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Home › Articles › General Home › Chim Chim Cheerie

Chim Chim Cheerie

The Importance of Chimney Sweeps

By Teri Brown

Pages:  1  2  

The image of chimney sweeps was forever changed when Burt and Mary Poppins danced across the London rooftops, some 40 odd years ago. Unfortunately, most sweeps don't sing and tap dance across our roofs, but they do perform an important job that wood burning homeowners should be familiar with.

Having been through the trauma of a chimney fire, Sissel Chipman of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,knows all too well how imperative it is to have your chimney checked frequently. Originally from Norway, where the law demands that chimneys be checked yearly, she is surprised by how many people in North America don't. "If you use your wood stove, I think it would be crazy to not have it cleaned and checked regularly!" she says. "Especially because the houses in North America seem to have thinner and smaller chimneys than what is traditional in Scandinavia."

In Tip-top Shape
Bill Ryan Jr., the president of Ryan and Son Chimney Contractors Limited in Landing, N.J., says not keeping your chimney regularly inspected and cleaned can cause a buildup that makes it susceptible to chimney fires. "In wood burning fireplaces, woodstoves and other appliances, the by-product of the burn is soot and creosote," he says. "If a chimney goes un-serviced, this buildup may lead to a chimney fire, which can damage a chimney and a home. In heating appliances burning oil or gas fuel, a neglected chimney can become blocked with soot. Also, these flues, because of their warmth, are very attractive to birds, squirrels and other wildlife. Yearly inspections are important, because as systems get older, they are more and more prone to deterioration and damage."

Melissa Heeke, director of communications for the Chimney Safety Institute of America, a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to chimney and venting system safety, agrees on the importance of regular inspections. "The two primary risks associated with ignoring chimney maintenance are chimney fires and carbon monoxide intrusion," she says. "An annual chimney inspection by a qualified chimney sweep allows you to keep tabs on the state of your chimney. During level one inspection, a certified chimney sweep will look for the basic soundness of the chimney, inside and out, as well as your heating appliance installation and connections. The sweep will also verify that the chimney is free of obstruction and combustible deposits like creosote."

How Often Should Your Chimney Be Cleaned?
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