Chimney Care Company's Blog
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.
Getting Optimum Draft
Your Chimney’s Draft, And How It Can Be Compromised
As comprehensive chimney and fireplace service professionals, the techs at the Chimney Care Co. tend to talk about draft a lot — it’s pretty much the key to your chimney’s proper function, so maintaining draft is key to what we do, too.
The Chimney Safety Institute of America has a detailed breakdown of the science behind how your chimney works, but if you want the chimney draft CliffsNotes, here’s a simple breakdown.
Not only does optimum draft increase effectiveness and performance, it also minimizes risks.
Draft is, more or less, how air draws up your flue. And it occurs because of a difference in pressure between the hot air produced by your fire and the cooler air outside your flue. When heated air is getting produced by your fire, some degree of draft will happen, but what you really need is optimum draft — the proper level of upward pull, which happens when your chimney system is properly built, in top shape, under optimum burning conditions.
That probably sounds like a tall order, all those optimums. But that’s what we do at the Chimney Care Co.: We use the right methods, tools and expertise to get your chimney system set up for optimum draft.
What Can Stop Optimum Draft?
Ensuring optimum draft means getting rid of all the things that hinder draft. Wondering what those things are? Here are a few of the most common problems:
Blockages
This one’s kind of a given: If something is blocking off your flue, air can’t flow like it should. The most common flue blockages are usually an indication of another problem, like a missing chimney cap allowing animals to nest in the chimney, pieces of a damaged chimney liner falling into the flue, or excess amounts of creosote being present because of an overdue chimney sweeping appointment.
Improperly Sized Flue
Heating appliances are designed to vent through a specifically sized flue. A flue that’s too small leaves you with weak draft and smoking issues. A flue that’s too large generally draws too slowly leading to poor venting, increased levels of creosote and often liner and masonry damage from acidic condensate, too. The mismatch in sizes sometimes happens when a new appliance is installed to vent with an existing chimney, and the flue size isn’t taken into consideration. The most effective solution: having a new stainless steel flue liner installed to bring the flue to its proper size.
Your Appliance Isn’t Getting Enough Air
Fireplaces and stoves need combustion air to encourage draft and keep byproducts and smoke moving in the right direction. If you’re having issues with smoke coming into your living area and your home has energy-efficient windows and doors, those energy savers might be keeping your fire from getting enough air. Try cracking a window and see if it helps.
You’re Using The Wrong Fuel
If you have a wood-burning appliance, here’s one rule that has no exception: Burn seasoned or kiln-dried wood, always. Burning improperly dried wood leads to a fire that doesn’t burn hot enough, which means a weak draft and increased creosote. If you’re collecting and cutting your own wood, let it dry for six months to a year. (Christmas trees and trash: also a no-no as far as proper fireplace or stove use goes.)
If you’re experiencing draft issues, The Chimney Care Co. technicians can inspect your system, find the culprit and offer solutions. If you’d like to schedule an appointment, or ask any questions, just give us a call!
Prolong Chimney Life by Waterproofing
Many of us are guilty of the fact that we only pay attention to things inside the home once they start creating problems. Take your chimney for example, it seems as if it will last forever. But once it creates problems like leaks and such, you tend to pay close attention to it because the effects can be crucial both to your pocket and to your home.
Water is your chimney’s enemy. Make sure it doesn’t make its way in there.
What most of us don’t realize is that our chimneys go through severe weather changes throughout the year. That’s why they are very prone to chimney leaks and eventually deterioration of their infrastructure. We owe it to ourselves to give enough attention to the chimney so that we can avoid the hassle of repairing major damage. You will be able to save a great deal of money and protect your chimney.
Water and Your Chimney
Water is the number one enemy of chimneys. The moisture can help mold to breed in the tiny spaces between chimney bricks and produce harmful toxins that will threaten your health. Furthermore, it destroys the structure of the chimney over time. So if you really want to extend the life of your chimney and to somehow help in reducing the costs long-term, waterproofing your chimney becomes mandatory. Waterproofing your chimney means that every measure is taken to make sure that water will have no entry point into any part of your chimney.
Installing a Chimney Cap is Important in Waterproofing your Chimney
By installing a chimney cap, you are already hitting two birds: helping your chimney live longer and preventing leaves and bird nests to enter the chimney and cause further damage. It has two goals and benefits to give:
- To protect your chimney from water and other things that might block it
- To beautify the roof even more. (Having something put on your chimney opening is pleasing to the eyes.)
To attain the maximum efficiency of your fireplace and chimney consider contacting a chimney sweep duly licensed by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. You can also check with the National Fireplace Institute because without a licensed professional in the field, the process might take more time than usual and more money as well. Our company, Chimney Care Co., has the best licensed professionals to take care of your chimney. Our years of experience will guarantee a fully-functional, well-maintained chimney. Nothing beats excellent service and outstanding people to do all these for you.
The Science of Combustion
What goes on inside your chimney when the fire is roaring in your fireplace? Basic chemistry and physics play a critical role in the effectiveness and safety of your heating system.
Three ingredients are necessary for combustion to take place – fuel, heat and oxygen. If there is an imbalance, there will be performance and safety issues.
Improving Indoor Air Quality
Do you smell smoke inside your house? Not a good sign! Your fireplace or chimney might need a check-up. Do it now or else the quality of your indoor air will be compromised.
How can my chimney improve air quality?
One of the things fire needs is air, or to be more specific, oxygen. That’s one of the three elements needed for combustion (fancy way to say “fire”). The other two elements needed are fuel and heat. Add them all up and boom! You’ve got a fire. The problem is, without the perfect combination of these three elements, you’re going to end up with some pollution. Some of it will stick to the inside of your chimney (that’s called creosote), and some of it will be fumes that float into your home (called spillage, or wood smoke pollution) and can cause all kinds of problems. But don’t worry—there are a few simple measures you can take to stay safe while operating your fireplace.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
It’s a great song, but smoke doesn’t just get in your eyes. Wood smoke pollution releases pollutants and toxic fumes into the air that are harmful to your health in a number of ways:
- Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) that can cause cancer
- Fine particle pollution (ash) that damages lung tissue and creates respiratory problems
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, nitrogen oxides
What Goes Up…
Ideally, smoke goes up the chimney, right? Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. There are a few things that can complicate the situation.
- Incomplete combustion of fuels
- Drafts
- Improper exhaust
Fight Smoke with Fire
Three things you can do to reduce smoke:
- Have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually
- Burn dry, seasoned wood
- Make sure your house is well ventilated before starting a fire
Having your chimney maintained is your first line of defense. We can point out any problems with exhaust, and we get rid of creosote, which can build up and cause blockage. Wood that is green or has moisture can’t get hot enough, which means that fire has to work just to stay alive, which creates incomplete combustion. Making sure your home is well ventilated gives your fire the air supply it needs, so it doesn’t have to suck air down through the chimney.
Moldy Situations
We can’t end without saying something about mold. Both air ducts and chimneys can be habitats for mold to grow and reproduce. Mold is often an unseen enemy of air quality in the home.
Health risks associated with mold:
- sinus and respiratory problems
- coughing
- headaches
- eye and throat irritation
The best ways to combat mold are by having your chimney waterproofed and getting your air ducts cleaned. We’ve got a lot of happy customers that we’ve helped with all kinds of chimney issues, including improving the air quality of their homes so they can rest assured that their families are safe while that fireplace is running. Give us a call today, to see if we can help improve the air quality in your home.