Get Ready for Cold Weather with Winter Chimney Prep

Getting ready for low temps with winter chimney prep is important, whether another historic event like Winter Storm Uri 2021 is on the horizon for Texas or not. Before you light that first fire this winter, make sure all recommended steps for chimney preparation have been taken care of. The last thing you would want, of course, is to be part of the statistic regarding home fires caused by heating appliances. Thousands of home fires occur every year in connection with fireplaces and chimneys. The following includes tips follow to get ready for winter with chimney prep.

Schedule a Chimney Inspection

The most important thing to do to ensure the safe use of your fireplace or heating stove is to follow the advice of all leading fire safety experts. They agree that annual chimney inspections are essential. This applies to chimneys that are not even used anymore.

Contact a chimney sweep company with CSIA-certified chimney sweeps. Qualified technicians can identify any issues that need to be addressed, including potentially life-threatening problems and others that could lead to expensive repairs if ignored.

Schedule Chimney Cleaning

Dirty chimneys cause thousands of home fires annua. Chimneys clogged with excess creosote are associated with many fatalities and major damage to homes and businesses. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), it’s best to schedule an annual chimney cleaning, same as yearly inspections.

Protect Against Over-Firing

Be aware of heating appliance limitations. Over-firing is dangerous and yet a common problem. The three primary ways that over-firing occurs are too much fuel, the wrong kind of fuel, and too much oxygen.

Too Much Fuel

Fireplaces are not built to withstand the same type of extreme conditions as a furnace. It is essential to burn only seasoned firewood, and, even then, don’t use too much wood. The fuel capacity for fireplaces differs according to the size of the hearth.

Burning Too Long or the Wrong Fuel

There is a limit to the number of hours in which a fireplace can be used without potentially causing some kind of structural damage that could result in a house fire. Some fireplace manufacturers, for example, recommend using a fireplace for no longer than 5 hours at a time. A fireplace can also overfire if the wrong fuel is used.

Too Much Oxygen

Fires can grow out of control when there is an excess of oxygen. Some manufacturers have suggested that the gaskets on glass fireplace doors be checked to make sure too much oxygen is not getting to the fires.

Contact Guardian Chimney Sweeps

For the best in reliable winter chimney prep, call on the CSIA-certified chimney sweeps at Guardian Chimney Sweeps. We are devoted to customer satisfaction, and our chimney sweep professionals have earned the trust of homeowners and business owners throughout the Conroe and Greater Houston areas. Contact Guardian Chimney Sweeps today at any of our numbers shown:

Toll-free: (888) 306-6069

Conroe: (936) 271-9781

Houston: (713) 401-2011