by Billy Sweet | Mar 12, 2016 | Ash Pit, Chimney Maintenance
There is a strange-looking, cast iron trapdoor beneath your furnace, at the base of your chimney, or in some cases your basement or cellar. If you just purchased your home, you may not know what this is you’ve acquired. Upon further investigation you realize it is full of dusty ash from years gone by—decades, to be exact, possibly a hundred years or more of ash accumulation can fit into most ash pits.
Cleaning the Ash Pit
Because you may not know what is in your ash pit, or what condition it’s in, it’s best to clean it before use.
It’s important to note that ash removal from the ash pit is not part of a routine chimney sweep. However Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep would be happy to offer you an estimate for ash pit cleaning, and this is a fantastic service to couple with your annual chimney inspection. Taking care of your chimney and fireplace while you are Spring Cleaning ensures you are ready for business, and if there is a problem, you will have time to fix it before the next burning season.
Using the Ash Pit
If you know nothing else about ash pits remember that you should avoid allowing hot coals, ashes, or embers into your ash pit. If you notice smoke coming from your ash pit call 911 as soon as possible. Smoldering fire in the ash pit can cause carbon monoxide poisoning and house fires. However, the ash pit is designed to protect against fires and will do so when used properly.
Many homeowners decide to leave the ash to accumulate until the ash pit is nearing capacity. This could mean decades and decades worth of ashes before it’s filled. Some ash pits are as big as a few feet across, and some several feet deep. It’s even quite common for the clean-out door to be on the outside of the house. These ashes can be removed through the trap door with an ash shovel, although you may need a longer handle for this job due to the size of most ash pits, and you’ll also need an ash bucket on hand. Because of the large amount of ash, and the age of the ash, it’s wise to where a respirator or face mask until the job is finished to protect from breathing in dust and by-products. If your ash pit door is inside your home, running an exhaust fan could clear the ash dust from the air when you are finished with the task, but you should run a fan while you are cleaning out the ash, as it will blow the ash dust.
Servicing the Ash Pit
If you’ve seen your ash pit and think it’s not a job you want to do, call in a professional! At Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep we offer expert services by Certified Chimney Sweeps. You can rest easy knowing that you’re leaving the dirty work up to the professionals, and your complete heating system will be in perfect working order for the next burning season. Don’t waste a moment. Schedule your appointment today.
by Billy Sweet | Feb 11, 2016 | Chimney Maintenance, Neglecting Chimney Maintenance
You may be one of many home and business owners who think an oil or bio diesel furnace doesn’t need regular service. These types of appliances seem low-maintenance, but it’s important to remember that doesn’t mean NO maintenance!
Anytime you have a question or concern about your heating system, you should seek a qualified professional to look at your system completely.
Installation
It is important to hire a licensed and insured professional to install heat appliances in your home or business. A professional can ensure the appliance is properly connected to the fuel source, check for leaks, and inspect the whole heat system upon installation.
This type of work should not be D-I-Y, and proper safety precautions should be top priority. A Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep is experienced in alternative fuel furnaces, and will make certain the whole heating system (heat appliance and chimney system) are ready for operation before use.
How It Works
Alternative fuel furnaces are still fuel furnaces, just like wood or gas furnaces. When fuel is burned, it creates a byproduct in the form of gas and particles. This byproduct has to escape as it’s produced, so it escapes through the chimney system. Since oil is one of the most clean burning fuels, some may believe the chimney stays clean after a season of use, but this just isn’t true. All chimneys must be swept regularly, and inspected annually to ensure safety.
Oil furnaces have long running cycles during the winter season, and must be cleaned and inspected to prevent soot buildup. When soot builds up in the chimney overtime, especially when overlooked by an untrained technician, it can cause chimney decay and blockage. The soot becomes dangerous to the lining of your chimney when combined with moisture that may seep in. When this happens, only a professional can repair or replace the lining in your chimney.
Hire a Professional
The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends annual inspections for safe and efficient operation. Some may believe the oil burner company will do the best job for your oil burning appliance. However, CSIA warns that the oil burner company may send a technician to your home or business, but they may not even check the chimney. They may only clean the bottom of the chimney out, near the appliance. CSIA says that some will even inspect the chimney without looking at it thoroughly.
This is not the case when you hire one of Billy Sweet’s Chimney Sweeps. We are certified by CSIA and agree that appliances and chimneys should have a thorough inspection annually in order to prevent chimney fires.
Billy Sweep Chimney Sweeps
We are experienced and ready to sweep your chimney of soot and debris, and perform an annual inspection at your request. Find out what we can do for you to ensure the safety of your home or business.
Call or schedule an appointment online.
by Billy Sweet | Dec 13, 2015 | Winter Storm Fireplace
In Boston, we are used to heavy snowstorms and blizzards during the winter. In January and February of 2015, we experienced a blizzard that lasted over six weeks and dumped a record 108.6 inches of snow in our area. Even though long-time residents know how to be ready for these types of storms, Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep would like to remind you of how you can prepare your fireplace so that you will not have to worry about being without heat when the power goes out during a blizzard.
Schedule a professional chimney sweeping and inspection before winter arrives.
This maintenance task will take care of removing all of the accumulated creosote from the inner walls of your chimney, which increases fireplace safety and reduces fire hazards. During the inspection, our Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)-certified chimney sweeps will examine the condition of your fireplace and chimney to be sure everything is working safely. If we find any damage, we will make recommendations of the repairs that are necessary for you to use your fireplace safely.
