How A Chimney Sweep Can Protect You From Unnecessary Fire Hazard

Long winter nights may lend themselves to cozying up in front of a crackling fire with a cup of tea and a good book. All those months of burning wood, however, can wreak havoc on your fireplace, leaving you to call in a professional chimney sweep to clean everything out for you.

Yes, chimney sweeps do exists outside the world of Disney movies. They’re responsible for a wide range of duties that help to prevent fires, including removing creosote that has built up in the walls, taking care of soot buildup, inspecting the structure and recommending repairs as needed. Creosote is a natural substance that is released in small amounts by all woods when they burn. It tends to accumulate over time along the inner walls of the flue, as well as in other recesses, where it sticks and hardens. If enough of it builds up and becomes hot, it can cause a fire to break out in the chimney. Unlike ash and soot, which can be removed by scrubbing it with a wire brush, creosote requires more detailed removal efforts, including the use of certain chemicals to break up the solidified buildup.

As the name implies, a chimney sweep is also responsible for sweeping to remove the residue that results from routine fireplace use. If this is not done periodically, the accumulated debris can black up the flue, which would prevent air from flowing in and out properly. Sweeping also removes leftover bits of wood or ash that may catch fire again and cause a fire.

The inspection and maintenance of prefabricated fireplaces and fuel-burning appliances, including wood-burning fireplaces and stoves, are also in the chimney sweep's job description. The flues of both water heaters and furnaces must be monitored, as well as any hearth items that use gas, such as logs or fireplaces. A smokeshaft is meant to allow smoke to exit a home; however, the temperatures are meant to stay relatively low. Sometimes it is possible to have a very small fire that doesn’t do major damage, but only cracks or shifts the tile lining the chimney's flue. This is a very dangerous situation, as it creates a path from the fire to the home’s walls. In the event of a second, more severe fire, more damage could result. The sweepers also make sure that prefabricated fireplaces have been installed properly, checking that the pipes are all connected and the unit is in good condition, as these are two of the leading causes of fires involving fireplaces and chimneys.

The main concern of rooftop cleaners when working on machines fueled by oil or gas is that they are properly vented, as these chemicals released are considerably more dangerous than those produced by burning wood. Sweepers inspect the connection pipes for leaks, check that the flue is the right size, and look for cracked or shifted tiles or other defects in the structure that could lead to dangerous gases like carbon monoxide escaping into the residence.