Proper Chimney Use

At iBuyWoodstoves.com we’ve got a variety of outdoor firepots and chimneys that can add a useful and elegant touch to any backyard or patio. Notice how we said outdoor? That’s the only place that these devices should be used!

Most Chimneys are manufactured in two pieces, the neck (or chimney) and the hearth. These two pieces are often fused together, but you shouldn’t move your chimney around by the neck because the bottom could fall off.

Unless the chemise has built in legs, it probably comes with a stand (or you can purchase one). Regardless, you’re going to want to find a nice level area on the patio or in the backyard for the chemise to rest. More importantly, you want to make sure that there is nothing above the chimney. Some things, like trees or awnings, can catch on fire while almost any covering is going to present ventilation problems as the smoke won’t clear the area (thus, a porch with a roof does not count as outside!).

Though the chimney is designed for fires, it is not designed to have the fire burn on the base. This will possibly weaken the clay and reduce the lifespan of the chimney. Sand, stone, or some other non-flammable resource should be used as the foundation for the fire. A few inches of base should be plenty.

Chimneys typically need to be “broken in” by burning a few small fires. You’ll want to make a few small fires and let them go out (without water) before making bigger fires in the chimney. Do not use any sort of fire accelerant (such as gasoline, light fluid, etc) to start a fire because the liquid can be absorbed by a clay chimney. Once you’re burning big fires, don’t burn them so big that fire shoots out of the top of the chimney. Though this probably won’t harm your chimney, it’s not entirely safe and not recommended.