Can the Wrong Fireplace Doors Actually Cause a Fire???

It’s FIREPLACE FRIDAY with Jeremy Biswell, live from Fluesbrothers Chimney & Stove in Kansas City! Today we are going to talk about Glass Doors on Fireplaces and in particular “Factory-Built” Fireplaces. These type of fireplaces are built in a box and then surrounded by an insulated area, and yes they are built in a factory - but they should ALWAYS be installed by a Certified Professional for sure. This type of fireplace is also called a ZC fireplace which stands for Zero Clearance. This refers to the ability to place the unit in a spot where is is close to wood structural elements because of the nature of the already insulated box to protect from any combustibles reaching inside the walls or chimney.

These can be installed into a framed opening. Builders opt to install these rather than masonry or stone fireplaces. They have been in use for 20+ years so you can be sure that many of them DO need to be replaced. (Yes, we can do that.) The chimney is also framed out of wood and either covered with siding or even with brick sometimes.

Now, back to the Fireplace Doors. They must allow for the proper air flow while using the fireplace. This means that the doors need to be “listed” or matched to the fireplace. We never want the doors to impede the airflow built into the manufactured fireplace unit.

Problems arise when people unknowingly install “masonry” fireplace doors on "pre-fabricated" fireplaces. Mismatched doors can create heat patterns inside the box that the unit was never designed for and the excess heat may actually get hot enough to make the surrounding wood framing susceptible to combustion. Remember these Manufactured Fireplaces are tested under a controlled environment with the properly matched doors installed. When that is changed trouble can arise! Hard to believe that the wrong fireplace doors could actually cause a CHIMNEY FIRE - but it is a possibility for sure.

We do NOT want the Fire Department at your house for dinner during the Holidays!

Moral of the Story…
If you need to install doors, please Call a Pro and do things SAFELY.

913-236-7141
1701 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, KS
www.kcsweep.com

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