TOTALLY OT!!! Fireplace flue?
Okay folks, don't laugh at me.
Okay, DO laugh at me, as long as someone can answer this: other than lying on my back IN the fireplace and trying to see up the chimney, is there a way to tell whether the flue is open or not?
I suppose another way would be to start a fire and see if the room fills up with smoke, but I'm looking for a serious answer here.
Okay, DO laugh at me, as long as someone can answer this: other than lying on my back IN the fireplace and trying to see up the chimney, is there a way to tell whether the flue is open or not?
I suppose another way would be to start a fire and see if the room fills up with smoke, but I'm looking for a serious answer here. 
Hi Bette, You may want to try bringing a flashlight with you when you lay down and have someone work the flu, you should see it opening. Lots of fireplaces have the chiminy offset a bit or a baffle to keep rain and whatever else climbs down your chiminy"Except Santa!" from getting in your house. Good Luck!
Julio
Julio: Good idea. And I'm not afraid of Santa, but we DO have racoons, opossums, skunks and squirrels, and I wouldn't be surprised to find a hungry and peeved one in there. 
In fact, the squirrels here are so naughty, we've had to have Cablevision out here 3 times in 4 years to fix squirrel-gnawed wires that have caused our cable to go out!
In fact, I may need to get one of those big, heavy Maglites, just in case.
In fact, the squirrels here are so naughty, we've had to have Cablevision out here 3 times in 4 years to fix squirrel-gnawed wires that have caused our cable to go out!
In fact, I may need to get one of those big, heavy Maglites, just in case. 
Wait for a breezy time, open a door a window on the opposite side of the house(Only one) and light a candle or match. Then hold it as close as possible to the top of the fireplace. If the flue is open, it should dance pretty strongly as the air is pulled through the house up the chimney.
It works, and is easy.
Peter
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