Kick Off the New Year with a Safe & Clean Chimney
You’ve probably got a sizeable to-do list as the new year begins, but we’d like to suggest that you add one more item to it: scheduling a professional chimney cleaning.
Annual chimney sweeping is recommended by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and every other hearth and fire safety agency. Oliver Twist Chimney & Fireplace of Huntington Beach, CA, would like to explain why.
Wood fires make creosote
The smoke from burning wood creates a substance called “creosote,” which builds up inside your chimney flue. Creosote is highly flammable and is the cause of most chimney fires in the U.S. each year.
Beyond starting a chimney fire, creosote can accumulate to the point that smoke can’t draft efficiently up and out of your chimney.
Five reasons to have your chimney swept
Annual chimney cleaning will bring you some important benefits.
1. Reduce the chance of a chimney fire
When temperatures inside a flue become hot enough, creosote can easily ignite. It happens all the time. Often, the fires are quick and go out on their own without people in the house even knowing about them. Sometimes, the fire is devastating.
Signs of a chimney fire include:
- A roaring or rumbling sound
- Clicking or tapping noises
- Dense smoke coming from either end of the chimney
- Charred materials dropping into the firebox
Should you experience a chimney fire, call 911 immediately and get out of the house.
Professional chimney sweeps use specialized brushes, rods, whips, solvents and vacuums to remove flammable creosote. This job should only be performed by trained technicians, never by “handymen” or amateurs.
2. Keep your flue drafting smoothly
Another problem with creosote is that it can narrow the passage in a chimney flue and cause smoke and combustion gases to back up into your home. Carbon monoxide is a particular concern. Although it’s invisible and odorless, it’s known to be dangerous and even fatal when inhaled by people and animals.
3. Remove debris
Leaves and twigs from nearby trees can fall into your chimney and create a blockage. The nests of small animals and the animals themselves when they die inside the chimney can also narrow the flue. A chimney sweep will remove this debris, but you can prevent it in the future by having a secure chimney cap installed.
4. Reduce chimney odors
A dirty chimney is a smelly chimney. Creosote and soot mixed with the moisture that happens when a fireplace is in use can lead to some pretty bad smells filtering into your home. Annual chimney sweeping significantly reduces this problem.
5. Prevent staining around the fireplace
Along with the danger of combustion gases moving into your home, smoke exiting a fireplace can leave ugly stains on the fireplace mantel, the outside of the fireplace and even items in your room near the appliance.
Schedule your New Year’s chimney cleaning today
Oliver Twist has served Los Angeles County and Orange County since 1987 with professional chimney cleaning and inspection. We have the tools and know-how to safely remove creosote and debris from your chimney and help to keep it safe all year long.
Speak with a chimney expert today to schedule a cleaning or get your questions answered. Call (714) 843-9944 or reach out through our handy contact form.
