Signs To Schedule Fireplace or Chimney Services

To ensure home safety, it is important to keep up with any fireplace and chimney services that might be needed. Problems with chimneys and fireplaces are common but are rarely apparent to anyone other than trained chimney sweeps. Read on for helpful clues that something may be amiss and your fireplace or chimney needs servicing.

There Has Been a Chimney Fire

Has there possibly been a chimney fire in your chimney? It is essential to schedule a chimney inspection anytime there has been a chimney fire. Many homeowners have heard myths such as the falsity that a chimney fire can be a cost-cutting solution for chimney maintenance because it burns out the creosote. While chimney fires are typically fueled by creosote, the intensity of the flames tends to do serious structural damage virtually every time. The chimney liner, which is crucial to safety, is often damaged in a chimney fire. Other types of damage can also occur.

It is dangerous and risky to assume that nothing is wrong after there has been a chimney fire. The following are signs of a fire in your chimney:

• Thick, dense smoke is coming out of the chimney or into the home.
• Flames can be seen coming out at the top of the chimney.
• Sounds are coming from the chimney flue, such as popping and loud crackling.
• There is an odor that seems to be associated with intense heat.
• A roaring sound similar to an airplane or freight train may be coming from your chimney.
• If you have a pipe chimney, you may see light in the cracks and flames or heavy smoke may spill out from between sections of the pipe.

A Poor Chimney Draft

The combustion air from your fireplace is supposed to go up the chimney. If there is a problem with the movement of the combustion air and exhaust, you will experience a drafty fireplace. It can be unhealthy for combustion gases to go into your home. Deadly carbon monoxide is among the toxic fumes! The following are some of the signs that your chimney draft is weak and fireplace and chimney services are needed:

• It is difficult to light a fire, and smoke pours into the home during start-up.
• Under all conditions, smoke spills into the home to some degree.
• On windy days, the fireplace or stove back-puffs powerfully.
• The heat output from the appliance is obviously too low.
• Whether the fireplace is in use or not, smoke odors are persistent.

Various potential solutions can solve your chimney draft problem. Contact a chimney sweep technician for help identifying the cause and restoring a strong chimney draft.

There Has Been an Animal Intrusion

If you have had an animal in your chimney, it is important to contact your trusted chimney sweep company. Snakes, raccoons, squirrels, and other rodents are among the creatures that tend to climb into chimneys. They are not always able to climb back out, which can ultimately result in horrendous odors. Birds, however, can cause the most inconvenience for homeowners.

Chimney swifts are migrating birds that build nests inside chimneys and hollow trees. They are federally protected birds, which means that it is against federal law to interfere with them in any way. The installation of a chimney cap can keep the birds out if it has mesh for that purpose. Otherwise, it could be you who gets stuck dealing with the hassle. There are a couple of weeks or so when the tiny new birds make a lot of noise, but bigger problems include obstructions in the chimney flue from the nests and dealing with the toxic waste that is left behind.

No matter what type of creature is or has been in your chimney, contact professional chimney sweeps for help.

The CSIA-certified chimney sweeps at Chimney Solutions have the training and experience to handle all of your needs related to chimney and fireplace servicing. Call 770-255-1300 today to schedule an appointment.