Chimney sweeping is needed for furnaces

Chimney sweeping is needed for furnaces

The National Fire Prevention Association 211 codes state the “Chimneys must be inspected and cleaned annually as necessary by a certified chimney sweep”.  Most homeowners assume that their furnace company includes chimney cleaning as part of their maintenance process, but that is not true.

Problem

Chimney neglect will cause significant damage and endangers your family from carbon monoxide poisoning.  Oil and gas furnaces and hot water heaters rely on the chimney for proper venting of exhaust.  Although gas and oil appliances do not create creosote that wood-burning appliances do, they still produce soot.  Soot is a highly corrosive substance that can damage chimneys and increase carbon monoxide levels in your home.

Furnace Flues can become blocked which allows a blowback of soot into your home and poisonous carbon monoxide to seep into your living space.  If the furnace is in the basement, the levels can build up to dangerous high levels undetected.  Scheduling an annual chimney sweep inspection and placing a carbon monoxide detector in the basement will save lives.

Monitoring

During the winter months, the furnace can not be cleaned without turning off the heat.  During the winter, long running cycles produce soot and harmful substances that cling to the inside of the chimney.  The accumulation of these substances restricts the escape of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and water vapor.

The furnace produces acidic condensate that will literally eat away at the flue lining in the chimney.  If a clay liner begins to deteriorate, the broken bits can fall into the furnace damaging the operating mechanism.  Chimney blockages will send the carbon monoxide straight into the basement, then the home living area.

The fumes are invisible, odorless, and tasteless.  Carbon Monoxide can only be monitored by a detector designed for that purpose.  A carbon monoxide detector is built into some brands of smoke detectors, and the battery should be changed twice a year when the clocks fall back and spring forward.

Cleaning 

Fireplace flue cleaning and chimney sweeping refer to the same process. During the service, the technician generally uses a stiff-bristled brush or other chimney cleaning system to brush the inside of the flue to remove buildup from its walls.

Chimneys are havens for creatures and cause dangerous obstructions.  Even if your chimney has a hood, creatures can access the funnel and flue. Smoky brown cockroaches are good flyers and can work their way down into the home where they like to live. They like flat roof areas and chimneys – this is how they enter structures. A chimney screen’s holes allow safe smoke ventilation, but nothing else can squeeze through it like fleas or cockroaches.  One problem with screens is that pests can bite through them over time. To account for this issue, you could install both a chimney cap and a chimney screen with an annual chimney sweep inspection to ensure both layers of protection are intact.

If you have a chimney in New Jersey, chances are you’ll have Stink Bugs. The heat from buildings will escape from chimneys and vents and they will find their way in as they are attracted to warm areas in cold nights. Beetles and ants can crawl through the cracks of older fireplaces, especially if they’re built with brick. Wasps will nest in your chimney.  Exterminating insects in the chimney by spraying will deter infestation.  A more permanent solution is installing fine mesh screens, top sealing dampers, and by sealing cracks in your chimney’s exterior with mortar.

Raccoons, squirrels, birds, bats, and other larger pests can use the chimney itself as nesting spots. The chimney cap needs to be steel or copper lid with a mesh wire opening on its underside and installed at the mouth of your chimney.  A professional Chimney sweep will remove the hood, replace it with a mesh wire cap, and remove the obstructions from the funnel and the flue.

Bees should not be exterminated; they should be preserved.  Unlike wasps, bees are purely vegetarian in both the adult and larval stages. Bees gather nectar from flowers as a source of carbohydrates, as do many wasps. They fulfill their protein needs by collecting pollen. Most species of bees are valuable pollinators, and honeybees are an essential partner in the production of food crops for people.

More than 80% of U.S. food crops are pollinated by honeybees. In New Jersey, blueberries, cranberries, pumpkins, squash, strawberries, soybeans, cucumbers, peaches, and apples are among the many crops that benefit from honeybee pollination. Although wild insect pollinators such as wasps and other bee species help in native plant reproduction, only honeybees live in managed colonies of sufficient numbers for effective pollination of commercial crops.  Only honeybees can be transported to large areas of blooming crops for pollination services. The past two decades have seen dramatic declines in the number of honeybees, due to the introduction of parasitic mites, diseases, and habitat loss. Visit NJBeekeepers.org to find out about bee-friendly plants you can cultivate. If a beehive sets up home in the top of your chimney you need a professional chimney sweep and a bee wrangler to remove the entire hive.  The New Jersey Bee Association lists bee wranglers who can help.

Venting

A crucial component to the safe operation of your furnace is the proper configurations and size of the entire venting system.  Homeowners often forget that when they purchase a new HVAC or furnace system, they need chimney sweep professionals to assess their new system.  Manufacturers requirements specifically indicate the proper flue size for the safe operation of their system.  If the flue size is incorrect excessive moisture and combustion gases will build up.   Moisture is a huge enemy to your ventilation system.

If the system is being converted from oil to gas, building codes require a chimney sweep assessment, cleaning, and inspection prior to installing and operating the new system.

Timing

Spring, summer, autumn are great times to have your chimney sweep service.  An annual inspection and cleaning by a CSIA- certified company will ensure the ventilation system is adequate and chimney is safe.  Their assessment will also check gaskets and joints are intact.

