Inspections are critical to maintaining the health of your fireplace and chimney system. Chimney inspections help you to assess the overall health of your chimney and also help determine if there are any issues with your chimney that need to be addressed. However, did you know that depending on your situation, there are different chimney inspection requirements? In fact, there are three levels of chimney inspections outlined by The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). At TN Fireplace and Chimney the type of inspection that we perform on your chimney is determined by your specific situation. We want to help you understand what the requirements are for all three levels of chimney inspections. We believe that if our customers have a knowledge of inspection guidelines, it can help us determine what type of chimney inspection is needed for your situation.
Level 1 Inspections
The most basic type of chimney inspect is a level 1 inspection. A level 1 inspection takes place if there haven’t been any changes to your chimney and fireplace since your last annual inspection. During a level 1 inspection, our chimney technician first checks the structural integrity of your chimney and fireplace. Next, they will inspect all of the accessible parts of your chimney, including the firebox, smoke chamber, damper, and outside of your chimney. Once this is complete, our technician will determine what actions, if any, need to take place in terms of chimney cleaning and maintaining your chimney.
Level 2 Inspections
Level 2 inspections take place if there have been any major changes to your chimney since the last inspection. These changes include changes to your fuel system, masonry repair, tuckpointing, and appliance changeout, too name a few. You will also need a level 2 inspection if you are transferring home ownership to someone else, or if there has been a natural event such as a fire, sinking foundation, earthquake or a tornado. A level 2 inspection is very similar to a Level 1 inspection, however, it requires the extra step of performing a video scan. Video scanners are used to inspect the inside of your chimney. Video scanning gives our technicians a detailed look at the inside of your chimney and is critical for finding small cracks that may have occurred during a major event.
Level 3
Level 3 inspections are performed when there is a suspected hazard associated with your chimney. Level 3 inspections include all the components of both level 1 and level 2 inspections, however, it allows for the use of demolition tools to check areas where there is a suspected hazard.
Whether you need a level 1, level 2, or level 3 chimney inspection, we here at TN Fireplace and Chimney can serve you. If you need an inspection, call Knoxville’s only Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified chimney technicians at (865) 922-2262 or schedule an appointment online today. We look forward to serving you!
