How To Avoid Chimney Fires
Chimney swifts a species of bird known to roost in chimneys arent really the issue here.
How to avoid chimney fires. Always stick to the best fire starters when selecting fuel kindling and tinder. Creosote is fuel for chimney fires and if it ignites the heat may be much higher than your chimney can withstand. Some fires go unnoticed by the homeowner.
The fact is chimney fires are a lot more frequent than you would think and cost property damage worth hundreds of millions of dollars every year. I had a massive chimney fire in my house few years ago for the same reason not very good build quality and not very good cleaning job. Weve had a few cool days unfortunately its 85 here today but we have already turned on our fireplaces a few times.
The main perk of a chimney cap as opposed to a damper is that they are effective at preventing wildlife from entering your chimney. How to Avoid Chimney Fires. Have your chimney cleaned and inspected at least once a year.
To avoid a disaster in your house keep the following tips in mind. Burn clean fires. A chimney cleaning runs between 125 and 250 depending on the type and condition of chimney.
A regular cleaning and inspection of your stove and chimney can greatly reduce your chances of having a chimney fire. In this video I show a chimney cleaning and talk about how to avoid a chimney fire. But its easy to avoid chimney fires and costly repairs by.
The old adage An Ounce of Prevention is Worth A Pound of Cure is no more apropos than in the instance of chimney fires. Some level of creosote buildup is inevitable and there are two huge things you can do to further reduce the risk of a chimney fire. The National Safety Council recommends that chimneys be swept thoroughly at least twice a year.
How to Avoid Chimney Fires. This number is going down year on year despite the fact that more people are using fires and stoves probably because awareness of chimney fires. If your chimney was made from bricks without a ceramic flue which is the way it was done some 50 years ago bad cleaning can damage you chimney thus making space for that sticky gunk to build up.
Flame temperatures in a chimney fire. To a squirrel your chimney. This is in addition to the thousands of deaths and injuries caused by such fires.
Touched off by the right combination of heat and oxygen creosote can show a demonic mind of its own turning a normally smoky chamber into an inferno. Temperatures in the chimney during a fire can reach over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit hot enough to destroy the chimney liner and possibly set the house on fire. In general if theres one thing that will help keep fires at bay and make sure that your chimney stays safe and sound its prevention and regular chimney inspections.
Chimney fires occur when deposits of carbon and debris accumulate in a chimney and are set alight by sparks or flames. The worst part is that most such fires. Every year there are around 400 thousand chimney fires in the US.
Not burning trash in a fireplace or woodstove. There are only two ways to prevent chimney fires. Theyll check the flue walls and identify and address any potential problems.
Anyway too many people forget that precautions should be taken prior to using a fireplace. Tissues and wrapping paper are two good examples of dangerous items to put in the fireplace as they can act as an easy transport vehicle for the flame into the chimney. I have had a wood stove my whole life.
A buildup of creosote is highly combustible and can result in a chimney fire. The more often you use the appliance the more often it should be cleaned and inspected at least once a year preferable. For chimney fires the fuel is the creosote and the match is an overly hot fire in your wood stove also called an over-fire.
It wasnt done for warmth exactly just the atmosphere that it provided. Family Handyman has many good. The first is to never burn anything that can easily catch on fire and then be pulled up the chimney on a hot air current while on fire.
Far more concerning are other critters such as squirrels which build large combustible nests. Have your chimney serviced by a certified chimney sweep once a year. That means fires with more flame less smoke.
Others sound like a freight train running through the house and display thirty- foot flames shooting from the chimney top. Use safe fire starters to avoid unwanted chimney fires. Chimney fires occur when creosote and or soot inside the chimney catch alight.
Beyond inspections another good step you can take to prevent chimney fires is to install a chimney cap. Chimney fires are serious. Take away the fuel and take away the match.
Thats why weve put together this informative guide to teach you how to prevent these fires. If youre like us you cant wait to get a jump on the fall season. If you have ever seen or had a chimney fire you will know that they can burn explosively usually loud enough to be heard by neighbours or passers by.
Chimney fires are the main cause for so many of the houses you see burnt out. According to the annual report produced by the Department for Communities Local Government there were 7700 chimney fires across the UK in 201314. Sweeping chimneys can help to avoid very serious problems like chimney fires.
Burning seasoned wood only. How to prevent chimney fires. Your chimney wont catch fire if its clean.
If you are a regular wood stove user you are at least aware of the hazard posed by chimney fires. To get a clean fire burn. According to the statistics there were over 9000 chimney fires last year which wrecked the homes and lives of homeowners in the uk.
Home-Sweep is a HETAS approved chimney sweep and can sweep all types of chimneys flues and liners.
