by sunshine | Nov 6, 2022 | Mercer County Chimney Sweep, NJ Chimney Inspection, NJ Chimney Repair, NJ Chimney Sweep
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
by admin | Dec 14, 2017 | NJ Chimney Inspection
Regular Robbinsville chimney inspections should always be a part of your yearly home maintenance. Unfortunately many homeowners overlook having their chimney inspected each year. Chimney inspections are so important because they allow you to know the condition of your chimney and whether it needs to be swept or repaired. If your chimney gets too dirty without your knowledge, it could lead to serious problems that can affect many aspects of your life. Below are the top three reasons to schedule regular Robbinsville chimney inspections:
Why Robbinsville Chimney Inspections? | To Prevent a Chimney Fire
Trust us—you DO NOT want a fire in your chimney. A chimney fire can be quite spectacular—with loud popping and cracking sounds, lots of dense smoke and a strong, hot odor. But chimney fires aren’t always dramatic enough to alert the neighbors. Sometimes, they burn slow and aren’t even visible, but they still reach high temperatures and can seep into the walls of your house and ignite anything flammable. Flames from a chimney fire can quickly spread into the walls or onto the roof of your home and cause massive devastation, if not the total destruction of your home. It is a nightmare scenario, but one that can most likely be avoided with proper care and maintenance of your chimney.The most common cause of chimney fire is, simply, a dirty chimney. Over time, chimneys will become clogged with creosote, a natural, tar-like substance that is a by-product of burning wood. Creosote is black or brown in appearance and, over time, it builds up and leaves a glazing inside your chimney. This glazing is highly combustible and it can take only a small amount to start a fire. Restricted air supply is one of the factors that contribute to the build up of creosote, another reason it is important to clean your chimney regularly.
Why Robbinsville Chimney Inspections? | To Protect Your Health
Musical comedian Weird Al Yankovic is known for his humorous songs about pop culture icons, but there’s nothing funny about the way his parents died. In 2004, the Yankovics were found dead in their California home, victims of an accidental carbon monoxide poisoning from burning wood in their fireplace. Breathing the fumes from gas or solid fuel fires can be dangerous or, as was the case with the Yankovics, fatal.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced whenever fuel is burned. Even at low levels, CO can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion and fainting. A blocked chimney or a chimney with an improperly functioning flue can cause a buildup of this dangerous gas. CO is responsible for thousands of deaths in America each year, and many of these poisonings are caused by blocked chimneys. This is why it is critical to have your chimney examined and swept to make sure your flue is clear before using the chimney.
Why Robbinsville Chimney Inspections? | Prevent Smoke Damage
When a chimney is not regularly cleaned, soot will accumulate around the flue. This makes it difficult for the flue to draw the smoke upwards and can cause the smoke to enter your room. This soot will leave a black film around your hearth and soil any furniture, carpeting or decorations nearby. Sometimes, smoke can even cause black staining around your chimney, which can be difficult or impossible to remove.
The Most Trusted Name in Robbinsville Chimney Inspections | St John Chimney Sweep
If you are in need of reliable Robbinsville chimney inspections, contact St John Chimney Sweeps today! St John has been providing homeowners all across the Mercer County area with outstanding Chimney related services for almost 3 decades. St John does it all! From inspections and sweeps to fireplace installation and masonry repair, St John is the solution to all of your fireplace and chimney needs! If you would like more information about St John Chimney Sweeps, please call (609) 737-0133 or visit their website:
by admin | Sep 18, 2017 | NJ Chimney Inspection
Mercer County NJ homeowners rarely think about the need for Robbinsville chimney inspections. Even if you only use your fireplace every so often, it’s recommended to have a professional look at all venting systems, chimneys, stove systems, and furnace flues to keep you and your family safe. Fire safety and chimney experts also recommend annual Robbinsville chimney inspections. And if you’re looking to buy or sell a home, you’ll find that Robbinsville chimney inspections are worth every penny and then some.
Robbinsville Chimney Inspections – How to Know If You Need One
- You can’t remember the last time, if ever, that your chimney was inspected.
- There’s creosote build-up on your damper or any other part of your chimney that’s at least a quarter of an inch thick.
