Wednesday, March 30, 2016
5 reasons to sweep the chimney after winter
Why sweep your chimney? Prior to winter, OR just after Winters Close, you should sweep the chimney to clear out any debris that might have built up in the flue and pose a significant fire danger. A professional WETT Certified chimney sweep has all the necessary tools to effectively clean your chimney's flue and check it for overall safety. 1. Fire danger The more fires you build in your fireplace, woodstove or wood fuel furnace, the more creosote builds up in your chimney's flue. Creosote is a highly flammable, black or brown, tar-like substance that is caused by burning preservative-treated wood or unseasoned firewood. There are other sources of fire hazard, too: Over the spring and summer months, squirrels or birds may build nests in your fireplace chimney. The nests are highly combustible and pose a significant fire hazard. A chimney sweep will remove the nests and debris during the summer and fall months, after the creatures have vacated the area and before you build the first fire of the season. Cleaning and capping the flues in the Spring, will prevent these summer guests. 2. To prevent safety hazards During a standard servicing, the chimney sweep will inspect your entire fireplace, flue, brick seams, damper system and chimney for cracks or other safety hazards. When found early, most splits in the fireplace seams are easily fixed. 3. The damage to the flue's lifespan A chimney flue's lifespan can be significantly reduced if the soot and creosote are not cleaned out once per year. Soot and creosote trap moisture against the flue's surface, which causes it to deteriorate. 4. Poor fire efficiency A blocked flue system causes a fire to burn poorly and heats the home unevenly. It also blocks smoke and other harmful gases from flowing out of the chimney causing them to back-up into the home, which is dangerous. Your furniture, walls and other surfaces may start to smell like smoke and become discoloured from sticky residue. 5. Insurance requirements Many people are unaware that some homeowner's insurance policies require that fireplace flues be cleaned at least once a year. AND Fire Code stipulates annual Inspections, If a fire erupts and you don't have proof that your fireplace and chimney were cleaned by professionals, your insurance might not cover the damage. So when you have your chimney swept, make sure you get proper documentation and hold onto it. This will include a Receipt and/or the Technicians WETT Certification Number.
Sweeping the chimney every year will not only help keep your house safe, but will also help improve your fire's heating efficiency to aid in energy consumption.
