Should they suffer damage from a chimney fire, the professional recommendation is to no longer use the chimney Modern prefabricated metal chimneys are specially treated to withstand the high temperatures of a chimney fire without suffering severe damage. An examination by an experienced chimney sweep is the only way to learn if your chimney, whether masonry or metal, needs a cleaning. There is not a “hard and firm” rule of thumb on how often to clean your chimney. Creosote will also build up in the flue if you have unburned wood There are many factors that influence theĪmount of creosote stuck to the walls of your chimney, such as the volume of airflow into your chimney and the burning of improperly seasoned wood, which encourages such a buildup. ![]() Depending on how often you use your fireplace to burn wood, creosote residue will build up in your chimney. ![]() You should have an annual chimney inspection by a reputable chimney sweep organization such as Petro. How often should you get your chimney cleaned? If they spread to occupied homes the measurement of human deaths and injuries is impossible to compute. These cause over $125 million in property damage, but, How often do chimney fires happen?Ĭhimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) statistics indicate there are more than 25,000 chimney fires annually in the US. Overloading your firebox to get longer fires can also contribute to creosote residue buildup in your chimney. Seasoning, and cool chimney temperatures that occur in four-season environments. The conditions that tend to attract creosote buildup include the natural lack of air supply in chimneys, burning wood that lacks enough These super-hot fires will weaken masonry chimney structure after creosote residue builds up in sufficient quantities. Chimney fires can burn at extremely high temperatures (up to 2,000 degrees F). ![]() Chimney fires are often explosive, and it is common for neighbors to hear the explosions and alert Homeowners are urged to have their chimneys inspected for creosote buildup and cleaned if necessary in the spring of each year.Ĭhimney fires are characterized by loud cracking or popping noises and a lot of dense smoke from the flue, but often times go undetected by the homeowner. Even though most contemporary homeowners use their fireplaces for coziness or have remote controlled natural gas flames to fuel their fires, the majority still use wood toīurn and are susceptible to creosote buildup in their dampers and flues. In the 21 st century, avoiding a house fire is just as important. When houses were heated by fireplaces only, prior to the Industrial Revolution, chimney sweeps were in demand as 19 th century homeowners seemed to realize how important a clean chimney was to avoiding home fires. Even so, some homeowners continue to disregard this significant risk, and don’t take proper measures when it comes to chimneyĬleaning. A large number of house fires start when creosote (a carbonaceous chemical) builds up on the interior of your chimney.
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