- You open your damper and soot tumbles down.
- There’s a strong odor coming from your fireplace or chimney.
- You have just moved into a new (or new to you) house.
The 3 Levels Of Robbinsville Chimney Inspections
A professional Mercer County chimney sweep will be able to advise you about which of the three levels of inspection will be most appropriate for your chimney and venting system. Below is an explanation of the three levels and of what services your chimney sweep will provide for each level:
- Level 1 Robbinsville Chimney Inspections: The most basic type of Robbinsville chimney inspection. A Level 1 inspection is suggested if you haven’t changed anything about your appliance or the way you use it, and if you’ve been sticking to an annual sweeping schedule. A certified chimney technician will examine the readily-accessible parts of your chimney, inside and out, and will check to make sure your chimney doesn’t have any blockages or combustible deposits and that your chimney and flue are of sound structure and installed and connected correctly.
- Level 2 Robbinsville Chimney Inspections: These are the inspections that are most commonly recommended. Using Video scanning, Level 2 Robbinsville chimney inspections are required when you make any kind of change to your heating appliance. For instance, if you change your fuel type or have the chimney relined or you add a different type of appliance with a different input rating or efficiency. These are also recommended upon the sale or transfer of a property or after an operation malfunction, fire, or weather event. This inspection comprises everything in a Level 1 inspection, in addition to portions of the attics, crawl spaces, and basements. You can also count on this inspection to address proper clearances from combustibles in accessible locations.
- Level 3 Robbinsville Chimney Inspections: This is the inspection that’s recommended when serious hazards are suspected. It requires the removal of parts of the building or chimney to gain access where necessary.
Are you in Need of a Robbinsville Chimney Inspection?
If you are looking for the best Chimney Inspection Services, you’ve come to the right place! For well over 20 years, St John has been providing hundreds of satisfied homeowners with safe chimneys and cozy winters. Our licensed and insured company is also a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) and most of our quality products come with a lifetime warranty. St John is an honest family owned company that takes pride in our positive reputation in the community. For a free Hopewell Chimney Inspection estimate, contact now at (609) 737-0133 or visit the website.
Mercer County Chimney Sweeps Home Page
by admin | Sep 5, 2017 | NJ Chimney Inspection
Are you looking for a Mercer County chimney inspection specialist to come take a look at your chimney? The health of your chimney directly impacts the overall health of your home. For this reason, it is vital to ensure that you take good care of your chimney by having it inspected on a regular basis. Unfortunately, many home owners neglect their chimneys by letting them go years and years without a proper inspection. This can be dangerous whether or not you use your fireplace. Homeowners that do not use their fireplace run the risk of serious damage to their roof and pest invasion. Those who do use their fireplaces regularly run the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and house fire. Bottom line: if you have a chimney, it needs regular inspection. Today, we will be looking at some other important reasons to contact a local Mercer County chimney inspection specialist.
The Importance Of Mercer County Chimney Inspection
Mercer County Chimney Inspection | Protect Your House and Loved Ones
There is nothing more important than keeping your home and family safe while enjoying your fireplace or wood stove during the winter. Your chimney acts as an important ventilation system that allows smoke, toxins and dangerous fumes to escape the home. A clean chimney means a safer, more efficient fireplace and home heating appliance.
As with all fossil burning appliances, a certain amount of residue from creosote and soot stick to the flue and masonry inside the chimney with each burning fire. When the creosote gets too thick, the heat and burning embers from the fire is often all that it takes to spark a fire in the chimney. There are many cases where Mercer County chimney inspection would have prevented many of the reported house fires.
Mercer County Chimney Inspection | Efficient House Heating
Your fireplace efficiency decreases when additional creosote is deposited in the chimney. The additional circulation of cooler air reduces energy efficiency requiring you to burn more wood more often to stay warm.
Additionally, small birds, rodents and insects can clog the flue preventing the escape of toxic fumes. And since the toxic fumes have difficulty escaping a clogged chimney, the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning (the silent killer) increases. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) reports that there are more than 200 carbon monoxide poisoning deaths each year. A professional Mercer County Chimney Inspection by a certified chimney sweep will significantly increase the efficiency of your fireplace and other home heating appliances so that warm air stays inside and the dangerous fumes stay outside.
