistant glass. There are double oven doors. In this case, internal lattice (“coal”) doors protect the coals from falling out and sparks from flying out of the open outer stove door, which is made solid or with holes to regulate the air flow entering the firebox.

1. If you need a mounted smoke duct, then do not forget about the possibility of using a steel chimney with a heat-insulating layer of basalt fiber.
2. Care must be taken that the head is not exposed to precipitation.
3. To carry out periodic cleaning of the chimney from soot, a pocket approximately 250 mm deep is made at the base of the smoke channel, and a hermetically sealed cleaning hatch is installed. If during construction the owner made sure that the fireplace insert was organized accordingly, then cleaning can be done through it.
4. In order for the smoke duct to work as expected, you need to think about how excess air will get into the room. It can compensate for air consumption during fuel combustion in the firebox of a closed fireplace at the rate of 4 cubic meters/kW/hour.
5. From the point of view of operation and safety, the most convenient fireplaces currently available are closed-type fireplaces with a cast-iron firebox.
6. To prevent the floors in your house from collapsing at the most inopportune moment, when choosing fireplace equipment, you should take into account the permissible loads on the floor and supporting walls.
7. The cladding has protruding parts, for example, a wooden shelf, a stiffening belt. They must be attached to the wall. In addition, the cast iron firebox is placed on a concrete fireplace mantel. The safe distance between the firebox and a fireproof wall is 10 cm. The firebox is connected to the chimney through a stainless steel pipe with a diameter of 230 or 200 mm. The contact points of the pipe with the chimney and the firebox pipe are hermetically sealed with fire-resistant materials and heat-resistant mastic.
8. The fireplace casing should be made of fireproof materials. Typically these are gypsum fiber boards attached to a rigid frame made of metal profiles. In this case, it would not hurt to protect the inside of the casing with special insulation, which can be a basalt fiber slab foiled on one side, with which it is installed towards the gypsum fiber boards, and aluminum foil towards the connecting pipe.
9. The floor made of combustible and difficult-to-burn materials must be protected, for which a metal sheet is placed under the fire door, the width of which will be 50 cm, the length exceeds the width of the firebox by 20 cm. The long side of the sheet should be located along the firebox.
10. The casing at its opposite ends has two metal ventilation grilles 35x20 cm, if, of course, they were installed there. They are usually placed at a distance of at least 30 cm from the ceiling. If the builders took care of the presence of a protective screen, then 35x20 cm gratings in this case are installed under it, and other iron gratings, 10x10 cm, are installed above it, preferably at different heights.
11. The amount of air supplied directly affects the duration and intensity of fire burning. It determines how efficiently the firebox will release heat, and its flow should be regulated using the blower valve. However, effective heat transfer also depends on the quality and quantity of fuel.