What is it? And should I be worried if I see it in my fireplace?

Direct Vent fireplaces use fresh air from the outside to fuel the fire and exhaust the fume outside as well. Proper draft or direction of airflow in the proper amounts must be established for the fireplace to act appropriately.

Some people when they try to start their fireplace notice that after a few seconds the flames start to float above the burner and become very weak looking. After a few more seconds, the problem either corrects itself or the flames go completely out.

This activity is caused by trouble with draft. Either something is seriously wrong with the venting system or nothing is wrong at all and the problem is environmental and temporary. When the flame goes out, it is because the flame is starved of oxygen.

The heated air did not exhaust properly and establish a draft that pulled fresh air in to feed the fire.

Causes of Fireplace Flame Disappearing

This is mostly commonly caused by one or more the following reasons:

  • leaky joints in the venting system
  • excessive horizontal run or number of elbows in the venting system
  • downdrafts in the exhaust vent

How to Resolve this Issue

The very first thing to do is to have a chimney venting professional evaluate the venting system for your fireplace and make sure that it was installed properly and still properly connected.

If you simply have this problem on occasion during certain seasons of the year or certain environmental conditions and your fireplace overcomes the weak flames shortly after startup, it could just be that nothing is wrong but your particular fireplace simply has to work a little harder to establish a draft in these conditions.

Click here to contact Chimneys Plus for a free estimate if you want an expert opinion from us.