Do you have problems with smoke and soot on the glass on the fireplace? Don't despair!

Does the oven/fireplace not work as it should? There can be many reasons for this, but did you know that it is very rarely the fireplace itself that is wrong? It is easy to blame the fireplace when there is smoke and soot in the living room and on the glass, but in practice the fireplace is only an indicator that something is wrong. Although large resources are used to produce environmentally friendly fireplaces with a high degree of efficiency, the combustion principle itself is relatively simple. In order for a fire to start, 3 main ingredients must be combined: Oxygen, Combustible material, and Temperature. If all these ingredients are not present, a fire can never burn. The mixing ratio between these ingredients is decisive for how good the combustion is.

If there is not a sufficient amount of one or more of the ingredients, the result will be soot production. Little wood results in a low working temperature, which can result in poor combustion. Damp wood will give off water vapor during combustion and actually cool down the temperature in the fireplace and give the same result. If the fire is not supplied with a sufficient amount of oxygen, this will also result in poor combustion.

A good combustion therefore depends on the correct amount of each of the ingredients. If you have little combustible material (Wood), then not enough flames will be able to develop for the temperature to be sufficiently high. A low combustion temperature results in the working temperature in the fireplace not being good enough to ignite the gases and particles in the wood. Furthermore, the relatively low temperature in the hearth will not be able to provide enough heat for the chimney, which is absolutely essential for a good chimney hood.

In the example on the left below, we see a fireplace insert that has had a poor combustion due to poor working temperature. In this case, the fireplace has been lit with too little combustible material/wood, and the wood has been somewhat damp. The result is a thick and hard layer of soot on the glass, which is difficult to wash away.

In addition to soot production, there were also problems with smoke venting into the living room, and the fireplace mantle was also covered in soot. The owner of the fireplace suspected bad drafts. This problem was solved with proper firing technique. See the picture on the right where the flames are about to burn away the old and burnt-on soot on the glasses. A pipe draft measurement was carried out on site, which showed a good draft of 23 pascal.

Pipe draft: The pipe is the engine of the combustion system itself. It not only has the task of guiding the smoke out of the fireplace and the home, but it also has the main task of ensuring that there is enough oxygen for combustion. This is possible because the heat in the pipe creates a buoyancy and sends smoke and hot air up and out of the pipe. In the "draught" of this smoke and hot air, new air is drawn in. In other words. The pipe draws air from the home through the fireplace and to the combustion, and further out through the pipe. All this happens due to buoyancy in the pipe channel. A long pipe channel will give a better draft than a short pipe.

Does the fireplace not move? No, the fireplace is dead and completely dependent on a good "engine" to function as it is intended to do. The confusion probably stems from the old messages given by sweepers and professionals over the years - "You must fire with a good draft to avoid soot production" and then adjust the air supply valves/hatches on the stove. This has probably led people to believe that it is the fireplace that draws, but in reality, by adjusting the valves, you have actually opened them so that the chimney is able to draw more air into the fireplace.

In this guide, we will review step by step how to light a clean-burning fireplace, so that you ensure a good draft and a good combustion temperature. We can already reveal that the lighting technique in a clean-burning fireplace has been completely turned upside down compared to what you may have been used to in the past. Literally.

NB: The manufacturer's own user guide guides how the product should be used. Our firing guidance is general, and intended as an aid. Always refer to the manufacturer's user guide before following this.