Concord Chimney Experts: Ensuring Your Fireplace is Ready for the Season
The cold months are exciting, but don't let the dropping temperatures keep you down. A good and functional fireplace is vital to keeping you warm during the cold season. Whether you have a wood-burning or gas fireplace, you must prepare and check it to ensure its functionality and keep your home safe.
Maintenance of Different Types of Fireplaces
Before you inspect and repair your fireplace, it pays to know what type of fireplace you have.
Gas Fireplace
Gas fireplaces require low maintenance but require periodic inspection and cleaning. The goal is to ensure that the gas lines are working correctly. Make sure you have a professional do the inspection.
This type of fireplace works like a car engine. Its combustion system can malfunction when insects and foreign debris are present. Always keep the pilot and main burner free from debris to operate normally. If there is a blower, make sure it is kept clean.
Wood-Burning Fireplace
A wood-burning fireplace is popular because it delivers an authentic fireplace experience. However, it requires consistent cleaning and maintenance to ensure that it can do its job come winter season.
The leading cause of fire in a wood-burning fireplace is creosote buildup. Creosote is any excess gas released whenever you burn wood, which solidifies and clings to the wall of the chimney. If it accumulates, it is not only a fire hazard but also emits harmful gases and toxins back into your home.
If you have a wood-burning fireplace, you should clean out the creosote before you light it up in the winter.
Electric Fireplace
An electric fireplace is the easiest to maintain. It only requires simple dusting to protect and preserve the electrical components so that it stays functional.
How to Get Your Fireplace Ready for the Season
Maintaining your fireplace is essential to keeping your home safe and warm. When not properly cared for, fireplaces can be a fire hazard. Remember these maintenance and cleaning tips before you light your first fire for the season.
1. Inspect and Clean the Chimney
The fireplace and chimney are connected, so you must ensure both are in good shape to maintain functionality. The chimney is an essential safety barrier that protects your home from dangerous fumes and fire hazards. Therefore, you should schedule a chimney inspection and cleaning before winter to ensure it works perfectly during the cold season.
Choose a professional and certified chimney sweeper to ensure your chimney is clear of debris, soot, and other toxic buildup. In addition to clearing your chimney of such debris, they will also get rid of other foreign objects that could damage the chimney and fireplace.
2. Clear the Clutter Around the Fireplace
The fireplace and chimney are considered the biggest fire risks at home. Therefore, consider any debris or clutter near or around the fireplace. It can be easy to forget about the fireplace when it is not in use, and clutter tends to build up around the area when it is not in use, so be sure to check for any objects that could ignite a fire once you start using the fireplace again.
Make sure there are no objects that could potentially catch fire. Also, keep any flammable objects, such as the carpet or furniture, away from the fireplace, as any embers can be sufficient to cause fire.
Aside from clearing objects around your fireplace, check the fireplace gasket. Having a gasket when you have a gas or wood fireplace is common. The gasket helps to keep out any excess smoke or gas from your fireplace. Ensure the gasket is intact and working, or replace it when damaged.
3. Make Sure the Damper is Working Properly
A chimney damper is an integral part of an open fireplace. It prevents warm air from escaping into the chimney, making your home comfortable even when it's freezing outside.
As part of routine maintenance for the season, check the damper. If you have a throat damper, it is usually made of steel or cast iron. It uses a knob or a rod to open or close the damper, and you will find that in front of the fireplace. Meanwhile, a top-mount damper is located on top of the chimney cap. Therefore, it helps seal your chimney from the top and is usually open during spring. A controlling cable can help to close the damper when needed.
It is common for a damper to malfunction, especially for any part with hinges. The damper can also malfunction when it isn’t used for extended periods.
Make it a habit to inspect the damper to see if you can easily open or close it. If you have trouble using that mechanism, the damper can shut down when you light a fire. This can cause smoke to ingress inside your home, which is a health and safety issue.
Ask your technician to include the damper during a chimney inspection and sweep. That way, you can quickly address any issues with the damper before using it again.
4. Check the Chimney for Cracks or Damages
Check the chimney for any structural cracks or damages to ensure you have a working fireplace for the season. Crumbling mortar or staining on the plaster are signs of structural issues on the chimney. Structural damage could risk your fireplace and chimney. And you cannot afford the chimney and fireplace to break down in the middle of a cold winter!
Be sure to call a professional chimney service in Concord to inspect the condition of your chimney before the season starts. This will give you peace of mind that it is in the best condition to keep your home warm throughout the season.
5. Clean the Firebox of Ashes
Aside from clearing the clutter, ensure your fireplace is free of any ashes from the previous season. These ashes could quickly accumulate when you light up the fireplace. However, it leaves behind a thin layer of ash, making it easier to light up the fireplace.