Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Why A Professional Chimney Sweep Is So Important

By Toni Vang


Winter brings with it extremely low temperatures and the need for heating in the home. A common option is the fireplace, and those who use them know that this means keeping their chimneys in a safe condition. The latter, too, need to be maintained and cleaned. Many people might not be able to carry out this maintenance themselves, and that is why they should use a professional chimney sweep service to do so.

Chimney sweeps are not merely casual laborers who do the job on a part-time basis. They belong to a recognized profession in the USA, one which has its own national authority (namely the Chimney Safety Institute of America or CSIA) and system of certification. If you are trying to hire one, you should take note of this fact. You should always determine whether the contractor you are trying to use is certified.

One of the most common problems encountered in the use of a chimney is the accumulation of creosote in its interior. Creosote is formed when the wood burns, and especially so when newer, more moist (i. E. Greener) wood is used as fuel for fireplaces or stoves. Chemically, creosote is the general name for a range of carbon-based compounds that form when plant matter is burnt.

The creosote attaches to the masonry in the outlet and collects into deposits there. This is extremely dangerous and should not be allowed to happen. Regular and thorough sweeping is needed to prevent this threat from arising.

Creosote itself is highly combustible. In other words, it can easily catch fire. This is particularly possible in chimneys, where it is exposed to air at high temperatures. This is known as a chimney fire, and these fires can potentially cause the entire home to burn down. Their sparks can cause fires in neighbouring properties.

One in four household fires in America are started because of creosote. Sweeping the chimney is therefore not about spring cleaning or cosmetic effect. It is a matter of household safety and something that every fireplace owner should have done on a regular basis. Using a sweeping service is not an extra expense - it is an important part of household safety.

As an aside, and less to do with safety, creosote has another implication for fireplace users: it decreases the movement of air in the outlet and so the fire has less oxygen. The lower the supply of oxygen to the fire, the lower the temperature at which it burns. This means that the homeowner is not going to get as much heat out of their fuel as they should, since the fuel efficiency of the fireplace is lower.

Those who are concerned about the state of their outlets should contact a sweep service in San Diego CA and ask for an inspection. Sweeps can inspect the premises, as well as the heating installation, and suggest that it be cleaned or repaired. This is not necessarily a task that the home-owner is qualified to perform. Yet they should realize how important it is, not only in terms of their own safety, but that of their neighbors too.




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