When the seasons shift, school buses start rumbling past every morning, and temperatures start to lower, getting a fire crackling becomes all the more enticing. Yet in the anticipation of cozy evenings, it’s vital not to overlook one key element of home maintenance: having your chimney inspected and swept.
Making this task part of the rhythm of the seasons significantly impacts the safety, efficiency, and lastingness of your chimney system. But when’s the right time to have it done?
If you find yourself asking whether it’s too soon to have your chimney swept, the simple answer is “no.” As a matter of fact, there are a number of reasons why having your chimney maintained before fall sets in is beneficial.
The Benefits of Booking Your Chimney Sweep Now
- Beating the rush: If leaves are rushing down, you can expect that chimney sweep technicians are experiencing a rush of another sort – customer calls! Fall tends to be a busy season for chimney care professionals. It’s not surprising. As the chill deepens, homeowners begin to covet the warmth and enjoyment of their fireplaces, wood stoves, and home heating furnaces. As a result, appointment opportunities tend to fill up rapidly.
Proactive repairs: Another major advantage to scheduling early? It creates more space to address any potential repairs that may be required. A professional chimney technician is educated to identify issues that could impair the peak functioning and useful lifespan of your chimney. While no one ever wants to find that repairs are necessary, our Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified technicians take seriously our code of professional ethics to be honest and transparent about what we find and keep your best interests in mind. Addressing necessary repairs promptly ensures that your chimney is in optimal working condition before burning season and saves the headache of addressing greater, costlier deterioration later.- Preparedness for cold weather: You want your chimney system to be at the ready when the urge to use it hits. By scheduling your sweeping now, you can have your fireplace and chimney prepared for cold weather. When the time comes to light that iconic first fire of fall, you can do so with confidence. Why? Because you’ll know that your chimney is clean, safe, and ready to provide a season of warmth and comfort.
Did You Miss Your Window?
Well, shoot. You’re reading this article right in the middle of fall – or winter.
While you may not have the advantages of early scheduling, routinely getting your chimney cared for is still important. It’s not too late to attain the following crucial benefits – and to plan for an earlier sweeping next year.
- Fire prevention: A significant outcome of regular chimney sweeping is decreasing the risk of chimney fires. Creosote, a highly combustible substance, accumulates as a byproduct of combustion, and it’s possible for leaves, twigs, and debris to find their way into your flue as well. Regular chimney sweeping is imperative to remove this hazardous material, mitigating the chances of a potentially devastating uncontained fire.
- Indoor air quality: Accumulated soot and debris in a chimney can release harmful particles in the air, and blockages can also prevent gases and smoke from venting properly – meaning they’ll remain in your home. This can range from irritating to downright dangerous, depending on factors such as sensitivity to allergens and irritants, existing conditions, and the severity of blockage. Some of these dangers, such as carbon monoxide, are colorless and odorless, so waiting to see or smell them to take action is perilous.
Optimized efficiency:Â Not only does it keep you safer, being diligent about preventative maintenance ensures your heating system operates at its best by promoting proper airflow, which results in more efficient burning. The benefits for you? Enhanced heat output, cleaner fires, and reduced heating costs.- Cost effectiveness:Â Another way chimney sweeping can save you money in any season is by getting at issues early. Delaying maintenance can lead to more extensive issues, often resulting in higher remediation costs. Addressing minor repairs and conducting regular cleanings is generally more cost-effective than dealing with major repairs down the line.
- Prolonged chimney and home lifespan:Â Regular chimney maintenance – encompassing annual inspections and sweepings – plays a pivotal role in extending the longevity of your home chimney system. Chimney care is an investment in your home.
What Is a Level 2 Chimney Inspection?
Not all homeowners needs will be the same, and any given homeowners needs may change under certain circumstances. Different times may require a different level of chimney inspection. What is the difference between a level I and level II inspection?
Simply put, a level II chimney inspection is a more in-depth assessment of your chimney system.
If no changes have been made to your chimney system or the way it’s been used in the past, a level I inspection, which looks at all accessible portions of the venting system, connections, and appliance, should be sufficient. This is a visual inspection, and also checks for blockage and significant build up that would require a chimney sweeping.
If your property has changed hands, been relined, incurred damage, or other changes have occurred, a bit more intensive inspection – typically involving inspection of accessible attics, basements, crawl spaces, and chimney interior and exterior – is in order. Your chimney will be checked for proper construction and clearances, and this inspection will typically involve a video scan.
Our Chimney Techs Are Here to Help
Whatever your needs, rest assured that we will rise to meet them and do everything we can to make sure your chimney system is ready to safely enjoy when the season sets in. Call or book online with us today.