You’ve enjoyed your fireplace for years. It has brought you and your family warmth time and time again. But when was the last time you cleaned it? It’s vital that you keep your chimney clean and free of debris so that it can continue working safely and efficiently.

Fire and carbon monoxide inhalation are two of the main hazards that come from a dirty chimney. Dust and soot will encrust the chimney over time and slowly lessen the amount of ventilation. Without a thorough fireplace cleaning, your home and family could be at risk.

Are you worried about the mess involved with cleaning your fireplace? Don’t worry, these days, professional chimney sweeps get the work done cleanly and with care. Like in the old days, a chimney brush is still used, but it is combined with today’s technology such as high-powered vacuums, special chimney cleaning tools, and cameras.

So how often should you clean your chimney? Well, that depends on how often you use it. Professionals state that if you use your fireplace as little as once per week, then a cleaning every 2-3 years is acceptable. Any more use than this and you should be receiving annual inspections to make sure everything is running clean. A good way to tell if you are in need of a cleaning is to open and close your damper. If dust and soot falls down, then it’s time for a sweep.

When searching for a chimney sweep it is best to get several quotes. Anyone offering extremely low prices is most likely a scam, and will try get you to do unnecessary repairs and tack on extra charges later. Find a company that is licensed, and has good references or verifiable reviews.

A professional and licensed service will also be more knowledgeable and able to identify problems before they happen. Besides a build up of dust and soot, other complications can arise such as a damper in need of repair, bird or animal removal, or gas line and rain leak repair. Licensed chimney sweeps will be able to diagnose and repair all problems that arise.

So, if you want to continue getting enjoyment out of that old fireplace, remember to get it regularly inspected so you and your family can have a safe and warm winter.

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Having trouble with smoke coming into your house from your fireplace? Many different factors lead to smoke coming into the house rather than up the chimney. It boils down to poor draft within the chimney. Many factors lead to poor draft.

1. Chimney is not tall enough to produce adequate draft. Sometime we can extend the chimney and allow for a better draft.

2. Creosote build up has clogged the flue or chimney cap. Solution, is to have a chimney sweep inspect and clean the chimney. During the chimney cleaning process a chimney sweep will make sure the flue and cap are free from nest, creosote or blockage of any kind.

3. The temperature outside is just to hot. During hotter days outside, many fireplaces will have a down draft that leads to smoke in the house.

4. Windy day. If the wind is blowing hard outside it can easily cause a down draft in the house. It can go up one side of the roof and down the chimney. One thing you can do is install a smoke guard. It is installed on the top of the entrance to the firebox which allows the smoke more time to go up the chimney.

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This is one of the common question we get asked by our customers. CSIA stands for Chimney Safety Institute of America. The CSIA is a non-profit educational organization that exist to provide chimney and venting safety resources to those in the industry and to you, the homeowner, with these goals in mind: 1. Elimination of residential chimney fires. 2. Preventing carbon monoxide intrusion. 3. Improving home heating efficiency. Advanced Chimney Inc. is certified by the CSIA and more information about the CSIA and other great information about safety issues, selecting firewood and much more can be found at csia.org

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One of the most common questions we get from people is “How often should I clean my chimney?” It is a great question because most people don’t know and knowing the answer to that question brings peace of mind. The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends that no more that 1/4 inch of creosote should be on the walls of the flue. If 1/4 inch or more of creosote has build up than you should have your chimney sweep. It is a good idea to have your chimney cleaned every cord to a cord and a half of wood that you burn. A cord of wood can best be described as laying a 4 X 8 sheet of plywood on the ground and the wood is stacked 4 foot tall (about 2 truck loads of wood). Make sure you burn good seasoned wood like Oak or Hickory when at all possible.

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