Can You Pour Water Onto Your Fireplace?

If you have a fire burning in the fireplace, and it's getting too hot and causing smoke to get into the room, is it okay to pour water on it?

It's a question I hear from time to time, so let's go over what happens if you pour water into a burning fire.

Water shouldn’t be poured on a fireplace as it can cause lots of smoke which can potentially damage the structure of your fireplace as well as causing messy ash that will lump together and be difficult to clean. Pouring water onto a fireplace can also cause steam burns and smoke inhalation depending on the heat of the flame and type of wood used.

If you’re looking for another way to clean and extinguish your fireplace that isn’t damaging and messy then read on!

Pouring water onto your fireplace with water isn’t recommended as many of the materials used in your fireplace are water-sensitive, causing damage when in contact with water. This can weaken the structure of the fireplace as well as causing rust which can be expensive to fix.

When you pour water onto a fire, the water will quickly evaporate into steam, if the fire is hot enough this can lead to steam burns.

Pouring water onto a fireplace can also affect the ventilation, meaning that the smoke will be pushed into your home. This causes smoke inhalation as vapours that would normally go out through your chimney are stuck inside for you to inhale.

Smoke inhalation can cause dizziness, trouble breathing, andlong term health issueswith enough exposure. Wood burning fires also release carbon monoxide which is poisonous in large quantities.

After learning why not to use water to extinguish an indoor fire, let’s look at the best ways to put out your fire.

The best ways to put out your indoor fire in a fireplace are to use baking soda, a metal grate, poker, or shovel. When the fire has been put out and cooled down, it is important to remove the embers for safety reasons.

So, how can you safely put out your indoor fire in a fireplace?

1.Get a poker and spread out the wood and embers so that they cool.

2.Using a shovel, put some cool ash on top of the embers to help smother them.

3.Next, sprinkle some baking soda on top of the ash to remove any leftover embers.

4.Then leave the ashes to cool overnight before attempting to clean the fireplace.

Why is baking soda used to help smother a fire?

Baking soda, once heated, turns into carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide can be produced in fires, so increasing the amount of carbon dioxide will lower the amount of oxygen (oxygen is a main fuel source for fires) helping to smother and extinguish the fire at a faster rate.

Make sure that you leave the ashes in the fireplace for a minimum of 24 hours while they cool down as the embers can still catch on fire again up to 48 hours after the fire being put out. You could also lay down a metal grate, leaving the coals to burn out and cool for 24 hours before cleaning your fireplace.

Once the ashes have cooled down, clear away the ashes and store them in a metal container away from your home and flammable materials. After a few days, they should be safe to throw away.

An eco-friendly alternative to throwing the ashes away would be to use them in your garden. When cooled, they can be used as plant fertiliser or added to a compost pile.

Now, you may be wondering how you can clean your fireplace and whether water can be used? Let’s see.

After putting out your fire, the fireplace will need to be cleaned before it can be used again.

But can you use water?

You can use water to clean your fireplace if you use a small amount. Using too much water can cause damage to your fireplace as mentioned earlier. How can you use water to clean your fireplace?

Removing soot from your firebox bricks can be tricky. But, by wearing rubber gloves and following the methods described below your fireplace will be spotless.

·Mix 1 cup of baking soda with 2 cups of water, and then apply it on the sooty areas of your fireplace. Let it sit for 15 minutes before you scrub off the residue with a damp (not too wet) rag or brush. This technique works great on walls as well!

Another way to clean up any leftover mess in your fireplace is by usingwashing-up liquid, salt, vinegar, and water.

Fill a spray bottle with cool water and two buckets with one gallon of warm water each. To the first bucket, add two tablespoons of grease-cutting washing-up liquid. To the second bucket, add one cup of distilled white vinegar.

Spray the firebox with water. Dip a bristled scrub brush into the soapy solution and dust it with table salt. The abrasive salt will help loosen the soot.

Brush the dampened area and use a sponge to wipe away the soot. Dip a second sponge in the vinegar solution and rinse the cleaned area. The vinegar helps cut through any remaining residue and reduces smoky odours.

If You’re more of a visual learner, we have you covered. Go watch this video by the US Fire Administration on how to extinguish a fire.