Few pleasures rival enjoying the beauty and warmth of a crackling fireplace on a cold, damp day! For centuries, people have gathered beside household hearths. These places offer comfortable havens against inclement conditions.
Yet in some cases, a hidden danger lurks inside the chimney flue itself. Property owners need to remain aware of this issue. What kind of threat does it pose? Have you taken precautions to prevent creosote from endangering your premises?
Many fireplaces consume coal or wood as fuels. These materials both contain the element carbon. When they burn, they releases small quantities of oily hydrocarbons and ash into the smoke. As hot air rises up the chimney flue towards the outdoors, it leaves traces of these tar-like sooty residues along the surface of the pipe. Over time, the deposits may accumulate and pose a safety hazard. Today, people often refer to this waxy fireplace soot by the name of a popular wood preservative: "creosote".
How Oily Residues Coat Chimney Flues
To better explain, let's use the example of a pan or kettle over a campfire, you probably know all too well how readily oily hydrocarbon soot will coat the metal surface exposed to the flames. This process typically occurs in three stages:
Step One: Initial Exposure
Ash initially resembles a dusting of loose sooty particles. People easily wipe this material away before it leaves a permanent stain.
Step Two: Visible Residues
If cleaning does not occur promptly, a sticky dark residue of soot soon forms; removing this material requires considerably more effort.
Step Three: Dried Embedded Deposits
If the bottom of the kettle or pan sustains repeated exposures to camp fires without cleaning, a thicker deposit of sooty oils will eventually coat the surface. This dried material forms a wax-like, tough residue which melts and ignites upon exposure to extended high temperatures.
The previous example demonstrates how soot released from a burning fire quickly transforms metal surfaces. One big difference exists between camping cookware and chimney pipes, however. Most homeowners simply cannot readily clean the full interior of a chimney flue. Chimneys usually extend several feet in length. Wiping away ash residues completely after every use proves impossible. Instead, in Fort Wayne, customers obtain chimney inspection and chimney cleaning service periodically from companies such as Dusty Brothers, Inc.
The Advantages of Soot Removal
Property owners benefit by asking a chimney cleaning company to use specialized tools and equipment to inspect and clean the interiors of chimney pipes for several reasons. We recommend requesting this service at least once a year (or more often if you use your chimney regularly throughout the entire year). Just consider the advantages you'll obtain:
First, due to the challenge of accessing most flues, these interior surfaces sometimes harbor thick deposits of waxy hydrocarbon residues. As soot accumulates over time and hardens, removing the buildup sometimes proves exceedingly difficult. Unfortunately, extended exposure to high temperatures does melt this flammable debris: so a fireplace with an uncleaned chimney flue potentially becomes a fire hazard in the absence of periodic cleaning. (Remember, property owners want burning to occur within the insulated masonry-surrounded fireplace, not inside the narrow chimney flue pipe designed to convey smoke outdoors.)
Second, customers who fail to obtain chimney inspections sometimes discover wild creatures access the flue without their knowledge from the rooftop. Birds or squirrels will occasionally build seasonal nests in chimney pipes. While animals will likely have left the area before the property owner lights a fire inside the fireplace, the remnants of nests sometimes stuff the flue with flammable materials (including dried twigs and leaves). If waxy hydrocarbons from sooty buildup then begin melting onto this debris, a rising ember from the fireplace might ignite a tragic house fire.
Three, allowing sooty residues to remain inside a chimney flue also indirectly contributes to poorer indoor air quality. Scientists today consider coal tar residues carcinogenic.(1) While most households don't come into extensive direct contact with this material, it still makes sense to clean away soot rather than allow it to form thick residues on interior chimney pipes. During the Victorian Era, when fireplaces often served as the primary means for heating homes, builders often constructed wide chimneys rather than relying upon narrow flue pipes. The professional chimney sweeps who climbed inside chimneys to perform cleaning sometimes sustained health problems as a result of breathing soot-laden air for extended periods of time on a daily basis.(2)(Fortunately, safer cleaning methods make the occupation of chimney sweeping much safer today.)
Currently, residents of Fort Wayne, Indiana enjoy two powerful means for maintaining fireplaces in good working condition. First, requesting periodic chimney inspection services helps property owners monitor chimney flues. By asking an experienced chimney sweep technician to evaluate the condition of the fireplace and chimney, customers have a better opportunity to maintain this important technology in good shape.
Second, requesting chimney cleaning services on a regular basis in Fort Wayne, Indiana also helps prevent fireplace problems. Dusty Brothers, Inc. technicians sometimes use digital cameras to obtain an accurate image of the interior of the pipe. This technique helps reveal soot buildup or the presence of debris.
Both chimney inspection and chimney cleaning services promote fireplace safety. In the Fort Wayne, Indiana area, property owners frequently request qualified chimney inspection, cleaning, and repair services from Dusty Brothers, Inc., a certified, insured, and bonded company. We offer comprehensive services to help prevent oily fuel residues from posing a fire and health safety risk. Contact us now at 260-482-9991 to schedule a convenient service appointment. We look forward to assisting you!
