Why a Chimney Inspection for your New Home & Fireplace is Crucial

3/4/2020

It is sometimes a grave error to trust that a fireplace is safe to use in a newly purchased home. Although previous owners may have taken steps to ensure the fireplace passed inspection, there are several reasons it’s not enough to go on. Thousands of hazardous home fires occur every year because homeowners blindly used a fireplace that was new to them. The following are some of the things that can cause out-of-control fires and other dangers if you don’t have your own chimney inspection done before using your new fireplace.

A Long-Time Home Vacancy

Unused chimneys attract birds looking to build a nest and other animals. Whether an animal—dead or alive—is in your chimney or just birds’ nests, the blockage created is a hazard. If you light a fire when the chimney is obstructed, various toxins blow back into the home. Deadly carbon monoxide is one of those toxins, and it is known as the Silent Killer. Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, symptomless, and tasteless. Unless there is an operational carbon monoxide detector in the home, occupants can succumb to the toxins without realizing their lives had been jeopardized.

After conducting a chimney inspection, expert chimney technicians can remove any debris left from animals in the chimney. Animal removal can be very hazardous and should always be left to professionals.

Creosote Buildup is in the Chimney from Frequent Use

The more a wood-burning fireplace is used, the more highly flammable creosote there is in the chimney flue. The combustion gases may exit through the chimney when a fire is burned, but not everything makes it outside. Some creosote is deposited in the flue with every wood fire burned.

If chimney cleaning is neglected, creosote can build up to the point that it causes an obstruction, which leads to the same danger of exposure to toxic gases described above. There is another threat caused by a dirty chimney and it’s a chimney fire. The more creosote there is in a chimney liner, the greater the odds a chimney fire will be sparked and the longer a raging chimney fire will be fed. The intense heat of chimney fires often destroys the chimney liner and causes an out-of-control fire that quickly spreads through the home.

The Fireplace has been Seldom Used

If you’re told that the fireplace in your new home has rarely ever been used, it’s still a huge risk to skip having a chimney inspection before using the fireplace. A neglected chimney can have as many problems as one that is often used. Debris and other types of obstruction could be inside the flue, especially if there is no chimney cap or if the chimney cap is in disrepair. It is potentially very dangerous to use a fireplace that has been neglected without first getting a chimney inspection.

Schedule a Chimney Inspection Before Using Your New Fireplace

Schedule a chimney inspection with the certified chimney sweeps at Clean Sweep Chimney Service. We are a full-service chimney and fireplace company with the expertise to handle any concerns you may have. Since 1977, Chimney Sweep Chimney Services has provided reliable chimney cleaning and chimney maintenance services. Contact us today at (636) 477-9966 for the best services the chimney industry offers in the St. Louis, MO, metro area.