Your chimney gets used a lot during the holidays, and who can blame you. Sitting around the warm glow of a fire, sharing in the fellowship of good friends is kind of what the holiday season is all about. However, when you use your fireplace, it creates byproducts that can make your chimney messy, smelly, and can even be a safety hazard. A dirty chimney can put a damper on your holiday season, but it can also put a damper on our jolly friend, Santa’s, as well. Santa has two reasons that he would like you to have a clean chimney. First, soot and creosote stains are very difficult to remove from his holiday work clothes. Second, and more importantly though, Santa wants to make sure that your family has a happy and safe holiday season. We here at TN Fireplace and Chimney also, want to make sure that your holiday season is a pleasant and safe one. That’s why we want to talk to you about why having a clean chimney is so important and what we can do to help you.
Dirty Chimneys
When you start a fire in your fireplace, fuel is burned and produces smoke, soot, and other gases. As these byproducts of the fuel burning process go up your chimney, they cool and some of the byproduct condensates on the inside of your chimney. After a while, this condensation starts to build up and form a thick black tar called creosote. Creosote is sticky and smelly, but it is also a safety hazard. This is because creosote is combustible at high temperatures and once it ignites, it creates a chimney fire that is very difficult to put out. The amount of creosote that your fireplace produces varies greatly with the type of fuel that you use. Wood typically produces a lot more creosote than gas. Even the type of wood that you use can affect how much creosote is produced. Using wood that has been properly seasoned is important because it produces a lot less creosote.
We can help!
The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends that you have your chimney inspected and cleaned at least once a year. Annual chimney cleanings can prevent creosote from reaching dangerous levels. The CSIA also offers certifications to chimney sweeps that want to learn how to inspect and clean chimneys thoroughly and safely. We here at TN Fireplace and Chimney make sure that all of our chimney sweeps have this certification. We believe that a CSIA certification is an important tool that supplements our already extensive knowledge and experience maintaining and cleaning chimneys. We are Knoxville’s only CSIA certified chimney sweep, something that we take pride in.
If it’s been a while since you’ve had your chimney inspected and cleaned, our experienced chimney sweeps can help. We guarantee that the work that we do will be done professionally and up to your standards. We still have appointment slots open this winter, so call TN Fireplace & Chimney at (865) 922-2262 or schedule an appointment with a technician online with today. Your family, and Santa, will be glad you did!
