Chimney Cleaning - The Importance & Benefits | SHL Distributors

Chimney Cleaning – The Importance & Benefits

You may not know it but cleaning your chimney regularly doesn’t just improve the burning process, it can also save your life. Check out more benefits of chimney cleaning here!

The popular maxim, ‘fire is a good servant but a bad master’ finds expression even in the place considered to be safest for human habitation – the home. Every home needs fire to serve several ends but nothing can be more disastrous when a chimney fire occurs. Among the top causes of out-of-control chimney fires are cooking and heating, two major activities that most homes cannot do without. So, why would these essential activities turn into causes of home hazards? The answer is most often than not an uncleaned chimney.

You may not know it but cleaning your chimney regularly could save your life. Check out more benefits of chimney cleaning here!

Most homes needs fire to serve several ends but nothing can be more disastrous than when a chimney fire blazes out of control. Among the main causes of out-of-control chimney fires are when we cook or heat our homes using solid fuel where the heat producing appliance is served by a dirty flue. So, why would these essential activities turn into deadly hazards? The answer is most often than not an unclean chimney.

Dismissing the importance of chimney cleaning is probably the reason why one out of every five house fires in Ireland starts from the chimney. You might have begun to take in this piece of information on the basis that, well what can be truer than house fires caused by a dirty chimney? However, on second thought you might begin to also wonder what chimneys are there for if they shouldn’t take up soot. Here’s why too much soot in your chimney can cause fire outbreaks. When you burn combustible objects, especially wood, the combustion releases a by-product called creosote, and it is one of the main reasons why you should take chimney cleaning very seriously.

Creosote is the blackish residue of burnt wood particles that build up in the flue liner. The creosote building up in the flue liner may not raise any alarms at first, but it can thicken over time and become glazed against the walls of the flue liner, and even begin to corrode the metal. Creosote becomes more hazardous given its inflammable property. Remember that it is made up of wood particles and is therefore combustible. Given the right temperature, the creosote in your chimney can ignite. You may however still insist that chimneys are built to take some fire. However, chimney fires can damage the fabric of your chimney and surrounding block work. Chimney fires can spread rapidly to flammable parts of the house, causing irreparable damage. So, before you complain about the cost and hassle of chimney cleaning or having it inspected, consider for a moment and weigh it against the cost of repair of a house fire or even death. 

Aside from the structural damage to your house, burning fires with dirty chimneys can pose serious health hazards. The health effects can range from minor issues like eye and skin irritation to more serious ones like respiratory difficulties and carbon monoxide poisoning. With a dirty chimney, the flue can become partially blocked meaning you can have noxious carbon monoxide spilling out into your living room or kitchen. CO is harmful to your health. The scary thing about carbon monoxide gas is that it lacks taste or smell and permeates your environment undetected. Unfortunately, its stealthy spread is its greatest weapon. High levels of undetected exposure to carbon monoxide gas will kill.    

Now, you most likely don’t want your heating system to develop complications either for your heating needs or your health, neither do you want to have to spend on avoidable repairs or suffer human loss as a result of a dirty chimney. Then, let’s talk about chimney cleaning.

How to tell if your chimney needs cleaning:

Your chimney needs cleaning and it needs to be done regularly. The next thing you should know is how to identify when your chimney needs to be cleaned. One of the easiest ways to know it’s time to clean your chimney is by regular inspection of the chimney. You most likely won’t conclude that your chimney needs cleaning by just sitting in front of your fireplace feeling all warm and cozy.

When you carry out personal inspections of your chimney one of the signs of a dirty chimney you may come across is the noticeable presence of creosote or soot in the upper section of chimney. You can identify creosote when you notice black oily spots that look tar-like lining the walls of the flue. You would also notice that the buildup of creosote might be obstructing airflow in your chimney. Another sign of a dirty chimney is the absence of rising smoke. Chimneys are built to channel smoke out of your house. But when you constantly notice the absence of smoke from your chimney know that there is little or no airflow through it – a ‘no-smoke sign’ of a blocked or partially blocked chimney. Also, you can sometimes tell your chimney needs cleaning from the inside of your house. If you experience difficulty lighting up your fireplace, or the fireplace spills a lot of smoke into the room or you notice the fire burns poorly it might be an indicator that your chimney is choked up.

Your health and body reactions can also tell you your chimney needs cleaning. Sometimes when you feel nauseous, fatigued, or experience headaches don’t simply rush out to the nearest health center and spend heavily on drugs. In many cases, these symptoms are due to carbon monoxide inhalation. Recall that this noxious gas can go undetected so pay attention to your body signs. To be on the safer side, it is best to have a carbon monoxide detector installed to confirm leaks easily. You may not be aware but it is a legal requirement to have a CO2 detector installed when there is a heat producing appliance such as a stove in your home.     

How often should you get your chimney cleaned?

Regular chimney cleaning is not an arduous thing to do. First, you are securing the safety of your home, life and property, you are prevented from spending on avoidable repairs, and you are maintaining an efficient heating system for your house. Experts recommend that you should clean your chimney at least once a year. Whether you use a masonry, metal, or prefabricated chimney, a yearly chimney cleaning routine is the least you can do to maintain your chimney life and prevent hazards.

Professional assistance is also recommended if DIY cleaning options will not work for you. A complex chimney such as metal twin wall rigid chimney may require the engagement of professional chimney specialist or sweep. You can simply arrange for an annual cleaning schedule with chimney cleaning services closest to you.

How long does it take to clean a chimney?

The amount of time you can spend cleaning your chimney largely depends on the amount of cleaning needed to be done or the efficiency of whoever is doing the cleaning. On average, cleaning your chimney takes between 45 minutes and one hour. However, if you have too much soot or creosote in your chimney it is best to spend sufficient time getting it all removed mechanically

If you are hiring professionals then cleaning your chimney takes lesser time to complete. Most professionals spend about 30 minutes cleaning a chimney as they are very effective at their work and the use of the right tools. Chimney cleaning equipment like wire brushes, power sweeping systems, polypropylene brushes, and flexible cleaning rods are some of the tools that afford an efficient, effective and time-saving chimney cleaning experience.

Conclusion

Chimney cleaning is essential to effective management of your house facilities. It guarantees a better heating experience, safety and financial prudence with just an annual cleaning routine. So, when you map out your yearly resolutions don’t forget to include chimney cleaning.    

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