When you are making yearly plans for household upkeep, remember that the reasons to budget for a chimney inspection are compelling. It’s not simply because the most trusted fire safety experts in the U.S. agree that annual chimney inspections are vital. The consideration behind their recommendation is pure common sense. Check out the following reasons to budget for a chimney inspection every year.
Reduce the Potential for a House FireChimney inspections are essential for purposes of preventing house fires. During a chimney inspection, chimney sweeps ascertain the current condition of the chimney and fireplace system. If there are conditions that threaten the safety of the home and family, the chimney sweep will make recommendations to homeowners, such as scheduling a chimney cleaning. Learn more below on how to reduce the potential for a house fire.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a trusted national organization dedicated to helping citizens prevent fires. They have collected statistics and reports to support the recommendation of getting an annual chimney inspection, this also goes for chimneys that are no longer used.
The NFPA’s latest report on home structure fires shows that heating equipment is the second leading cause of home structure fires, after cooking. In the years 2015 through 2019, a failure to clean the chimney was a contributing factor to the ignition of an average of 20,200 home fires annually. These fires resulted in an average of 10 fatalities and 100 injuries.
During chimney inspections, chimney sweep experts look for chimney obstructions. Creosote buildup in the chimney flue is the leading cause of chimney blockage. Per guidelines from the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), chimney cleaning is recommended once there is ⅛ inch of creosote buildup in the chimney flue. Creosote is highly flammable. The more creosote buildup there is, the greater the risk of a hazardous chimney fire.
Debris such as leaves and branches can also obstruct chimneys. If the debris is not removed before lighting the first fire of the season, a chimney fire can get started and quickly spread to become a house fire.
Carbon monoxide is known as the Silent Killer because it is odorless, tasteless, and invisible and starts out symptomless. A life-threatening buildup of carbon monoxide (CO) gases can result from a blocked chimney, a deteriorating chimney flue, a broken chimney connector pipe, and more.
Neglecting chimney inspections and chimney maintenance is risky because of the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning. It is the number one cause of poisoning deaths in the U.S. The fatalities are preventable because carbon monoxide detectors can alert the household to the impending danger of CO exposure. Without an operational carbon monoxide detector, there is a high risk of fatalities.
Avoid Expensive RepairsChimneys are prone to suffer damage. A tremendous benefit of chimney inspections is that qualified chimney sweeps can recognize signs of chimney deterioration in the early stages. Preventing existing problems from getting worse is a way to save money on chimney repairs. The following are examples of chimney problems that can get very expensive if they are not repaired earlier rather than later:
At Chimney Solutions, our chimney sweep technicians are CSIA-certified. Therefore, each of our experts has the training, experience, and knowledge to ensure that you get the maximum benefit from annual chimney inspections. Get ready for fall by calling our Chimney Solutions professionals today at 770-255-1300.
