Before Hiring A Chimney Sweep What should you know?
Before Hiring A Chimney Sweep you should prepare for the visit.
Most Chimney Sweeps will now work only from inside the house and clean the chimney with a snake and brush that is fed into the chimney through the fireplace or stove and up the flue. Insurance rates for on the roof chimney sweeps are very expensive so to avoid this most cleaning is done from inside the home not on the roof.
The firebox should be clean and free of ash and have no active coals. If the firebox is dirty the sweep sill charge you extra to clean the firebox of ash.
If the firebox has active coals, or is hot, the sweep will charge you for the service call but will request that you reschedule for him or her to come back when the firebox is cold and you will incur another service call as a result.
Why do you need to clean a chimney?
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.
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.
Dirty Chimneys reduce efficiencies. As little as 1/10-in. of soot can reduce heat transfer efficiency by up to 50 percent. Additionally, discovering and repairing air leaks can help reduce your overall energy bill.
How Often do you need to clean your chimney?
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!