A flue directs smoke outside of a home when a fireplace is in use. This duct within your chimney includes a damper that can be opened or closed by a lever or pull chains, in most instances. It’s important to keep the flue open when a fire is burning, or smoke will have no where to go but back inside the house. Once the fire is out, it’s important to close the flue so the warmth that was created doesn’t escape out the top of the chimney. Closing the flue is a simple procedure that only takes a couple of minutes.
- Turn off the gas to the fireplace or wait for wood to burn out. Allow the interior portion of the fireplace to cool before attempting to close the flue. Closing the flue too soon will cause any remaining smoke to drift into your house.
- Put on work gloves to keep your hands free of soot. Peer inside the fireplace with a flashlight to find a vertical lever or set of pull chains, either of which close the flue. The location varies by fireplace, but generally the lever or chain set is found toward the interior front of the fireplace.
- Push the lever up slightly to disengage it from its support tab and then pull it away from the tab horizontally as the damper lowers into a closed position. If your fireplace has pull chains, pull the longer chain to disengage the damper and then pull the shorter chain to close the flue.
Things You Will Need
- Work gloves
- Flashlight
Tip
Certain fireplaces may feature a knob on the exterior front of the fireplace that controls the damper. Turn the knob completely to one side to close the flue.
Warning
Always make sure the flue is open prior to starting a fire so the smoke can exit your home properly.
Written by Jennifer Pinto; Updated December 15, 2018 | Source https://homeguides.sfgate.com/close-chimney-flue-23769.html