The best thing you can do for your fireplace and chimney system is to have it inspected and swept on an annual basis. You need to make sure that there’s no damage from a long winter of use. There are two main reasons that your chimney could be damaged. One of these is because of a chimney fire and the other is water leakage.
When we think of a chimney fire, we usually think of a roaring, terrifying event. Surprisingly, the fact is that most chimney fires take place without the owner even being aware of it, and that’s one reason to have your chimney inspected annually. If a fire occurred and you weren’t aware of it, there may be damage that’s affecting how your fire burns or how the smoke is being carried out of your home.
As for leaks, water damage can cause key components of your fireplace and chimney to become rusted and damaged and it can also affect how smoke is directed out of your home. These are just a couple of the reasons that it’s important to have that annual inspection completed. But what about the sweeping part of that?
Annual Sweeping
The main reason you’ll want to have your chimney swept is because of creosote buildup. When you burn a fire in your fireplace, one of the outcomes is smoke. Smoke is made of the residual moisture that is left in the wood after you cut it and a number of chemicals. Such chemicals include nitrogen oxides, benzene, styrene, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and aldehydes. Your fireplace is designed to direct that smoke out into the open air. If it does not go out the chimney, these chemicals and smoke can cause serious health issues for your household. As it flows up the chimney, the smoke hits the cooler interior of your chimney, where it condenses and causes a layer of creosote to develop.
The more fires you burn, the thicker the creosote buildup. This is a highly flammable material, and even as little as an eighth of an inch can catch a spark and cause a chimney fire. When Owens Chimney Systems comes in to clean your chimney, we’ll make sure to get rid of all that creosote so that you don’t have to worry about the dangers of a chimney fire the next time you use your fireplace.
Schedule Early
You may wonder why early summer is a great time to have this done. One reason is that when the warm, humid air hits the chimney, the nasty odor that comes off the creosote can stink up your home. That’s something no one wants to live with! Another reason not to wait is that in the summer, you have plenty of time to schedule a sweeping that works best with your schedule. Waiting until fall means having to schedule around hectic family schedules and the sweeps busy season. Give us a call soon to set up an appointment and make sure your home stays sweet smelling all summer long.