Chimney Care Company's Blog
All About Pellet Stoves
Opt for a clean-burning, safer, and cheaper heating system — a pellet stove.
Looking for an economical way to burn wood? A pellet stove is recommended by the US Department of Energy as a cleaner-burning and more efficient way to heat your home. What exactly is a pellet stove? Our knowledgeable staff at Chimney Care Company., as well as the Department of Energy, are happy to explain exactly what a pellet stove is, its benefits, and how you can enjoy this environmentally-friendly and cost-conscious method of heating your house.
What is a pellet stove?
According to the US Department of Energy, a pellet stove is an appliance that burns compacted pellets made of wood or other organic materials, like nutshells, corn kernels, and small wood chips. More convenient to use than wood-burning stoves, pellet stoves are also the cleanest solid fuel heating appliance on the market, with EPA-certified units boasting efficiency ratings of 70 to 80% and heating capacities of a range between 8,000 to 90,000 BTUs an hour.
How do you operate a pellet stove?
Equipped with every pellet stove is a fuel hopper, which will hold about a day’s worth a fuel at a time. A feeder device drops a few pellets at a time into the burner, and the rate of speed the pellets are fed into the burner determines the heat output. Exhaust gases are vented through a small flue pipe out the roof or an exterior wall. At Chimney Care Company, we have pellet stove models with a small computer and thermostat that control the feed rate automatically.
Is the fuel inexpensive and easy to store?
Sold in 40-pound bags for three or four dollars a piece or a ton for about $180 to $250, most homeowners who use a pellet-fueled appliance as their main source of heat use two to three tons of pellet fuel a year, much cheaper than any electric, oil, or propane-fueled appliance. As for storage, two tons sounds like (and is) a lot, but you do not have to buy all of your pellet fuel at once. Also, the pellets are very compressed and do not take up a lot of space. Compare the space taken up by firewood or propane tanks.
What are the drawbacks to pellet stoves?
More complex with expensive components that can always break down, pellet stoves must be cleaned weekly by the homeowner and annually by a professional. Also, these stoves require electricity to operate fans, feeders, and controls, so if your power goes out in a winter storm, you will be without heat in your home, unless you have a back-up power supply. Under normal usage, pellet stoves consume approximately nine dollars of electricity per month.
If you are interested in a pellet stove, contact Chimney Care Company today to schedule an appointment to come in and look at all of the pellet stove options we have for you. We are happy to answer any more questions you might have about this economical, clean-burning heating system.
Extending the Life of Your Chimney
Extending the Life of Your Chimney
Have you ever wondered if it was possible to maintain your chimney so well, that it could last for decades? With regular maintenance, it is certainly possible. We will give you tips and ideas on how to get your chimney to perform better and to last for a very long time. Call Chimney Care today.
Water is your chimney’s biggest enemy. A chimney cap can divert water away and keep your performance high.
The biggest secret in extending the life of your chimney is to make sure that you maintain the vital parts inside and protect it from water and from different kinds of obstructions. Maintenance includes regular cleaning and also repairing or replacing parts if the need arises. Sure it might cost quite a bit, but anyone would rather be safe than sorry when these minor damages cause major accidents.
First off, note that water is one of the biggest enemies against your chimney because it slowly, but surely, destroys the structure of the chimney. That’s why one of the major keys to extending the life of your chimney is to keep water out. Here are some of our recommendations:
Waterproofing
Have one of our chimney specialists apply a waterproofing sealant in the brick walls. This will prevent leaks and moisture from accumulating inside. Because where there is moisture, molds can inhabit and this will be a whole new health hazard for your home.
Chimney Cap and Chimney Crown
Having a chimney cap installed is very helpful. It will prevent animals and things from entering and destroying the inside of your chimney. The chimney crown’s function is to seal off the mortar bricks at the very top of the chimney so water can’t seep in through them and cause the bricks to slowly crumble.
Chimney Relining
One of the many parts that need ultimate protection is the chimney flue and liner. If in cases when damage has already been done, and the flue or flue liner already has cracks and holes, this needs to be fixed right away so that no backflow will happen. Backflow is when the smoke will enter your home instead of passing through your chimney. This is both unpleasant and very dangerous because everyone inside the home will be inhaling toxic byproducts of combustion, including the deadly gas, carbon monoxide. Chimney relining will solve this issue.
Extend the life of your chimney with Chimney Care. We have been proudly serving areas in the Cincinnati, Southwest Ohio, and in Kentucky. Call us to learn more.
