Why You Should Have Your Chimney Professionally Cleaned Yearly
For anyone with a chimney in their home, the National Fire Protection Association recommends cleaning your chimney thoroughly at least once a year. 1st Choice Residential offers their chimney sweep services to anyone in either Fort Worth or Dallas. Keep reading to learn why you need to use 1st Choice Residential chimney sweep for your annual professional clean.
Why Do I Need to Sweep The Chimney?
Hiring a chimney sweep helps protect you from avoidable dangers and saves you money, too.
It will cut down your carbon monoxide risk. A clean, properly functioning chimney effortlessly carries carbon monoxide and other harmful by-products of burning fuel, including gas and wood, up and out of your home. If your chimney isn’t clean or properly vented, the process falters. The majority of chimney-related carbon monoxide problems happen due to improper exhausting, something almost entirely avoidable with regular inspection and cleaning by a chimney sweep.
It will help prevent chimney fires. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), there are more than 20,000 chimney fires every year in the United States alone. A dirty chimney typically contains a build-up of creosote, a highly combustible by-product of burning fuels such as unseasoned wood. This raises the risk of fire, leading to injury or even death.
How Often Should You Use a Chimney Sweep?
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends you have your chimneys, fireplaces, vents and solid fuel-burning appliances (think pellet or wood stoves) inspected at least once a year. This is probably true if you only use your fireplace occasionally, on the coldest winter nights. If you fire it up several times a week, you may want to arrange more frequent inspection and cleaning.
If you see creosote glaze — a thick, inky, almost cake icing-like substance that collects in your chimney and drips down into your fireplace — make that appointment ASAP, according to CSIA.
Why Hire a Service To Do a Chimney Sweep?
Cleaning a chimney is hard, messy work that many homeowners leave to the pros. The benefits of hiring this task out include:
- Fast and clean;
- In-depth inspection and identification of potential weak spots in the chimney liner (if used) or the chimney itself;
- Removal of blockages and debris;
- Can repair or replace the chimney cap or chimney liner if needed. Some chimney sweeps can make masonry repairs if needed. (Note that some states require state registration and approval before undertaking masonry work.)
If you do choose to clean your chimney yourself, invest in the right tools. These brushes and drop cloths can make the job easier and less messy.
What Will the Chimney Sweep Do?
A chimney sweep will, at minimum, inspect and clean your fireplace and chimney. That will take an hour or two depending on where you live, the condition of your chimney and the speed of the sweep hired.
The inspection and cleaning might begin inside, up on the roof, or both, and may or may not involve a camera. The sweep will remove any buildup on the chimney walls as well as blockages in the chimney itself. Expect them to take proactive measures to minimize mess, inside or out, and to clean up any debris before leaving.
If your chimney needs a deeper clean, such as a chemical treatment to get rid of late-stage creosote glaze, the visit may last a few hours. If the chimney sweep needs to do minor repairs, such as replacing a missing chimney cap or damaged chimney liner, they may complete this the same day, depending on the sweep’s policies and tools they have on hand.
If they suggest masonry or other in-depth repairs, discuss how to proceed. It’s a good idea to request a list of any suggested repairs, including an explanation of why these repairs are necessary, and suggested pros to complete anything outside the chimney sweep’s expertise.
