Now that winter is in full swing, your fireplace probably is too. To continue enjoying the warmth and coziness of having a fire roaring in your home safely throughout the season, it's essential to keep the following in mind:
Have your chimney cleaned and inspected regularly
To remove the soot and creosote that slowly builds-up every time you use your fireplace, make sure to include chimney cleaning as part of your regular home upkeep. If your fireplace is used often (2 or more times a week on average during the cold months),
we recommend a cleaning at least once every 2 years.
Don't count on chimney-cleaning log products alone
Although there are plenty of products available on the market that are designed to reduce creosote build-up on flue tiles, they do not physically remove creosote from your chimney.
Get your fireplace inspected if you've had a chimney fire
If you've had (or think you've had) a chimney fire, you should have a technician inspect and clean your flue liner before you decide to use your fireplace again. This is important because fires in your chimney often cause the flue tiles to break or even collapse. Continued usage causes heat and smoke to enter the compromised internal chimney structure, which could produce a structural fire.
Determine the cause if your chimney starts smoking
There are three main reasons why your fireplace may start smoking:
- Negative air pressure from within the home
- External smoke cross-over from a second flue
- Internal smoke cross-over from flue tile deterioration
The most common cause of smoke generation is due to an air pressure mismatch. For proper operation, air needs to be replaced after it's been drawn out of the house through the chimney. Normally, this "make-up" air is pulled in through small leaks and cracks around your doors and windows. If you've recently had your doors or windows replaced, you've most likely sealed up those places where the air was originally pulled in, essentially stifling your chimney's air supply.
