Using fireplace doors

[Think of Winter]

We have a fireplace that we want to use for the occasional cozy fire. We're not ready to spend thousands on an insert, so we just bought new glass doors at Home Depot to replace the broken, ugly ones that were there. Dh is opening up the package (that has a pic of a nice fire behind the glass doors), and in big red letters at the top of the instruction page it says "NEVER close doors while fire is burning."

Did we just get cheapo doors, or are you never supposed to close the doors while your fire is burning?

[velochic]

It will suffocate the fire. The doors are to hide the nasty ash when the fire isn't burning.

[PGTlatte]

And help keep heat from drafting out of your chimney when you aren't having a fire.

[Think of Winter]

Well, that does make sense. So why do all the pictures of glass doors show a big, beautiful fire burning behind them?

[velochic]

Originally Posted by Think of Winter

Well, that does make sense. So why do all the pictures of glass doors show a big, beautiful fire burning behind them?

To get you to buy them.

[JamieCatheryn]

Well, we close ours when we're done with the fire or are leaving the room. It's great to keep the smoke out when the fire is finishing up and smoldering some.

[rainyday]

:

We also close our doors when we're done with the fire for the evening and when we're leaving the room. It makes us feel safer to know that no stray spark can make it out. We've been doing it for 10+ years without a problem.