Guide for Burn-In Procedure on a New Fireplace

new fireplace

Reports show that there were 358,000 single-family homes with a fireplace that were built in 2017. These results show how popular fireplaces are for a home. That is why many people tend to enjoy the addition of a fireplace in their homes. But when you add a fireplace, you will also need to know the burn in procedure for a new fireplace.

There is a certain way that you should break in a fireplace, whether you have a gas fireplace or a wood-burning fireplace. There are certain things you should do to break in your fireplace.

Keep reading to find out how to break in a fireplace for your home.

How to Break In a New Fireplace

If you plan to buy a fireplace, you will need to know how to break it in. Like many new things, a new fireplace needs to be broken in for you to regularly use it.

This process is important as this is a new appliance in your home and should go through a trial run. Doing this allows you to later start using your fireplace as often as you like.

You should always check the fireplace manual before attempting to do this. Some fireplaces may have a specific burn in a procedure that you need to follow when starting your fireplace.

If that isn’t the case for your fireplace, you can follow these tips to help you break in a new fireplace. These tips will usually apply to any kind of fireplace, whether it is a wood burning fireplace or a gas fireplace.

Create Air Circulation

When starting a new fireplace for the first time, you will want to do a few things beforehand. You should first make sure the room is ventilated before starting the fireplace.

You can do this by opening any windows or turning on ceiling fans. This is important as you want to make sure that the room is not going to become overwhelmed with any odors.

It is quite common for fireplaces to smell unpleasant when you first turn them on. This applies to any kind of fireplace as it is heating up for the first time.

You will need to continue to keep the air circulating when the fireplace is on for this break in period. You may even need to continue to circulate the air in the room for several hours afterward.

Start the Fireplace

If you are working with a gas fireplace, you will want to start the fireplace on the high setting. If you are working with a wood-burning fireplace, you should start a small fire.

You should allow the fireplace to stay on for 1 to 3 hours. There is no specific time that every fireplace needs to break in, but it is a good idea to let it stay on for several hours.

You will need to then turn the fireplace off or extinguish the fire so that it can cool down. Allow the fireplace to cool down completely before turning it on again.

Let the fireplace continue to run for several more hours. If you are using a gas fireplace, you should allow it to run for a few more hours than you would a wood-burning fireplace.

This process is important as it allows the fireplace metal to contract and expand under the heat. Once it does this, it will have been broken in, and you can enjoy it as often as you like.

What to Expect When Starting a New Fireplace

When you are trying to break in a new fireplace, you may not know what to expect. That is why it is a good idea to know what may happen when starting this process.

Breaking in a fireplace is going to be different from how you will use it afterward. It will also react differently as it is being heated up for the first time.

Here are a few things that you should expect when you start your new fireplace.

Odors

One thing that you may not realize is that a new fireplace is going to have a strange smell initially. When you first start your fireplace, do not be alarmed if it smells strange.

The majority of fireplaces are going to have a strange odor the first and second time that you start them. They may even have an odor 3 to 5 times of use after you have bought it.

It may have a smoky or oily smell that is coming from the metal. This is not an issue and the smell should go away after the first few uses.

That is why it is important to make sure the room is well-ventilated so that the smell does not stay in the room.

Smoke

Another thing that you may not realize is that there may be a small amount of smoke coming from the fireplace. When you first start a new fireplace, it is going to react to heating up for the first time.

You may notice wisps of white smoke coming off of the surface of the fireplace. This is nothing to be concerned about as this is coming from the actual surface of the metal as it is heating up.

This will usually only happen in small amounts the first or second time you use the fireplace. If you continue to notice this happening, there may be an exhaust issue that needs to be addressed.

You may also notice a smoky smell, which is also very normal.

Burn Procedure for a New Fireplace

If you plan to buy a new fireplace, you may not know about the burn and procedure you need to follow. Anytime you get a new fireplace, you will need to break it in so that you can use it as often as you want to.

Are you interested in buying a fireplace for your home? Contact us today at Dreifuss Fireplaces for high-quality fireplace options.

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