Chimney

buildings · fire safety · air flow

Carries smoke away. A chimney is a vertical tube made of brick, stone, clay, or metal that pulls smoke and hot gases from fireplaces, stoves, and furnaces up and out of your home, keeping you safe from toxic fumes.

Stack effect magic. Hot air naturally rises, which creates something called the stack effect, a natural pull that sucks air into the fire for burning and pushes smoke upward without needing any electricity or fans.

Not just in houses. Chimneys aren't just for homes, factories, ships, and old steam locomotives all had chimneys to release their hot exhaust safely so smoke wouldn't harm workers or passengers.

The flue inside. The empty space running up through the middle of a chimney is called the flue, and it's the actual tunnel that smoke travels through to escape.