With a New Chimney Liner, is it Necessary to Hire a Chimney Sweep?

chimney service cleaning in peachtree city gaHousehold upkeep can be a relentless drain on a bank account, and homeowners naturally look for expenses to eliminate. Any budget cuts should exclude safety measures, such as getting an annual chimney inspection done by an expert. Even if you’ve purchased a new chimney liner, it can be hazardous to skip annual inspections and needed chimney cleaning. The primary reason even a new chimney liner needs to be checked once per year is: Creosote.

What is creosote?

Creosote is a highly combustible, tar-like substance that also contains soot. It is produced by wood fires. Even an efficient fire leaves some amount of creosote behind in the flue, as gases exit the top of the chimney. Burning green wood and other ill-advised practices can significantly increase the amount of creosote deposited in the chimney. There are three types of creosote and each represents a greater amount of difficulty to clean than the one before, whether in an old or a new liner:

· The first type of creosote buildup contains a high percentage of soot. This kind is easily and effectively removed using a professional chimney brush.  It is produced when the gas flue temperatures are reasonably high and wood has good combustion.

· The second kind of creosote is basically developed in fireplaces and wood stoves that have glass doors. The condition in the chimney system is restricted airflow. The creosote looks like shiny black flakes, and it resembles tarred bits of corn flakes. Cleaning this creosote from a chimney flue is more difficult and requires more equipment than a basic chimney brush to remove.

· The third type of creosote looks as though tar has been poured down into the chimney flue. It is extremely difficult and sometimes impossible to remove. The fuel is extremely concentrated. It is thick; and as it hardens, more and more layers are coated on it with each fire. It’s very difficult to remove this kind of creosote, but experts are equipped to do the best possible job of it. A complication occurs with a chimney fire because the tar-like substance transforms into a lightweight sponge. Actually, it may not be so lightweight, since the spongy substance has been credited with adding 100 pounds of creosote or more to the weight inside the chimney.

How dangerous are chimney fires?

Creosote buildup can be very dangerous in a chimney because it can cause a hazardous chimney fire. Even new flues are susceptible to chimney fires, since creosote deposits begin with the first fire and continue building. Chimney fires can be dramatic or slow-burning. They can do intense damage, since they can cause the flue to fail and start a house fire.

fireplace cleaning of creosote build up in smyrna gaOftentimes, people have a chimney fire and don’t realize it. The following are signs that there is a fire burning inside the chimney:

· An odor that is intensely hot

· The fireplace emits a lot of dense smoke

· You can hear loud popping and cracking noises

Contact Chimney Solutions

The expert sweeps at Chimney Solutions professionally install new and replacement chimney liners. Even with us, the best chimney flue installers, putting in your new chimney liner, annual chimney inspections are essential safety measures.

Chimney Solutions
1155 McFarland 400 Drive AlpharettaGA30004 USA 
 • (770) 255-1300
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