Chimney Throat Repairs Can Improve System Efficiency

If you were to try to compare your chimney’s setup to your own respiratory system, your fireplace opening would serve as a mouth, the flue as something like a windpipe, and your chimney’s throat as, well, the throat. (There’s logic, sometimes, to the way things in a chimney system are named.)

When you think about a human throat’s design, it makes a lot of sense – it’s smooth and streamlined, encouraging the easy passage of air past the mouth, into the windpipe. If a throat were constricted or blocked or otherwise not open and streamlined, that easy passage would cease. The same goes, in a sense, for the throat in your chimney system – to get the optimum flow of air to occur, you want a smooth, streamlined throat in place.

When clients call Pristine Sweeps complaining about draft issues, the throat is one of the components we take a good look at. If your fireplace throat is damaged, poorly designed, or poorly installed, draft will generally suffer, which can lead to smoke, odors, and other unpleasant and unwanted results. And throat repair, often involving implementing smart, more effective design, can help a lot. Schedule with us today.

Rumford Design: A Better Throat Makes a Better Fireplace

Count Rumford created a masonry fireplace design in the late 1700s that became the leading design worldwide throughout much of the 1800s. The reason for its success is that it allowed for optimum draft and optimum heat reflection. While the Rumford fireplace fell out of favor for some time, chimney professionals have been turning back to Rumford’s design more and more in recent years, because it truly does provide some of the highest levels of efficiency and performance you’ll see.

A big part of Rumford’s design hinges on a well-designed, streamlined throat. While some fireplace designs include a squared-off and flat throat that disturbs flow and creates turbulence, the smooth Rumford throat encourages a direct, easy flow of air (and with that, an efficient, effective draft) up into the smoke chamber and then the flue.

At Pristine Sweeps, we can improve or repair a traditional throat by incorporating a streamlined Rumford throat. We can also repair or replace an existing, damaged Rumford throat.

We’re Here To Help Our Neighbors in the Seattle Area

If you’re having draft issues, or have a damaged throat, call us at 206-574-8414 now. Pristine Sweeps’ experienced, CSIA-certified technicians can make throat repairs that can significantly improve your chimney system’s performance! Call or schedule online today!

 

The chimney crown is one of the most important barriers against moisture intrusion into your chimney/fireplace. If it needs repair or rebuilding, you can rely on our skilled technicians to restore it to its best condition.