Chimney Smoke Chamber Diagram

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.

Chimney smoke chamber diagram.

Most chimney fires start in the smoke chamber smoke shelf area so it s the most important area to clean figure a. 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. The purpose of the smoke chamber is to compress the byproducts of combustion into a smaller space the flue inside the chimney without causing.

Typically the sides and front of the smoke chamber slope. Smoke shelf is the area behind the damper that is nearly level. If you can t reach it this isn t a diy project. 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. Keeping these joints in good repair with a high temperature refractory mortar will help ensure the fire is contained. Dec 18 2015 wondering whats inside a chimney or what needs to be checked durning a chimney inspection. Parts of a fireplace diagram.

According to the national fire protection association nfpa defective smoke chambers are the third leading cause of chimney related house fires. 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. Below is a diagram of a typical fireplace and chimney. 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.

Fireplace smoke chamber smoke shelf and damper design the firebox and the chimney are connected by a slot like opening called the throat. The back of the smoke chamber is usually vertical. This ensures total perimeter support for the flue liner. This space is used to allow smoke to mix and curl in a circular motion and rise into the flue.

It is the bottom of the chimney. 5a optional smoke shelf configuration fig. Most chambers are 3 4 feet in height but can be shorter or taller and out of proportion. The smoke chamber is the sloping section of the fireplace above the damper and throat but below the chimney flue.

Combustion chamber and smoke chamber fig.