We’ve had an incredible fall with warmer temperatures, but winter is here. If you haven’t done a chimney cleaning in a while, this is the time to do it!
Millions of people across the United States, and here in Rhode Island, use fireplaces and wood-burning heating appliances to keep the family warm during winter months. While a warm fire can be beautiful and cozy, not properly maintaining the heating units can lead to property damage from chimney fires, or full-blown housefires.
While we are always happy to help anyone in need of restoration cleaning after a fire, we hope you don’t have to call us!
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), chimney fires cause 30 percent of all house fires. There are more than 70,000 house fires annually causing more than $1.3B in property damage and more than 2,500 injuries.
Staying Safe While Using Wood Burning Heating
As you know, the chimney is how you ventilate your home, allowing toxins, smoke and harmful fumes to escape, but over time those chemicals build up. Residue from creosote and soot stick to the flue and masonry inside the chimney with each burning fire.
Over time, heat and burning embers from the fire will cause the creosote to ignite, which is often all that it takes to spark a fire in the chimney.
Cleaning Improves Heat Efficiency
Your fireplace efficiency decreases when additional creosote is deposited in the chimney. The additional circulation of cooler air reduces energy efficiency requiring you to burn more wood and other fossil fuels, more often to stay warm.
Also, small birds, rodents and insects can clog the flue preventing the escape of toxic fumes. And since the toxic fumes have difficulty escaping a clogged chimney, the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, AKA the silent killer also increases. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) reports that there are more than 200 carbon monoxide poisoning deaths each year. A professional chimney cleaning by a certified chimney sweep will significantly increase the efficiency of your fireplace and other home heating appliances so that warm air stays inside and the dangerous fumes stay outside.
Prevent Costly Chimney Repairs
A wood-burning fireplace can reach temperatures of 1100°F or more. This creates ash, bits of wood, soot and other particles that are by-products of the combustion process that can cover the flue liner, smoke shelf, damper and masonry with dirt, grime and contaminants.
Professional chimney cleaning helps to reduce wear and tear on these components so you can prevent costly chimney repairs from having to replace them prematurely. In addition, a thorough top to bottom chimney cleaning can help uncover minor masonry problems before they develop into larger and more expensive chimney repairs.
Have an emergency? Call us 24/7 at (401) 849-6644.
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