Dampers Help Start and Control Fires - Fireplace Damper Use Explained

When the weather turns cold, pillows of smoke billowing from the chimney tops can be seen as homeowners enjoy the warmth of a crackling fire. And while many homeowners know to open the damper when they start the fire. Many don’t know how to use the fireplace damper to control the fire.Fireplace damper positionOne of the functions of the damper is to help start a fire in your fireplace. For a fire to ignite, it needs oxygen. By opening the fireplace damper, you’ll be allowing air to get in the chimney so that the fire can start. With the damper open, the fire will continue to build, and allow smoke, soot and other contaminants to vent through the chimney.But leaving the damper fully open while the fire is burning also allows the heated air to escape causing your fireplace to operate less efficiently. You might even find the room not as warm as you would prefer. The burn rate increases too requiring more wood to fuel the fire.However, partially closing the damper will reduce the oxygen l...