What NOT to burn in your fireplace

Seasoned wood belongs in your fireplace. Not Christmas wrapping paper or holiday packaging. Not pizza boxes. Not foam packaging. This week we are providing consumers with some new KZbin content to review that could help them make better choices when it comes to use of their fireplace. The series is known as #whatnottoburn. #ChimneySafetyWeek
As always, prior to use of your fireplace or wood stove, make sure that you have a good idea of whether the chimney is in working order. An inspection by a qualified professional can help you make that determination. Chimney Safety Institute of America trains chimney sweeps from around the United States, and a full list is available on our zip-code locator at csia.org/search.
We have a bevy of homeowner resources available at our website: www.csia.org/about-csia/faq.aspx

[@carle2661]

Comments section never fails to bring out the "experts" who have never once used or owned a fireplace. lol

[@QueenPlcj]

So cardboard and the wrapping paper would have worked had he put it in at different times and ripped up the box. But I get his point

[@paulnicholson1906]

When I was a kid we burned everything in the fireplace. In England the garbage man is called a dustman, that’s because at one time the only thing they had to pick up was ash. They key thing is not to overload the fireplace’s capacity. That said the tendency is to do exactly that so these days I have the garbage men pickup my trash..... if you burn a lot of trash in the fireplace you have a bigger clean out job.

[@peterpeterson9903]

This video is not particularly typical of a real fire place. This is an external fireplace so the air movement and pressures are incorrect. I agree you would NOT want to burn lumps of Styrofoam or un-crumpled paper bulging out the front of your fireplace like that however, filling the grate with paper crumpled or shredded up SHOULD not cause the flames to enter into the room if the chimney has an appropriate draw. I can fill my open fire with paper (usually destroying bank letters and statements) and the flames will roar away but I never have to worry about the flames coming into the room. Not only that, if the paper falls onto the trivet door which is beyond the fire opening, the flames are drawn back into the fireplace and do not pose a risk - not that I plan to do this.

[@farfan2752]

Thanks so much for the video

[@danielbartonik9960]

is this video intended for 5 years old kids ?

[@elijahharper6858]

There is a negative pressure on the home from fireplaces causing draft. Your burning it outside and until the stack gets hot your demo does not draft correctly of course. I agree with dont burn foam at all thats just dumb.

[@dutchbeef8920]

Nice outdoor chimney and fireplace 😍

[@Kinda_1]

Well who tf would shove that much paper to burn at one time? 😂especially in a chimney

[@AdmiraltyChimneyservice]

We have been getting a lot of call this week about alternative wood options so this came out right at the right time. We shared it to our FaceBook page too.

[@fishsquishguy1833]

I only burn empty (they have to be empty, that’s the trick) 2 liter bottles and old car batteries.

[@yvetteaube7701]

great video guys....gonna post to my Facebook

[@kateejustinmills8352]

An additional note about my previous comments: the chimney fire I experienced was not actually because of the cardboard, but because the firewood I purchased was not fully seasoned which leads to creosote build-up in the flue, and cardboard works exceedingly well at igniting creosote. So, use dry wood and make sure your chimney is cleaned and inspected every year or so.

[@truthseeker3967]

Can I use this as kindling: I have a bunch of old dried out ELDERBERRY twigs and small branches from two elderberry bushes I cut down- the branches have been outside getting rained and snowed on for several months and are bone dry- Are they safe for use in making a fire in my wood stove in my living area in my house?? Any info you have on that would be appreciated. Thank you.

[@l.b.7543]

Unfortunately having a fireplace is not for heat given it’s near 0%-20% efficiency rating. All your heat goes up the chimney instead

[@guyjohnson3775]

Yeah if that was enclosed could you just imagine not such a good example Man you get to thumbs up

[@coaster001]

I read somewhere that pizza boxes have a wax in the cardboard that acts as a good fire starter.

[@AlainTabangin]

Do people actually do that?

[@lobomuffin1775]

So I put some cardboard in a closed fireplace after sometime it exploded in smoke and blew out the hatches.

[@DarthDividend]

Epic!