Why Fireplacesace Safety and Chimney Cleaning Matter

Many household features can be taken for granted without threat to family safety, but your fireplace and chimney aren’t among them. More things can go wrong with a chimney than many homeowners realize. Consequently, thousands of chimney-related fires and other dangers occur each year due to lack of chimney maintenance.

Wood-burning fireplaces create wonderful ambiance but also contribute to chimney problems. Every wood fire results in highly flammable creosote deposits in the flue. For these reasons and more, every leading fire safety organization says annual chimney inspections are essential. Routine chimney cleaning by a qualified chimney sweep is just as vital. The following are some of the signs that fireplace and chimney inspection and cleaning should be scheduled without delay.

You Suspect that You’ve Had a Chimney Fire

A chimney fire occurs when the creosote or other objects inside your chimney flue catch fire. It’s not always obvious that a chimney fire is occurring because some of these dangerous fires are small and slow-burning. Other chimney fires engulf the flue, and it’s easy to discern that something is very wrong. If you detect any of the following, immediately evacuate everyone from your home and call 9-1-1!

• It sounds like a huge bonfire inside your chimney flue, with loud popping or crackling sounds.
• Unusually dense smoke and/or flames are coming from the top of your chimney.
• An intensely hot, strong odor is emanating from your fireplace.
• You hear a sound like a freight train or airplane in the chimney.

It’s always crucial to contact a chimney sweep expert if you suspect or know that there’s been a fire in your chimney flue. Chimney fires are intensely hot and they often cause damage to chimney liners. Once a chimney flue has suffered deterioration as minimal as a small crack, it is hazardous to use the fireplace before the liner has been repaired or replaced.

The Fires in your Fireplace Burn Poorly

If you have difficulty getting a fire started and keeping it burning in your fireplace, a chimney obstruction could be preventing proper airflow. A sufficient amount of air is one of the requirements of a healthy fire. Excess creosote is the most common cause of chimney obstruction. Debris such as leaves, animal nests, and bits of masonry from a deteriorating chimney liner are also common reasons a chimney becomes blocked.

Poor draft in a fireplace can result in toxic fumes going into the home instead of up through the chimney. Deadly carbon monoxide is among those gases.

Black Soot is Staining the Top of your Chimney

If you use your fireplace frequently in winter but can’t remember the last time you scheduled chimney cleaning, it’s possible there is a thick layer of creosote in the flue lining. Extreme weather conditions could cause the sooty components of creosote to begin staining the top of your chimney. Contact a certified chimney sweep company for a chimney cleaning as soon as you can.

Call Burlington Fireplace & Solar

Our certified chimney specialists at Burlington Fireplace & Solar can provide you with reliable chimney services to ensure your family’s safety in winter. We offer the best chimney maintenance, chimney repairs, chimney inspections, and other chimney services in Burlington WI and the surrounding area. Contact as Burlington Fireplace & Heating today at 262-763-3522.