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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How often should I get My Furnace Flue and Fireplace cleaned and inspected?

A. As recommended by the NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency), you should get your furnace flue and chimney inspected every year. Your fireplace should be cleaned every 50 fires or cord of wood, and inspected once a year. Your furnace flue should be cleaned every two to three years.

Q. Why is it important to get my fireplace and furnace flue cleaned on a regular basis?

A. In regards to your fireplace, if it is not cleaned regularly, creosote builds up on the fireplace flues inner walls and is very flammable, and will cause a chimney fire if not removed. If a chimney fire occurs you can crack flue tiles or cause the home to catch fire. If a flue tile cracks it will be necessary to have a liner installed. This situation is not only dangerous to you and your family, but it will also be very expensive to repair the damages from a chimney fire.

In regards to your gas furnace flue, the un-burned bi-products of the gas leave a corrosive substance on the inner wall of the flue. If these un-burned bi-products of the gas are not removed they will begin to deteriorate the masonry and or metal flue. If the metal or masonry flue develops a hole this can lead to carbon monoxide leaking into the home. Carbon monoxide is odorless and tasteless, and is often called the "silent killer" due to the fact that you are unaware of it's presence in your home. It is especially deadly in the winter months, because all of the windows are closed, so the carbon monoxide has no place to escape. People also tend to use the furnace's more often in the winter month's.

Q. Why do I need a cap on my chimney flues?

A. Water is the number one cause of damage to chimneys. Large amounts of rain and snow can enter your chimney in just one season. This will cause the flue to deteriorate whether its metal or masonry. Chimney caps are the most inexpensive preventative measure that a homeowner can take. A chimney cap also provides other benefits such as preventing birds, squirrels, possum, and raccoon from entering and nesting in the chimney flue. Chimney caps can also aid in stopping sparks or embers from landing on your roof.

Q. What will the technician do when he comes to clean and inspect my fireplace and/or furnace flue?

A. Listed below are the processes the the technician will go through while cleaning and inspecting your fireplace and/or furnace flue (varys from fireplace to fireplace)

1. Fireplace's

• Lay a tarp in front of the firebox
• Shine light up flue
• Sweep flue with brush attached to rods (inside or out)
• Clean smoke chamber with a chamber brush
• Clean Smoke shelf behind damper
• Clean firebox
• Vacuum remaining creosote out of firebox
• Do a 14-point safety inspection (only level 1 inspection with standard fireplace cleaning)

2. Furnace Flue

• Turn heat down to Low
• Sweep flue with brush (inside or out)
• Thouroughly clean connector pipe
• Reconnect connector pipe
• Do a 7 point safety inspection
• Turn heat back up

Inspection

14 point safety inspection is for the fireplace, and the *7 point inspection is for the furnace flue.

• Crown
• Brickwork and Mortar
• Flashing
• Flue Tiles (To ensure that there are no cracked or shifted tiles)
• Smoke Chamber
• Damper
• Firebox
• Grate
• Hearth
• Mantel
• Chimney Caps
• Fire extinguisher/ Smoke detectors
• Connectors (Applicable for furnace flue)
• Tools and Gloves

Q. How can I tell if my chimney is dirty?

A.Your chimney is dirty and due for cleaning when you accumulate 1/8 of and inch of creosote buildup. Another method of determining when to get is cleaned is once every 50 fires, or once every cord of wood burned.

Q. What is the difference between stainless steel liners and aluminum liners?

A. Stainless steel liners are used for masonry fireplaces, oil or coal systems UL1777 and some gas fired appliances. Even if a furnace has been converted to gas, by code you must use stainless steel if the system ever used coal or oil. The alloy determines a liners resistance to corrosion by the products of combustion. Stainless steel liners cary a lifetime manufactures warranty.

Aluminum liners are used for gas-fires appliances with an AFUE of 83% or less. Aluminum liners carry a 15 year prorated, manufactures limited warranty.

Q. Why should i have my chimney waterproofed?

A. All chimneys are constructed of materials that will suffer accelerated deterioration as a result of prolonged contact with water, except stone. Although stone is not affected by water penetration, large amounts of mortar are required to bond the stone together properly.Therefore a stone chimney just like a brick chimney should also be protected against water penetration. Since masonry materials are porous they will absorb large amounts of water acting like a sponge wicking moisture to the chimney interior. They will then deteriorate quickly when exposed to the freeze/thaw that winter.

Sevral products have been specifically designed to use as waterproofing agents on chimneys. These products are vapor permeable, meaning they allow the masonry to breath out, but not in. Therefore, water that has penetrated the masonry is able to escape, while the waterproofing agent prevents water from entering from the outside. Most of these products come with a five to ten year guarantee. Waterproofing is a preventive measure; if damage already exists it should be repaired before waterproofing is applied.

Q. How can i tell if I have had a chimney fire?

A. Since many chimney fires occur without anyone being aware of them, and since the damage from them can cause hard to you and your family. These are nine signs that professional chimney sweeps look for in order to determine if you have in fact had a chimney fire.

• "Puffy" creosote, with rainbow colored streaks, that has expanded beyond cresote's normal form
• Warped metal of the damper, metal smoke chamber, connector pipe, or factory-built metal chimney
• Cracked or collapsed flue tile, or flue tile with large chunks missing
• Discolored and/or distorted rain cap
• Heat-damages TV antenna's attached to the chimney etc...
• Creoste flakes and pieces found on the roof or ground
• Camp-fire odor
• Roofing material damaged from hot embers
• Cracks in exterior masonry
• Evidence of smoke escaping through mortar joints of masonry or tile liner

If you think that a chimney fire has occurred give our CSIA certified chimney sweeps a call to get a professional evaluation of your chimney.

Q. What if my pre-manufactured fireplace walls or floor are cracked?

A. Most fireplace manufactures require replacement of the refractory panels of the firebox when a nickel, on end, can be inserted into the crack or when the surface of the refractory panel has abraded more the one-fourth of an inch from the original surface. Replacement of the refractory panels should be completed by a qualified professional familiar with fireplaces and the panel replacement procedure.

Q. What should i do if i smell soot?

A. When you smell soot in your house, either all the time or only when you turn on the heat or air-conditioning then it is most likely a down drafting problem. The first thing to do is make sure that your damper is closed. If you have done this or you smell soot all the time then one of our certified technicians should come out and inspect it for you.

Below raccoon in chimney flue

Below glazed fireplace flue

Below chunk of third stage creosote