As a homeowner, you need to prioritize “to do’s” around your home. It’s understandable that some issues may get swept under the rug in favor of more pressing matters, but what about your chimney and fireplace? If you never use them, do you really need to clean them? Let’s get answers to this common question.
What Happens When I Don’t Clean My Fireplace?
Whether or not you use your fireplace, it will get filthy over time. Dust will settle in, certain feathered creatures will invade, and you’ll have a mess on your hands.
If you go several months or years without a cleaning, the task will begin to seem insurmountable.
Appliances Contribute to a Dirty Chimney
If you are using certain gas appliances, your chimney will need to be in tip top shape to ensure that the toxic particles are getting properly filtered out of your home. These particles can prove harmful to your family and cause a litany of issues that aren’t easily rectified.
The chimney acts like an exhaust system when it releases fuels out of the house, helping keep a steady flow of air and allowing the correct air and fuel mixture for a heating appliance to function correctly.
Gas Furnaces can be a Problem
The modern high-efficiency gas furnace can pose its own specific problems. These furnaces are more likely to experience condensation buildup more so than older models. Combine this with the fact that these vapors contain potentially harmful chemicals, it’s obvious why you need to take care of your chimney as a preventative measure.
Chimney Damage May Occur
Even if you haven’t been using your chimney, there could still be some underlying damages. Also, rough weather can create cracks or shifts in your chimney’s structure and can make it incapable of working properly when you do go to use it.
Damage can be caused by moisture either due to weather or via water vapor from gas furnaces.
Do You Need to Clean Your Chimney if You Don’t Use Your Fireplace?
It’s still important to clean your chimney annually even if you don’t use your fireplace. A once a year cleaning will maintain the safety and integrity of your chimney structure, keeping it functional.
How Can You Tell if it’s Time to Clean Your Fireplace?
There are typically some major indicators when it’s time to clean your fireplace. This includes a) your fireplace excretes a stench-like odor b) there is smoke filling your room whenever you try to run your fireplace or c) dark oil marks are lining the walls of your fireplace.
As soon as you notice any of these warning signs, it’s crucial not to wait, or else the result may be a fire or worse. Call the most skilled chimney cleaning professionals near you, like the folks at Caps and Dampers. They’ve been serving Connecticut for years, helping homeowners keep their chimneys nice and safe with a top-of-the-line annual chimney cleaning.
We go to our doctor for an annual check-up, so shouldn’t your chimney get the same annual check-up and cleaning? Please don’t try to do this yourself, book an appointment now with a professional chimney company and keep your home and family safe.
