You may have heard fireplaces can make your home colder and wondered how to keep your home comfortable while enjoying cozy fires. Many open fireplaces are more suited for ambiance than creating heat. When you have a fire, warm air rises and draws the smoke out through the chimney. This also draws the warm air out of the house. This invisible force is called the stack effect.

The impact is exacerbated in drafty homes. When the warm air escapes through the chimney, it is replaced by cool air leaking in through gaps and cracks in the home. The greater the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the greater the stack effect, so it’s smart to avoid having a fire in an open fireplace on the coldest nights.

Wood fireplaces are not an efficient option to heat your home. Most of the heat goes out of the chimney. If you
enjoy the comforting ambiance and curling up in front of the fireplace during the colder months, here are some tips to efficiently operate a fireplace in your home:

Because it is out of sight, it can be easy to forget to close the chimney damper. The damper should be open when
you have a fire going or when any hot ashes are in the fireplace to ensure smoke and carbon monoxide don’t come into your home. Once the fire and all ashes are fully extinguished, close the damper. Leaving the damper open allows warm air to escape, wasting energy.

If your damper doesn’t close properly or your chimney doesn’t have one, purchase a product designed for the task. There are a variety of chimney plug sizes and styles available, including inflatable options designed to fit snugly in place.

Fireplaces with gas logs are required to be installed with a mechanism that always keeps the damper open. This safety feature allows gases from the pilot light to escape. Glass doors can reduce the impact of air leakage in the winter and summer months. Consider installing glass doors on open fireplaces and keep them closed to minimize drafts.

Sealed combustion gas fireplaces are fully enclosed systems that draw the air needed for combustion from outside. When properly installed, you get the benefit of warmth from the fire without the worry of heat loss from drafts. If you have gas logs and enjoy the ease of a gas fireplace, consider upgrading to a sealed combustion unit.

Turning the pilot light off in the summer can reduce wasted gas. If you plan to turn the pilot light off, follow the instructions in the owner’s manual to avoid potential safety issues.

Woodstoves and pellet stoves are additional options that provide more heat than wood or gas fireplaces. Federal tax credits are available for high-efficiency biomass stoves. A credit of 30% of the project cost — including the cost of installation up to a maximum of $2,000 — is available for products purchased and installed between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2032. The unit must have a thermal efficiency rating of 75% or more. Visit energystar.gov for more information.

If you have a woodstove, fireplace, or any fuel-burning appliance in your home, be sure to install and maintain smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can be harmful or even deadly if not detected.

Use these tips to keep your home warm while gathering your loved ones around a glowing fire during the winter season.