Chimney Smoke Chamber Diagram

Fireplace smoke chamber smoke shelf and damper design the firebox and the chimney are connected by a slot like opening called the throat.

Chimney smoke chamber diagram.

The smoke chamber is located just above the. It is at this point that a damper followed by a smoke shelf and a smoke chamber are provided to help direct the smoke and combustion gases out of the chimney to the outside as shown in figure 1. Call our chimney sweeps in the gaithersburg md area for help. The diagram shows the layout of a fireplace and chimney commonly found in a home but as all houses are built differently the layout and design of your fireplace may differ from the one shown above.

Smoke shelf is the area behind the damper that is nearly level. Parts of a fireplace diagram. If you can t reach it this isn t a diy project. Keeping these joints in good repair with a high temperature refractory mortar will help ensure the fire is contained.

The purpose of the smoke chamber is to compress the byproducts of combustion into a smaller space the flue inside the chimney without causing. If properly designed a smoke chamber is supposed to smoothly evacuate the smoke and products of combustion out of the fireplace to the flue and eventually out of the chimney to the outdoors. Beginning at the level of the smoke shelf the front and sides of the smoke chamber are corbeled in and the rear wall is constructed vertically. The smoke chamber is the area above the fireplace firebox where you build your fire just below the flue.

This space is used to allow smoke to mix and curl in a circular motion and rise into the flue. The back of the smoke chamber is usually vertical. The smoke chamber is the sloping section of the fireplace above the damper and throat but below the chimney flue. This ensures total perimeter support for the flue liner.

Dec 18 2015 wondering whats inside a chimney or what needs to be checked durning a chimney inspection. In a fireplace without a chimney cover the rain water will pool on the smoke shelf mix with the soot behind the damper and form an acidic slurry that can destroy the mortar joints. Since that area is hard to reach in some fireplaces check yours to see if you can reach into it and still have room to maneuver a brush. 5a optional smoke shelf configuration fig.

Most chambers are 3 4 feet in height but can be shorter or taller and out of proportion. It is the bottom of the chimney. According to the national fire protection association nfpa defective smoke chambers are the third leading cause of chimney related house fires. Combustion chamber and smoke chamber fig.

For the safety and efficiency of your fireplace it is important that any gaps cracks or holes in the smoke chamber be sealed and the brick corbelling be made smooth.