Mercer County Chimney Inspection | Save Money On Masonry Repairs
A wood-burning fireplace can reach temperatures of 1100°F or more. This creates ash, bits of wood, soot and other particles that are by-products of the combustion process that can cover the flue liner, smoke shelf, damper and masonry with dirt, grime and contaminants. Professional chimney cleaning helps to reduce wear and tear on these components so you can prevent costly chimney repairs from having to replace them prematurely. In addition, a thorough top to bottom chimney cleaning can help uncover minor masonry problems before they develop into larger and more expensive chimney repairs.
Mercer County Chimney Inspection | St John Chimney Sweeps
If you are looking for the best Mercer County chimney inspection services, look no further than St. John Chimney Sweeps. For more than 2 decades, St John has been providing countless homeowners with the best Mercer County chimney inspection services available. St John’s 100% satisfaction no-mess guarantee leaves customers with peace of mind knowing that their chimney is always safe and ready for use. Many of our quality products have a lifetime warranty. We are honest family owned company that always gives thorough explanations before we do any work. Our licensed and insured company is also a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG). For more info, or for a free estimate, contact now at (609) 737-0133 or visit the website.
Mercer County Chimney Sweeps
by admin | May 3, 2017 | NJ Chimney Inspection
Your Mercer County chimney may look like it’s in great condition on the outside, the inside could be in need of crucial repairs. So how does one know when these repairs are needed? Get a professional Mercer County chimney inspection to give you peace of mind. A Mercer County chimney inspection includes a camera scan of the flue, where possible. Professionals will also check to see if your chimney is functioning properly or if it needs repairs before you can burn safely. Here are a few reasons why it’s important to schedule a Mercer County chimney inspection.
Importance of a Mercer County Chimney Inspection
- Cracks in the Flue Can Cause a House Fire. Your flue is the liner inside your chimney that carries heat, toxic fumes and smoke out of your house. Over time, cracks and deterioration may develop from excessive heat or from having contact with water. Drops of water can cause your flue to deteriorate faster when your chimney is not properly covered with an approved spark arrestor, commonly known as a flue cap. A cracked flue leaves your home exposed to heat and embers reaching combustible materials, or toxic fumes entering your home. A professional can give you a Mercer County chimney inspection to check your flue for damage.
- Masonry Cracks Let the Outside In. If your chimney is made of brick, masonry repairs may be needed to keep it strong and stable. After years of heating and varying weather temperatures, masonry can deteriorate and cracks begin to develop. The damper should be tested to make sure it can be opened and closed. A Mercer County chimney inspection can offer a detailed analysis of your masonry and recommend repairs to keep your chimney strong and structurally sound.
- Creosote and Animal Nests Cause House Fires. Creosote accumulates from burning wood or solid fuels and can lead to a chimney fire if not removed. Animals may use your chimney as a nest and should be removed before use. A Mercer County chimney inspection or cleaning will make sure your chimney is clear and safe for burning.
- Water Damage Leads to Expensive Repairs. If your chimney or flue is not properly covered with a flue cap, water will enter your chimney and can cause faster deterioration of your flue and can mean you’ll need to pay for a replacement flue sooner. During a Mercer County chimney inspection, your chimney sweep will check the condition of your chimney including the masonry, crown wash, the flue cap and recommend appropriate repairs. This may range from minor masonry repairs, installation of your flue cap, replacement of the top cement known as the crown wash.
- You Don’t Know When the Last Inspection Was Done. When you buy a new home, you may not know when the last owner got a Mercer County chimney inspection or cleaning. In this case, it’s important to schedule a sweep and scan before you burn. This gives you a current benchmark on the health of your chimney, and you’ll be informed if there is need for current or future repairs for safety and optimal performance of your system.
Looking for Expert Mercer County Chimney Inspection Service?
St. John Chimney Sweeps has been providing satisfied home owners with chimney liners & chimney services for well over 15 years. We pride ourselves in our 100% customer satisfaction no-mess guarantee. Many of our quality products have a lifetime warranty. 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). Call now for a free estimate at: (609) 737-0133 or visit our website.
Mercer County Chimney Sweeps