Chimney Cleaning | Fireplace Cleaning in Melbourne, FL
While it’s best to let a pro inspect and clean the chimney, there are six things homeowners can do to improve their fireplace experience.
- Clean the ashes from the fireplace as they accumulate.
- Gather firewood a year in advance to properly season it. This results in less flammable material collecting in the chimney.
- Make sure the damper is fully open before lighting a fire in the fireplace.
- Burn nothing in the fireplace except dry firewood or CSIA-accepted manufactured logs. Never burn pressure-treated or painted wood.
- Burn fires that consume the fuel. Burning wet or poor quality fuel results in slow fires and more creosote buildup on the flue.
- Consider using a top-down burn method, which burns hotter, cleaner and produces less smoke than traditional fire-building methods. Place the largest logs on the bottom of the fireplace, then add a cross layer of smaller logs. Next, add some crushed newspaper and top it all with an inch of kindling. Light the newspaper, sit back and enjoy the fire.
Why get a chimney inspected and cleaned in the first place?
The combustion process deposits an acidic material that weakens masonry or metal chimneys, causing them to deteriorate prematurely. Significant buildup of creosote, a flammable material resulting from incomplete combustion, may catch fire and spread to the attic and other areas of the home.
If a chimney is used infrequently, critters and birds can collect and nest there, blocking the chimney. Leaves, twigs, pine cones and branches can obstruct the chimney, too.
High winds or driving rain can also damage chimneys. CSIA recommends that, as a general rule, a chimney should have a rain cap to keep out animals and water as these are the primary reasons chimneys fail.
Chimney Cleaning Melbourne, FL | Chimney Sweep Melbourne, FL
What to do for other chimneys and heat sources in the home
Wood-burning stoves also have flues and chimneys that need a yearly inspection. If the stove is being operated ideally, you will find a gray ash as the predominant residue. However, if there’s shiny buildup on the inside of the door, it’s an indication that the fire is being burned much too low.
Low-burning fires produce an even greater accumulation of creosote on the chimney. But don’t be so quick to burn hotter until the chimney is swept, warns Eldridge. That’s because turning up the heat when there’s an accumulation of creosote in the chimney could cause a fire.
About ABC Cleaning, Inc. of Orlando, FL
Serving Central Florida since 1992, ABC Cleaning, Inc. has been the acknowledged leader in air duct cleaning, chimney cleaning and dryer vent cleaning. We’re NADCA certified, we consistently invest in and have the most modern equipment and utilize the latest technology available with the best-trained service technicians in all of Orlando. If you need help deciding whether to replace or repair faulty ducts, please contact us at ABC. We provide quality HVAC service throughout Orlando and the surrounding communities. Please give us a call today at (407) 381-2120. We are here to help!