Spring Checklist for Your Chimney
As days grew shorter and the weather got colder, many of us retreated indoors to the warmth of our homes and hearths. For those homeowners who made used their fireplace(s) during the colder months, spring is a great time to schedule a chimney inspection to make sure your chimney system is in good working order. If your assessment uncovers any issues that give you pause, call in a chimney professional to diagnose the problem before it gets big, expensive, and potentially dangerous. Deterioration of mortar joints, broken or spalled bricks, and water penetration are all signs that your chimney may need repair.
Homeowners who used their fireplace during the colder months should view spring as the perfect time to schedule an inspection to ensure their chimney system is in peak operating condition.
My Mortar is Crumbling
Open mortar joints and cracks in the mortar also cause water to penetrate your brickwork. A good repointing job, using proper materials, will enhance your chimney’s lifespan and will enhance its appearance, too. Repointing is far more than simply forcing some new mortar into your chimney’s cracks. The process requires different skills than traditional masonry, and even brick masons with years of masonry experience might not even have significant experience repointing chimneys.
My Bricks are Cracking and Breaking
Brick is known for its durability, but time and the elements can cause bricks to crumble or flake, a condition commonly referred to as spalling. Spalling is caused when the masonry absorbs too much moisture from rain/snow and is subjected to freeze/thaw cycles. Spalling bricks have cracks and breaks in the surface and often large, crater-shaped chips. The best way to avoid brick spalling is to eliminate the moisture. If the area around your chimney crown is cracked or the cap itself is defective, this allows water to seep into the brickwork below.
Water Penetration is Destroying my Chimney
Chimneys are notorious for leaking; the flashing is a common culprit of these leaks, as it lies at the point where the chimney rises above the roof. It keeps water out of the chimney, protecting both the flue and roof. Flashings are made from a variety of materials—aluminum, copper, galvanized steel, and/or tin. You’ll want to have new chimney flashing installed if yours is missing, rusted through, falling out, or completely covered with roofing tar (a common short-term fix that could be hiding a bigger problem).
An annual inspection of your chimney by a qualified chimney professional should include a thorough examination of the external structure to look for signs of deterioration or weakness, as well as a visual inspection of the flue inside your chimney to ensure that it’s in proper working order, too. The chimney professionals at The Chimney Care Company are fully prepared to meet all of your chimney inspection and repair needs. Give us a call or stop by our showroom today!
4 Reasons Why You Need a Chimney Cap
A chimney cap can protect and preserve your chimney for years to come. It’s a must-have for your chimney.
Look up. Do you see a cap atop that chimney of yours? If not, here’s why you need to fix that A.S.A.P.:
- To keep ice and water out. Without a cap, a masonry chimney will take on—and even absorb—a great deal of water, which is damaging not only to the chimney itself but to all components of the chimney and the areas around your chimney—your walls, floors, and ceilings. A wet chimney will also be a stinky chimney. Read more about why chimneys and water don’t mix here.
- To keep animals and insects out. Unless you love the incessant sounds of skittering and tweeting, infestations of insects and vermin, and the smells of dead animals, you will want a chimney cap to keep all living creatures out of your chimney. Animals, of course, make nests, too, which can impede the flow of air through your chimney, causing drafting problems, and become a fire hazard.
- To keep debris and trash out. Chimneys are known to become receptacles for whatever the wind carries—be it leaves and branches, trash, golf balls, etc.; you name it, we’ve found it there. These things might seem inconsequential, but they can cause blockages in your chimney that lead to fire, smoke damage, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
- To keep sparks and embers in. Chimney caps are equipped with wire mesh that won’t allow sparks and large burning embers to pass through, though toxic gases and smoke will be able to exit freely. You will want to keep sparks and embers inside your chimney so that they don’t catch anything adjacent to your chimney on fire.
New Chimney Caps and Chimney Cap Repairs
If you already have your masonry chimney capped, but have a cap that’s seen better days, we may be able to repair your existing cap. And if you do end up needing a new cap, we can make sure you have the correct replacement cap and that it is properly installed so that you’ll never have to worry about water getting into your chimney again.
If you have a prefabricated fireplace, your chimney cap is called a “chase top.” It’s important to know that not just any chase cover will do. Manufactured chimneys must have the proper manufacturer-specified chimney cap. The Chimney Care Co., which serves homeowners in Cincinnati, Southwest Ohio, and Northern Kentucky, can locate the correct chase cover or chimney cap for your chimney.
6 Questions for Your Sweep
No one expects homeowners to be experts on everything around their home. The truth is, there are some projects that are too dangerous or important to try and do yourself. Chimney sweeping and inspection happen to be both…too risky for you to do and too critical to cross your fingers and hope for the best.
Make sure you feel comfortable and confident with the chimney sweep you hire.