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Chimney caps and brushes.
Downdraft or back puffing problems.
Fireplace chimney maintenance tips for your safety.
Chimney Cap Sale!
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KEEPING YOUR CHIMNEYS AND FLUES OPERATING PROPERLY
Chimneys Are Made to Protect You
A chimney is a structure made of masonry or metal, which surrounds and supports a flue or multiple flues
that vent products of combustion from gas, oil, or solid fuel appliances or fireplaces. The flue, then, is the
inner part of the chimney, the part that actually contains and vents the products of combustion. Flues can be
made of clay, as in the case of most masonry chimneys, or of metal, as in the case of prefabricated or
manufactured chimneys.
One way to think of a chimney and flue within it is to think of it as a structure built to protect you. That is an
important function of all chimneys no matter what kind of appliance or fireplace they serve.
Remember, the main purpose of a chimney is to vent the products of combustion from your home. That
function is crucial because the products of combustion contain hazardous and noxious gasses. One of the
hazardous gasses your chimney needs to remove from your home is carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that can cause serious illness or death when it is
present in sufficient amounts. It is responsible for hundreds of deaths and countless illnesses every year in
homes across America. In many cases carbon monoxide in the home originates in a furnace or other burning
appliance and finds its way into the house due to inadequate venting.
What causes inadequate venting? There are several possibilities. One is that the flue has become blocked.
The blockage can come from debris falling into the chimney due to a deteriorating masonry chimney, or, it
may be the result of nests built there by animals or birds. Carbon monoxide can also seep into the house
through cracks or holes in flues and chimneys that moisture, chemical residue, or chimney fires have
damaged.
The other important function of chimneys, especially those serving solid fuel burning appliances like wood
stoves or fireplaces, is to keep excessive heat from combustible materials that surround the chimney. Heat
or flames from a chimney fire can escape through cracks in the clay flue liner or through damaged or missing
mortar joints of a chimney. They can then ignite surrounding combustible framing members of a house.
Chimney fires occur within the structure of the chimney itself. They happen when hot flue gasses or cinders
ignite creosote accumulated on the walls of an unclean chimney flue. Creosote is a natural byproduct of
burning wood. It is highly flammable and will accumulate on the inner walls of the flue under certain burning
conditions.
Even without the occurrence of a chimney fire, framing members surrounding a chimney can have their
molecular structure altered and become more flammable when exposed to excessive heat over long periods
of time. This process is known as pyrolasis. Once wood is sufficiently pyrolized it can ignite at relatively low
temperatures and becomes a significant fire hazard.
So, you see, a well structured chimney and flue are designed to offer protection to your family and home
from both the dangers of noxious gasses such as Carbon Monoxide, and from the high levels of heat present
in the flue gasses of solid fuel burning appliances and fireplaces. But, like all structures, they must receive
regular inspections and maintenance in order to maintain their integrity and to continue doing their job.
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How To Maintain a Properly Functioning Chimney
It is easy to understand from the information above why it is strongly recommended that all flues and
chimneys in use should receive annual inspections. In fact, you may want to consider more frequent
inspections for chimneys and flues that receive heavy use, especially those venting hotter flue gasses that
contain creosote and soot produced by solid fuel burning fires.
A proper 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. Exterior staining due to
flue gasses seeping through the chimney structure, broken or spalled bricks, and deterioration of mortar
joints are all signs that your chimney may need repair.
A proper evaluation should also include a visual inspection of the flue inside the chimney. Ideally, that
internal inspection should be done with a video inspection device. Such devices allow chimney professionals
to detect even small cracks in the chimney liner that may not be seen by the naked eye. According to the
National Fire Protection Agency code, cracked chimney liners constitute a significant safety hazard and
must be replaced.
All connections from the burning appliance to the chimney should also be thoroughly inspected.
If the inspections described above indicate the possibility of a chimney deficiency, then a more thorough
inspection of the chimney and the structural members surrounding it may be required.
However, regular annual inspections by a qualified chimney professional should go a long way towards
heading off serious chimney problems and the need for expensive repairs.
It is important to note, for an inspection to yield the best results, the flues to be inspected will need to be
cleaned first. Otherwise, soot, creosote, or other residue might mask physical problems with the flue or flue
liner.
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What You Can Do Between Inspections To Keep Your Chimney Operating Properly
Make sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors in your home and check them regularly. They
should be located in the sleeping areas of your home and preferably on each floor. Carbon monoxide
detectors can alert you to possible problems within the venting systems of your furnace and gas hot water
heater and keep you from prolonged exposure to even low levels of carbon monoxide.
When using wood burning appliances avoid banking the fires and closing the dampers in order to prolong
burning. Slower, cooler burning wood fires are the primary contributor of creosote in chimneys. Be certain
to burn wood that has been properly aged. Burning green wood also contributes to creosote in chimneys.
Whenever possible burn your wood fires hot. Hotter flue gasses prevent the condensation of creosote and
pass more quickly through the chimney. They are therefore useful in preventing the accumulation of creosote
in the flue. (If you are using a wood stove, be sure to have a stove thermometer in place so you can avoid
overfiring your stove.)
It is a good idea to treat your firewood with a compound that will help keep creosote from accumulating in
your chimney. You can ask your chimney professional for his recommendation as there are several
compounds on the market created for this purpose.
Make periodic visual inspections of the external portions of your chimney and any connections between
burning appliances and your flue. Even cursory visual inspections can alert you to problems like connectors
that have come loose or a chimney that is deteriorating.
By having your chimney inspected by a qualified professional on a regular basis and following the simple
principles for proper operation of your burning appliances, you should enjoy years of trouble-free operation
of your chimneys and flues.
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