You should never go to sleep while a fire is in the fireplace. It may seem safe—after all, the fire is small and controlled behind a metal grate. What could happen? Too often, all it takes is a small spark before a home goes up in flames.
You should never leave your fireplace burning and unattended overnight while you sleep. This represents a major safety hazard. A fireplace should never be left burning if it is going to be unattended in any capacity. This includes during the night while you sleep.
What do you do to put the fireplace to bed at night? If the fire is still producing heat, the damper has to be left open. And if the damper is open, the heat inside the house finds a fast exit to the outside. The answer is to make a cover to close off the entire fireplace, just as our ancestors did.
It's not safe to leave it on. Why Isn't It Safe? The biggest reason is that gas fireplaces can release deadly carbon monoxide gas, which is odourless and can go unnoticed until a person dies from carbon monoxide poisoning. It is best to not leave your fireplace on for more than three hours at a time.
In winter, the highest concentrations of fine particles in the air occur after midnight. This suggests that most of fine particle pollution is caused by wood heaters left to smoulder over night. One of the worse things you can do is to dampen down your fire overnight.
A fireplace burning at on high (HHV) will produce 55,000 BTUs and burn for a duration of 2.5 hours. The same fireplace burning on low (LHV) will produce 18,000 BTUs and burn for a duration of 8 hours.
Never leave a fire in a fireplace unattended. Before leaving the house or going to bed, make certain to fully extinguish the fire. Allow ashes to cool completely before disposing of them and note that ashes can take several days to cool completely. Never empty ashes directly into a trash can.
When you burn wood, it releases carbon monoxide (CO), a buildup of which can result in carbon monoxide poisoning. Early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include dizziness, headache, confusion, nausea, and shortness of breath.
Do You Need a Carbon Monoxide Detector for a Wood-burning Fireplace? The incomplete burning of any fuel, including wood, creates carbon monoxide. So, even if you have a wood-burning fireplace and don't have any gas appliances in your home, it's wise to invest in carbon monoxide detectors for your home.
Fire produces gases and fumes that can make you sleepy, weak, and confused. You can't smell these fumes, so if you are asleep the smell won't wake you – but a smoke alarm will.
If there aren't enough openings to make up for the air drawn up the chimney, it can cause negative pressure in the room, creating a partial vacuum. Air pressure forces air down the chimney to compensate, resulting in a smoky house. The solution is to crack a window near the fireplace to let air in [source: HGTV].
Fire emits electromagnetic radiation that travels in invisible waves through space. When these waves hit a combustible material or a person, the radiant energy is absorbed and converted into heat.
Although the image of a log fire is often associated with the holidays, romance and cozy nights inside shielded from plummeting temperatures, experts say wood-burning appliances are a threat to lung and heart health. They emit harmful air pollutants and fine particles that can enter the lungs and bloodstream.
Burning wood in your fireplace all winter may feel cozy and keep you warm, but smoke from those fires can also cause health problems. Wood fires release tiny particles that get into the lungs and can harm people with underlying health conditions. This can affect the lungs and the heart as well.
One traditional fireplace can't produce enough heat to warm your entire house. Fireplaces typically generate enough heat to warm the room they're in, and they can be very effective at heating that space. To heat your entire home, you would need a fireplace in every room that you want to be heated.
Leave the damper open overnight. Yes, you will lose some heat up the flue, but you will save the occupants of the home from poisoning by colorless, odorless carbon monoxide. In the morning, stir the embers and check them for any hot spots.
Wood burning stoves can be left unattended as long as a refuel hasn't just taken place and the stove is operating at a safe temperature. The door must be closed, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in place, and flammable objects at the correct distance as per the manufacturer's guidelines.
Home fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room in the home. The second leading cause of home fires are heating sources like wood stoves, and fireplaces. Fires caused by smoking are the leading cause of deaths.
Tips for preventing carbon monoxide poisoning:
Always open dampers before using your fireplace. Do not use generators indoors. Space heaters should only be used in well-ventilated areas. At least once annually, hire a professional chimney sweep to clean and inspect your chimney.
Wood-Burning Emissions Threaten Lung Health
Emissions from wood smoke, discussed below, can cause coughing, wheezing, asthma attacks, heart attacks, and premature death, among other health effects. Many of these pollutants can worsen air quality indoors and outdoors.
An overall rule for safe gas fireplace usage is to not let your fireplace—no matter which style—operate throughout the night. Unmonitored gas fireplaces can lead to dangerous, often fatal, outcomes. The two most concerning outcomes of leaving a gas fireplace on for too long are a house fire or a gas leak.
Can fireplaces start a house fire? Yes, fireplaces are capable of starting a house fire! Many people don't realize the possible dangers fireplaces pose. These dangers can be caused by such things as lack of maintenance or incorrect installation.