Why you Need to Clean your Chimney!
After this initial blog post we plan to post about some more fun and exciting topics, but this first one we need to get down to the bare bones of your chimney, the dangers of poor maintenance, and how to keep your chimney operating as it should! Stay with us for this one because it is so important! We believe that being educated is the only way to prevent accidents and potentially tragic events from happening. Each year over 25,000 chimneys catch fire due to build up or a defect in their chimney. These fires and corresponding injuries are almost always preventable. Don’t put your family at risk by ignoring your chimney. Here are some signs to look for to know when it’s time to get maintenance done:
What are the signs?
- Smoke gathering while the fireplace or wood fire stove is lit. When there is a build up of soot in the chimney it can cause the smoke to enter the room instead of up and out. Always check the damper as well if smoke is filling the room, you may have forgotten to flip it open. The damper is a small door attached to an iron lever that should be open every time there is any size fire lit. Call for a chimney cleaning first thing to prevent a chimney fire.
- Hearing strange noises. If you hear roaring, abnormal cracking, or popping this could be a sign of a chimney fire. This combined with large amounts of black smoke is a sign that something is wrong and you need to evacuate the home and call 9-1-1 as quickly as possible. Do not attempt to look up the chimney to check for fire or put the fire out on your own. Even if you’re not sure, call anyway. It’s better to be safe than sorry! No one will be upset by a false alarm, but ignoring a chimney fire can be detrimental.
- The fireplace screen or glass is covered in black residue. This is a sign of Creosote build up and that your chimney needs attention soon.
- You notice signs of animals. Especially during colder months, small animals like squirrels, raccoons, and birds often take shelter inside of chimneys. This can clog up the vent and prevent smoke from releasing out of the top. Some signs that there are animals in your chimney are scratching or whimpering noises, feathers or fur gathering in the firebox, and seeing a nest under the cap. If you suspect there may be animals in your chimney, call an exterminator to remove them and then contact Elite Chimney to have your cap inspected or have one installed if you didn’t previously have one.
Fireplaces and wood burning stoves are beautiful and cozy additions to any home
There’s nothing better than enjoying a nice quiet night cuddled up with your loved ones in front of a fire. Fireplaces are the backdrop to so many amazing family memorie, but if you ignore regular maintenance it can be the backdrop for a tragedy.
Don’t interpret this as a scare tactic that we use just to drum up business for ourselves, while we’d love to be your go to chimney cleaning service, we don’t care who you call as long as you are protecting yourself and your family. It is recommended by the Chimney Safety Institute of America that you get your chimney cleaned and inspected every year before you light a fire for the first time of the season. If you suspect any issues with your chimney, do not hesitate to contact our office to get one of our professionals out to inspect it as quickly as possible.
