Chimney Care Company's Blog
What Exactly Are Fireplace Inserts?
A fireplace is a real selling point for a home. Many people love the idea of warming up in front of a crackling fire and a home with a fireplace is exactly what they want. The problem is that fireplaces, especially older fireplaces, are known to be drafty, cold, and inefficient. This is a problem because heating a room is what a fireplace is all about. If you have an older fireplace and you know that it isn’t running as efficiently as it should be, then maybe you need to look into converting your fireplace with a fireplace insert. If you’d like to have all the benefits of a working fireplace without the expense and time spent installing a new one, then a great option for you would be to look into a fireplace insert. Whether you want to heat with wood, gas, or pellets, we can hook you up with a great insert that will make your fireplace more efficient and still give a great looking fire!
What Is a Fireplace Insert?
One of the major reasons that adding or replacing a fireplace is not ideal is because it is a time-consuming undertaking. It can also cost quite a bit, not only because of the cost of labor and supplies but because you may have to pay to have your flooring reinforced in order to hold the weight of the fireplace structure. That’s why a fireplace insert is ideal. An insert, no matter what type, isn’t as heavy, as expensive, or as time-consuming to install as a fireplace would be.
A fireplace insert is basically a new firebox that is surrounded by steel or cast iron that is set inside your fireplace. It also includes an insulated glass front. Not only is this less expensive and easier to install, but it will also increase the efficiency of your fireplace because it’s a closed combustion system in which the cast iron or steel hold the heat. Some of these appliances are also outfitted with blowers that can take that trapped heat and blow it back into the room through vents located in the front of the insert. This can create a great source of supplemental heat to your home. Just turn down the furnace, fire up the insert, close as many doors as you can and you’ve got a room that is heated by the cozy flames of a mesmerizing fire. What a great way to spend the evening!
Types of Inserts
There are several different options to choose from when it comes to fireplace inserts. If you love the traditional look of a wood burning fireplace, you can definitely go that route. It does seem like a throw-back to a simpler time, when you went out and chopped your own wood, stacked it to make sure it was properly cured, then brought it in on a snowy evening, laid a fire and kept it burning all night long. If, however, you just don’t have the time or the energy to go to all that effort, it could be that a gas burning appliance is the right choice for you. All it takes is adding a gas line, getting your unit installed, and flipping a switch and you’ll have a great looking fire burning. Flip the switch again and you’ll be ready to turn in for the evening. It doesn’t get much simpler than that!
If you want ease but really like the look of a wood-burning fire, then maybe a pellet burning appliance is the right way for you to go. With a pellet burner, you buy pellets that are made of pressed wood or sawdust, so you’re using an environmentally friendly heat source that would otherwise go to waste. These pellets are stored in a hopper in the basement, then are augered into your insert at the touch of a switch where they burn with a natural looking wood fire. This is the best of both worlds, wood burning with touch of a button ease.
Let the Experts Help
If you’re looking into replacing your fireplace with a more efficient insert, whether wood, gas, fire, or propane, just give Chimney Care Co. a call and let us help you get it going. We are experts when it comes to the installation and upkeep of any type of appliance. When it comes to proper installation, it’s especially important to follow all the manufacturer’s directions to a tee. This is especially true when it comes to installing a gas appliance because it’s important to make sure that the gas hook up is right or you could run into some real safety problems. That’s why it’s so important to give us a call and let us set it up right. Our professionals are CSIA certified, so we’ve had the best education and training in the industry! Call us soon, and it won’t be long until you’re enjoying your warm, efficient insert!
Stay Safe Over the Holidays
With the busy-ness of the holidays, we sometimes forget that there can be holiday disasters as well. Because this is such a happy time of year, it’s important to take special care to keep your home and family safe. If you own a fireplace, there are some safety tips that you can follow that will have your family and friends enjoying the fun and togetherness of the holidays with no worries. Of course, one of the most important things that you can do is make sure that your chimney and fireplace have been inspected and cleaned before the holiday season. If you haven’t had that done, give Chimney Care Co. a call and see if we can fit you into our holiday schedule. But there are other things that you can do to make sure that you have a safe, happy holiday as well.
