Everything you need to know about Chimney Sweeping
Why Should I Have My Chimney Inspected By A Professional?
You should inspect and possibly sweep your chimney regularly to remove creosote from the lining of the flue. There are 3 distinct levels of a chimney inspection, They are explained here
Creosote is a highly flammable residue that builds up over time from combustion in your chimney. Chimneys should be cleaned when any noticeable creosote buildup occurs. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) claims that as little as ¼” of buildup is enough to cause a chimney fire capable of damaging the chimney or spreading to the home. Cleaning your chimney also reduces the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in your home. Creosote is black or brown in appearance and it can be crusty and flaky, tar-like, drippy and sticky, or shiny and hardened.
PREVENT FIRES: CLEAN YOUR CHIMNEY REGULARLY! In 2005, there were 62,000 heating-related home fires, resulting in 607 deaths, 1,550 injuries, and $900 million in property damage (NFPA).
How often do I need to Swept my chimney?
It is recommended that your chimney be inspected and swept frequently. The National Fire Protection Association( NFPA) recommends the inspection of chimneys at least once a year, more if you use your fireplace regularly. This applies to both wood-burning and gas fireplaces! Even if you do not use your fireplace, your chimney should still be inspected for possible system failures.
Open Fireplace
The majority of your build-up is in an area called your smoke shelf and flue liners. The smoke shelf is located right above your damper and can only be properly cleaned from the inside. We use long-handled brushes and vacuums with HEPA filters and will remove creosote out of this area. Up to this point, everything we have cleaned so far has fallen behind the damper in the pit area. We then will sweep and vacuum out this area removing all of the fallen creosote. Next, we will clean the inside firebox. Once the entire chimney has been cleaned from top to bottom we will go over any concerns or recommendations. This cleaning process takes approx. an hour or two.
Fireplace Insert With Liner
Once the top section has been swept as noted above we head inside. On the inside of an insert at the top there usually is a baffle plate or a layer of bricks. We remove those pieces, This will allow us to remove everything we have swept down and will allow us to remove the buildup on the top of the stove as well as the walls. Once that is completed we put everything back together. Next, we will clean out the stove itself. This cleaning process takes approx. an hour.
Fireplace Insert without liner
THIS SYSTEM IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE, NOT RECOMMENDED, AND NOT APPROVED BY NFPA CODE! However we do inspect and sweep these systems as well. Once the top section has been cleaned as noted above we head inside. Next we will remove the insert out of the firebox. This will allow us to get behind the insert as this area gets extremely dirty. The majority of your build-up is in an area called your smoke shelf. This area is located right above your damper and can only be properly cleaned from the inside. We use long handled brushes and will clean out this area. Up to this point everything we have cleaned so far has fallen behind the damper in the pit area. We then will clean out this area removing all of the fallen creosote. Next, we will clean out the firebox and will put the insert back in. This cleaning process takes approx. 2 or more hours to do.
Gas Fireplaces
Once the top section has been cleaned as noted above we head inside. The majority of your build-up is in an area called your smoke shelf. This area is located right above your damper and can only be properly cleaned from the inside. We use long handled brushes and will clean out this area. Up to this point, everything we have cleaned so far has fallen behind the damper in the pit area. We then will clean out this area removing all of the fallen creosote. Next, we will clean the inside firebox. We also clean off the logs and put them back. Once the entire chimney has been cleaned from top to bottom we will go over any concerns or recommendations. This cleaning process takes approx. an hour
Free Standing Woodstove
Once the top section has been cleaned as noted above we head inside. On the inside of an insert at top there usually is a baffle plate or a layer of bricks. We then remove, this will allow us to remove everything we have swept down and will allow us to remove the buildup on the top of the stove as well as the walls. Once that is completed we put everything back together. Next, we will clean out the stove itself and will clean off the build-up on the glass. Lastly, we will wipe down the stove. This cleaning process takes approx. an hour
Pellet Stoves
Pellet stoves are very tedious to clean. Once the top section is cleaned as noted above we head inside. Next we take of the chimney stove pipe that is attached to the pellet stove. This allows us to clean out everything we have swept down. Next we take of the fans in the back and clean them. We also clean out the back compartments. Once that is clean we put everything back together in the back area. Next we clean out the inside of the stove and all of the compartments.
This is a very detailed cleaning, this is necessary to insure that your pellet stove will function properly and will work as it is supposed to. This cleaning process takes approx. 2 or more hours to complete
