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Basic Chimney Sweep & Repair Blog

Signs You Need a Chimney Inspection

Your fireplace is the focus of family gatherings and a great way to take the chill off during the coldest winter nights.  For many, it is a basic necessity.  It can also be a source of danger to your home and family.  A fireplace that is improperly cared for may start a fire where you don’t want one, namely inside your chimney.  Although you remove them often, ashes indicate energy efficiency, showing that the fire completely consumed the fuel source.  It’s what doesn’t turn into ash that puts your home at risk.  Creosote is nothing more than unburned wood energy that builds up on your chimney’s inner surface.

Preventing Chimney Fires

No one can promise you that you'll never experience a house fire. We can however, minimize potential problems with chimney maintenance.

No one can promise you that you’ll never experience a house fire. We can however, minimize potential problems with chimney maintenance.

According to the NFPA, the second leading cause of house fires is heating equipment, and two out of three heating equipment fires result from heating appliances, which includes fireplaces, chimneys and wood stoves.  Of the fires that start in the chimney or fireplace, most are a direct result of creosote deposits.  Sadly, most are preventable with regular inspections and maintenance.  Prevent your home from becoming part of these statistics by scheduling routine chimney inspections to catch dangerous creosote before it catches you.

Cleaning Your Chimney

Regular chimney cleanings will remove the inevitable buildup of creosote and soot.  Unfortunately, there’s no simple rule of thumb for when to do it.  Don’t rely on the standard advice of having it done once a year or at some other set time.  Clean your chimney when it needs it—when the creosote is thick enough to warrant cleaning.  You’ll never be able to keep your chimney 100% creosote-free, but if left to sit, it will eventually harden into a stubborn glaze that’s even virtually impossible to remove without the proper tools.

Monitoring Your Chimney

Obviously, if you notice smoke flooding into your house, soot covering your furniture, even dark smoke constantly flowing from your chimney, you should suspect creosote issues.  Unfortunately, creosote may not make itself so readily known.  Until you know how much creosote your burning habits creates, check your chimney regularly to monitor the accumulation so you can catch it before it gets out of hand.

Inspecting your chimney is critical to ensuring your house doesn’t join the growing list of house fire statistics.  The chimney is inspected from inside the fireplace and then again from the top of the chimney.  The entire process takes less than an hour or two for even the most cautious and painstaking inspection.  The best course of action is to hire a professional to inspect your chimney prior to the beginning of the heating season and clean or repair as necessary.  The payoff for ensuring that your chimney is in prime working condition is priceless—peace of mind every time you build a fire.

By Ronald Caillais on March 31st, 2014 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Signs You Need a Chimney Inspection

Safety Tips for Your Clothes Dryer

Did you know that clothes dryers are one of the leading causes of home fires? Did you know that one of the main culprits for these fires is simply that the vents are not properly cleaned? Here are some basic tips to help keep your home and family safe.

Basic Chimney Sweep - Safely Operating Your Clothes Dryer

  • Clean the lint filter – make it a habit of cleaning the lint filter after each use. If the kids are doing laundry, make sure you show them how to properly remove the filter, clean it, and replace it before using the dryer.
  • Clean the dryer vent – cleaning the dryer vent on a regular basis should become habit. In addition, you should also have it professionally cleaned throughout the year. This is especially important for homes that have significant venting for their dryer. A regular household vacuum simply does not have the power required to completely clean out a lengthy dryer vent system.
  • Proper Installation – if you are purchasing a new dryer, make sure it is installed by a professional. Most stores will offer this service as part of the purchase. Even if there is small fee for the installation, you are better safe than sorry. A professional can check all electrical connections as well as make sure the ventilation system is properly hooked up.
  • Regular Maintenance – your should perform regular preventative maintenance on the dryer to keep it in good working order at all times. Manuals will provide a trouble-shooting guide for the owner but if you come across something that is beyond your expertise, you should call in a professional. If the dryer is still under warranty, the service call may actually be covered and not cost you a penny.
  • Do not overload the dryer – this is self-explanatory. Putting too many clothes in the dryer is not only unsafe, it is a waste of energy as it will take longer for the clothes to dry.
  • Never run the dryer unattended – it can be tempting to run the dryer right before bed or when you are heading out the door for errands or to go to work. However, if there is a problem, who will be there to recognize and address it? Be safe, only run it when you are awake and in the home.
By Ronald Caillais on November 21st, 2012 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , | Comments Off on Safety Tips for Your Clothes Dryer
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