Make Sure You Have Wood That’s Been Properly Cured
One of the things that you can do to make that your wood-burning experience goes well is to make sure that the wood you’re burning has been properly cured. When you cut a tree for firewood, a lot of moisture remains in the wood and it remains there for many months. That’s why it’s so important to use wood that’s been cut for at least six months, and even longer is better. Once you’ve cut your wood, you’ll want to split it and stack it, allowing air to circulate between the wood so it will dry out. If you cut your own wood, it’s easy to know how long your wood has been cured, but if you buy your wood, it’s not as clear. There are some things that you can do to make sure that your wood has been properly cured. First, check out the color of the wood. The lighter and grayer the wood, the longer it has cured. More cured wood will have less of a woody smell, and it will be lighter weight. There may also be cracks in the wood, especially around the edges, and when you clap two pieces together, it will ring rather than sound dull and thunky. As you burn wood, any remaining moisture will be released in the form of smoke. If your wood has been properly cured, it means that you’ll have less creosote buildup in your chimney, which means less chance of a chimney fire. Less smoke also means that your room will be less smoky, and that means a more enjoyable burning experience. A smoke-filled room can lead to irritated eyes and a hacking cough, as well as a scratchy throat.
Scope Out Your Room
Another thing you’ll want to do is scope out the layout of your room. Make sure that any pillows, cushions, or other furniture aren’t too close to the fireplace. The same is true for toys, magazines, books, or curtains. If any of these are too close to the fireplace, they might catch a random spark or ember and start on fire. At Christmas time, you’ll want to be especially careful of where you place your tree and gifts. A real tree can get dry, even if you water it faithfully every day, and a dry tree is a flammable tree. Presents wrapped in cardboard boxes and wrapping paper are flammable as well. Make sure your Christmas tree is far enough away from your fireplace to avoid it catching a spark and starting on fire. It’s also important to have a working fire extinguisher close to the fireplace, just in case a fire starts.
Make Sure Equipment is in Working Order
Speaking of fire extinguishers, just one by the fireplace isn’t enough. You should have working fire extinguishers by the fireplace, in the kitchen, and on each floor of the house as well as in the shop and laundry room. But there’s other equipment that should be in working order as well. You should also have working smoke detectors outside of each bedroom and on each floor of the home, as well as in the kitchen and garage. Another tool is a carbon monoxide detector. You should have one of these on each floor of the house as well, but avoid putting these in humid areas or too close to a fuel-burning appliance. Make sure to test the batteries at least once a month, and change them every six months.
Keeping Your Home Safe While You’re Away
If you’re traveling during the holidays, or just going to lots of parties at night, there are some safety tips to follow as well. If you love to have your lights on, put them on a timer so that they aren’t on all night. Never leave a candle burning when you’re not around to supervise. If you’re away frequently, you might want to invest in a home security system. Another thing many people might not consider if traveling for the holidays is to avoid the temptation to post a lot about your trip on social media until you get back. If no one knows you’re gone, they won’t be tempted to try to break in and take some of your valued possessions.
Have a Happy Holiday!
All of us at Chimney Care Co. are proud and happy to have spent 2019 taking care of all our friends and neighbors in the greater Cincinnati area. We want to make sure that you all stay safe and happy through this holiday season, so be sure to follow these safety tips. Merry Christmas!
What To Do About Animals in Your Chimney
Each spring, animals from squirrels and raccoons to bats and birds look for the perfect place to build their nests. Often times, that “perfect place” turns out to be a chimney. If you hear the telltale sounds of scuffling animal paws, flapping wings or chirping in your chimney, you’re probably left wondering what to do when an animal is in your chimney. Here’s your step-by-step guide to dealing with this particular issue.
Don’t try to deal with the animals on your own.
Trying to extract an animal from your chimney could be a dangerous task and even at times lead to injuries. Resist the temptation to deal with an animal on your own. Never try to smoke an animal out of the chimney, this will likely kill or severely injure the animal, leaving you with an even bigger problem. Additionally, some species, such as chimney swifts, are protected – to remove them from your chimney during their nesting is illegal.
Close off openings between your chimney in your home.
