8 Ways To Manage Your Fireplace In 2022
If you live in a place where the winters are bitter and harsh, you will know the importance of a fireplace. It not only keeps you warm and cozy but also adds a touch of elegance to the entire house. But maintaining a fireplace can be a difficult job.
If you don’t clean it properly, the smoke won’t be able to exit your house, and you’ll be plagued with problems like a suffocating room. Unclean fireplaces or chimneys are also prone to accidents.
There are over 25,000 chimney fires every year in the US that cause millions of dollars’ worth of property damage. To keep yourself and your family safe, here are some ways to manage your fireplace efficiently.
- Safety check
Before the weather becomes really cold, inspect the fireplace once. The National Fire Protection Association says that the chimneys should be adequately swept at least once every year when the winter begins. This will remove all soot and debris.
Ensure you know how to light a fire and operate a fireplace before you begin. In case you don’t know, make sure you’re under supervision.
- Check the chimneys
Keep checking your chimneys for cracks or loose bricks. If your chimney is clogged, it needs to be cleaned as soon as possible. Eco-Chimney Solutions in Seattle is a chimney sweep service that takes care of not only your chimney but also your fireplace.
From proper chimney analysis to creosote removal, Eco-Chimney Solutions does it all for you at very nominal fees.
- Cap your chimney
You should always keep the top of your chimney covered with a wired mesh to drive away birds or small animals. The last thing you don’t want to see while giving your chimney a good sweep is to see a dead, rotting animal corpse, right?
Moreover, these little animals might suffer from gas poisoning and get severely ill. Finally, mesh caps can degrade over time due to corrosion or bad weather. So keep changing them whenever you see one isn’t functioning properly.
- Check your damper
The damper refers to a movable plate placed on the fireplace before the flue. The damper must be working correctly, and there shouldn’t be any dirt or debris accumulated on it.
Understanding how a damper works is one of the most crucial things in operating a fireplace smoothly. You can even use add-on dampers to stop any kind of clanging noises.
- Remove creosote
Creosote is a mass of carbon formed due to burnt wood or fossil fuels. The worst part about creosote is that it can keep accumulating inside, and nobody would ever know. It ignites at 451 degrees F, and once it starts to burn, it expands like a wildfire. But it’s really important to remove this build-up to operate your fireplace properly.
Most chimney fires start in the smoke chambers due to creosote accumulation and dirtiness. So it’s essential to properly clean these areas either by yourself or through any reputable company.
- Cut off tree branches or limbs
Having stray tree branches or limbs hanging above the chimney can be problematic. They not only cause fires but also prevent proper ventilation of air through the chimney. If you do see some, prune those limbs. The best time for pruning is late summer or spring. So make sure before winter comes, there are no branches overhead.
- Clean out ashes
Like creosote, ashes can also be very harmful if not cleaned. So, before stacking the wood into the fireplace, it should be rid of most ash. Then, you can just sweep or vacuum the ashes and dispose of them outdoors.
A little bit of ash can be kept in the place to light the fire easily. Remember, coals can stay hot for up to nearly three days. If they are in contact with inflammable substances, they can create a hazard.
- Fireplace guard
To prevent hot embers from escaping, install a fireplace guard. It is a metal-mesh or glass screen shaped like a door. Clean the door properly because it can get dirty and dingy with use.
Over to you…
Proper inspection and cleaning of your fireplace are very important to prevent many diseases and fire accidents. However, if you need to contact a professional company, simply book an appointment with Eco-Chimney Solutions for the best services.
