Owning a home with a chimney and fireplace adds a sense of coziness that most people enjoy. However, you must keep your chimney in tip-top shape to preserve the life of the fireplace and the safety of your home. Routine chimney cleaning is important if you plan on using your chimney most of the year to heat your home.
Increases Heat Efficiency
Keeping a clean chimney and flue allows for the correct amount of oxygen to enter to keep the fire hot. If a fireplace goes without routine cleaning, then soot and creosote buildups increase. As a result, the fire can’t burn properly. Improper fires that don’t produce enough heat lead to higher heating bills.
Avoids Chimney Fires
The creosote mentioned above is a dangerous substance created when you burn unseasoned wood or when there aren’t proper amounts of oxygen stoking the fire. Just a minuscule amount of creosote can jump-start a chimney fire. Fires that occur in the chimney can become extremely hot. Protect your home and your neighbor’s homes with proper chimney maintenance.
Prevents Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Output
Routinely burning wood in your fireplace will inevitably build up soot and clog your chimney. Just as oxygen can’t make its way in, smoke and carbon monoxide can’t make their way out. A clog in the flue causes smoke and carbon monoxide to billow back into the house. Carbon monoxide poisoning is very serious and can be fatal at high levels, as is continually inhaling smoke.
Makes for Easier Inspections
Hiring a chimney sweep company is a crucial element in the cleaning process of your chimney. A clean chimney makes for an easier inspection with more visibility to the smoke shelf and damper. It’s also always a plus for companies making a routine check.
Now you know why routine chimney cleaning is so important to the health of the home and everyone who lives there. Choosing a house with a fireplace gives you a sophisticated feel, but the cleaning process isn’t all that glamorous. Get a routine chimney sweep at least once a year to keep the flue and fireplace in good condition.