A major problem of having an animal in your chimney is that it could make its way into your home, bringing unwanted diseases and causing extensive damages to your home. If you can hear an animal in your chimney, first, create as many barriers as possible between the flue and your home. Next, close your chimney damper to prevent the animal or bird from descending into your firebox, and finally, close your fireplace doors to create one final barrier to prevent the animal from invading your home.
Call in the professionals.
Once you have your chimney blocked off as well as possible, call in a professional to help deal with the animal nesting in your chimney. Some chimney sweeps will remove animals themselves, or you might need a company specifically skilled in animal removal.
Have your chimney cleaned and inspected.
Once the animal has been removed from the chimney, you will need the chimney swept and inspected to remove any debris and ensure that the animal hasn’t left behind any damages. The debris and damages left behind can leave your home at risk for a chimney fire. You’ll want to rely on a CSIA-certified chimney sweep to be sure that your chimney is safe to use again.
Install a chimney cap to prevent future animal intrusion.
To prevent animal intrusions from happening, have your chimney outfitted with a caged chimney cap. With a chimney cap firmly in place, animals and birds won’t be able to access the flue opening when they’re looking for a place to nest. Your chimney sweep should always check the condition of your chimney cap during your annual inspection to verify that it is secure and will continue to protect your chimney.
If you have animals or birds rustling in your chimney — or if you’d like to prevent an animal from nesting in your chimney this spring — call the Chimney Care Co. to schedule an appointment. We can clean and inspect your chimney after an animal intrusion or install a new chimney cap to keep animals out of your flue.
How to Select the Right Firewood
A burning question for many homeowners with fireplaces is which type of wood they should be using. There is no simple answer to this question, however, as the options available to you are quite numerous. Nevertheless, Chimney Care Company is here to help you make a more informed decision when the time comes. Our long-term customers know we’ll take care of them and you can rest assured that we’ll take care of you as well.
There are two basic types of firewood available to those with a wood-burning fireplace: softwood and hardwood.
QUICKER IGNITING FIRES WITH SOFTWOODS
Softwoods—pines, spruces and firs—start burning easily. Typically, these woods have less potential BTU [British Thermal Unit] energy than their hardwood counterparts. Softwoods also produce a much more significant amount of smoke. The one true advantage softwood has is that it lights very quickly because it’s less dense; this quality makes it an excellent choice for kindling for any fire; using it for anything beyond that is like sending your money straight up the chimney.
LONGER BURNING FIRES WITH HARDWOODS
Hardwoods—oaks, maples and cedars—on the other hand, don’t start burning quite as easily but burn for a long time, which makes them ideal for prolonged burns. Per square inch, when compared to softwoods, they have much more BTU potential than other types of wood and, therefore, burn hotter and more steadily for extended periods.
BETTER BURNING FIRES MARRY THE TWO TYPES OF WOOD
The easiest and best fire is built by using a mixture of both softwoods and hardwoods. A bed of ashes underneath the grate produces steady heat and aids in igniting new fuel as it‘s added. This will ensure that the fire will continue burning as long as small amounts of wood are added at regular intervals. As a matter of fact, more efficient wood burning results from burning small loads of wood with sufficient air than from burning large loads of wood with minimal air.
MORE EFFICIENT FIRES WITH SEASONED WOOD
It’s also important to season your firewood, whether it’s hard or soft, as all of it contains moisture. Seasoning takes place when the moisture content in the wood reaches equilibrium with that of the surrounding air. A common method of seasoning wood is simply stacking it outdoors in a spot that allows for good air circulation and is dry, sunny and open for approximately six months out of the year. Seasoning in this manner will produce wood that is dry enough to support efficient combustion and has a higher heating value than unseasoned wood.
For the most part, it is far more important that your firewood is dry and seasoned; the particular type of wood you’re burning is merely a secondary concern. Having both softwood and hardwood on hand is a good idea. You can use the softer woods for kindling and for fires during cooler months when only a small amount of heat output is desired and save the harder woods for the coldest months. Keeping these things in mind will make you a much happier homeowner and will make the cold months of the year much more enjoyable for you and your family.
Call Chimney Care Company today to have our professional chimney technicians take care of your fireplace.
All About Pellet Stoves
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.