In winter, the heat will have to be stopped for the chimney sweep to complete his inspection and service.  Snow does not stop chimney sweeps.  Before any sweeping is done, a visual inspection is performed to determine if the flue needs to be swept. Roof access is not needed to make this determination. Additionally, sweepings are generally performed from the base, making outside weather conditions irrelevant when it comes to running our brushes.

References

https://njbeekeepers.org/swarmremoval/swarmremoval.html

Pennington Chimney Sweep

Pennington Chimney Sweep

In order for your NJ chimney to remain performing its best, it’s key to clean it regularly. The frequency of your chimney cleaning will depend on how often you use your fireplace, but the Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends that most chimneys be cleaned at least once a year. While you could choose to do this on your own, there are some advantages of hiring a professional Pennington chimney sweep to complete your cleaning for you. Here are the top reasons to hire a Pennington chimney sweep.

Reasons to Hire a Pennington Chimney Sweep

Reasons to Hire a Pennington Chimney Sweep | Get A Professional Inspection With Your Cleaning

A Pennington chimney sweep does more than just clean your flue. They are there to assess the state of your chimney and alert you if any repair work is needed. An annual chimney inspection will ensure that your chimney is repaired at the first sign of trouble, which you can save you a significant amount of money on repairs and energy bills later on. The chimney sweeping will practically pay for itself.

Reasons to Hire a Pennington Chimney Sweep | Identify Problems In Your Chimney Installation And Construction

During the inspection your Pennington chimney sweep performs, he will review how your chimney was installed and constructed. Your flue may not be the right size for the best output levels, or your liner may not be sufficient for your fireplace, stove, or furnace. Whatever the case may be, you can get the professional advice you need to correct current and future problems with your chimney when you get it cleaned.

Reasons to Hire a Pennington Chimney Sweep | Have Your Chimney Cleaned With The Right Equipment

A Pennington chimney sweep has the tools, equipment, knowledge, and expertise necessary to ensure your chimney is properly cleaned and maintained. They know what it takes to clear out a chimney safely without causing damage to your brickwork, furnace, fireplace, etc.

Reasons to Hire a Pennington Chimney Sweep | Avoid Safety Hazards Associated With Chimney Sweeping

Chimney sweeping often involves getting up on roofs, ladders, and high-rise equipment that could put you in danger. A professional Pennington chimney sweep knows how to use this equipment to complete their work safely and effectively. They will make sure your chimney is thoroughly cleaned while you remain safe on the ground. There is no reason to put yourself or your family at risk.

Local Pennington Chimney Sweep | Valuable service for your home and family

Homeowners are careful to protect their property. Home maintenance is an important part of your budget. You do not want to take unnecessary risks that put your home in danger. Being careful means being proactive. Your home is one of the largest investments you will ever make. Protecting your home from potential hazards is not an option. Homeowners have plenty of unforeseen circumstances threatening them. Avoiding the threat you can see is the sensible thing to do.

Your home is designed to provide comfort and protection for your family. Keeping your home in good shape improves the odds of keeping your family safe. Chimney cleaning is a valuable service for your home and family. Servicing your heating system at regular intervals is a recommended safety standard.

Local Pennington Chimney Sweep | Considering an emergency cleaning or inspection?

Are you considering an emergency cleaning or inspection? Professional chimney sweeps agree it is a better idea to err on the side of caution. Are there obvious signs that something is wrong? Your local chimney sweep can quickly identify and correct most common issues related to improper chimney function. Getting a second opinion from a professional is never a bad idea.

Your home heating system is one of the most important aspects of home maintenance. Heating systems that fail create emergency situations. Homeowners are cautious to avoid that possibility. Your home’s heating system is more likely to fail when it is needed the most. Do you have an emergency plan in place for losing heat in your home? The same professionals that take care of your yearly maintenance should be on call to save the day. Having a comprehensive emergency strategy is one good idea you hope never to actually need.

Local Pennington Chimney Sweep | Keeping your home safe and warm year round

Homeowners need service professionals they can trust. Do you trust your family’s safety to just anyone? You look for caring professionals when the job comes this close to home. Are you confident in the chimney sweep you rely upon for this important service? Homeowners share information regularly about the service they receive. Keeping a good reputation depends largely upon recommendations and endorsements. Your neighbor is typically the first person you ask when searching for professional contractors.

Looking for an Experienced & Reliable Pennington Chimney Sweep?

In business for more than 15 years, St. John Chimney Sweeps is the only name you need to know for full-service chimney and fireplace sweeping and installation in the Princeton, New Jersey, area. We offer 100% customer satisfaction and a no-mess guarantee. Most products also come with a lifetime warranty. Feel free to contact us to inquire about free estimates. Our employees have undergone extensive training and earned certificates, which enable them to do your job with full expertise. We are honest and efficient, providing thorough explanations for all our work. Our licensed and insured company is also a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG). Service towns in the Mercer County NJ area include: Princeton, Pennington, Lambertville, Hopewell, Hightstown, East Windsor, West Windsor, Lawrence, Robbinsville, and many more. For more information, you can call today at (609) 737-0133 or visit the website.

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