Check the gaskets to see if they need to be repaired or replaced.
You want to ensure that the gaskets on your fireplace doors, damper, and ash dump are providing an effective seal. According to Cabin Living, without a proper seal, too much air can leak into the firebox and cause overfire and permanent damage to your fireplace.
Have the blower cleaned.
If your fireplace is equipped with a blower, you should clean off the dust and dirt from it to protect the balance of the blower. When the blower has too much dust accumulation on its blades, the balance can change and cause the bearings to wear out prematurely. Your fireplace blower typically will not have a filter to keep dust off, so you need to check it regularly to be sure it is clean.
Replace broken or deteriorated bricks in the lining.
When the brick lining is so damaged that it has deteriorated so much that the steel body of the firebox is exposed, the high temperatures can lead to permanent damage. Be sure the bricks are in good shape so you will not have to worry about damage occurring that could make your fireplace unsafe.
Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep is here to help you prepare your fireplace for dangerous storms this winter. Contact us to schedule an appointment for a chimney sweeping and inspection so that you can stay warm and safe this winter.
by Billy Sweet | Nov 28, 2015 | Freeze Thaw Cycle
You’re likely familiar with the damage the freeze-thaw cycle can do to the roadways; it’s what causes pot holes to appear each year! Water makes its way into the tiny cracks in concrete, asphalt, or stone. When the temperature drops, that water freezes and expands, causing the concrete, asphalt, or stone to crack or crumble. If you have a home with a masonry chimney, you should be aware that the freeze-thaw cycle can cause the same damage to your chimney’s bricks, concrete, and mortar.
Water damage and your chimney
Water can cause many problems with your chimney. The freeze-thaw cycle can cause the mortar between your chimney to crumble; it can cause parts of your brick to flake off, which is referred to as spalling; and it can cause your chimney crown to crack and crumble. Over time, if water damage goes unaddressed, it can mean major problems for your chimney. Your chimney’s overall structure can fail, causing it to lean and become unsafe. A damaged chimney also will let water into the rest of your home, leading to water stains on your ceiling and walls, rotting wood on adjacent structures, collapsed hearth support, a damaged firebox, rusted fireplace accessories, and failing hearth structure.
Repairing water damage
The first step in repairing water damage is to find that damage. This is one reason your annual chimney inspection is so important. Your certified chimney technician can find signs of damage early, so that it can be repaired before minor water damage becomes major water damage. In many cases, it will take the work of expert masons, like those at Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep to repair your chimney’s water damage. We provide services such as tuckpointing, chimney crown repair and replacement, and removing and replacing spalling bricks.
Preventing water damage
When it comes to water damage and your chimney, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Taking steps to prevent chimney damage now can save you from costly repairs later. Having a chimney cap installed atop your flue can help keep water from running down the interior walls of your chimney. Repairing a damaged chimney crown will keep water from running down the exterior sides of your chimney. It’s important to make sure the flashing around your chimney is secure, and if your chimney is located on a part of your roof that experiences a lot of rainwater or snow, a cricket — a tent-shaped piece of metal — can be installed to divert water away from the chimney. There also are waterproofing sealants that can be applied to your chimney. Those sealants keep water from seeping into your chimney’s masonry while still allowing your chimney to expel the gases created by your fires.
Ultimately, the key to protecting your chimney from water damage is working with your certified chimney sweep to make sure that any problems are caught and addressed early before you have major chimney damage. If you’re overdue for an inspection, or if you’ve noticed cracking masonry on your chimney, call the experts at Billy Sweet today. We also can talk to you about waterproofing applications to protect your chimney.
by Billy Sweet | Nov 12, 2015 | CSIA Certification
When faced with deciding who is actually right and qualified for a job, it is important to look at the certifications of the company and their employees before settling. That mindset applies to doctors and dentists, and it certainly applies to chimney sweeps. In our field, receiving a CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America) certification not only gives us the best training in properly cleaning your chimney, it also educates on the best responses to worst-case scenarios like carbon monoxide and chimney fires. Knowing that your chimney sweep has the best qualifications will make Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep the easiest choice for you!
What we do as a profession was largely unregulated until 1983, when the CSIA was founded. This not for profit organization aims to educate not only those in our field, but also the public on how to maintain and correct any hazards their chimney or venting system may present over time. To become certified, there are two exams based on a comprehensive review time that can happen in person or online. Once those exams are completed thoroughly, a code of ethics is signed to ensure that sweeps can be trusted with the public’s safety. That also is tested through educational classes that discuss upcoming technologies and hard to grasp concepts, like physics through a certified sweep’s entire career.
The CSIA has several goals for their chimney sweeps including the need to fully eliminate any chimney related hazards that could threaten property, pets, and especially human lives. These hazards could come from carbon monoxide or chimney fires from creosote buildup. As certified chimney sweeps, we have several areas of knowledge that are all connected to the main purpose of prevention and education. Besides the basic practice of what we do, cleaning and inspecting chimneys and venting systems, we also involve ourselves with all the minutiae. Knowing all the factors and physics in the development of creosote, as well as the requirements from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) easily separate CSIA certified professionals from the companies that simply have the physical tools for the job. Our continuous education on a comprehensive list of subjects gives us confidence in our practice as well as in our sharing of that knowledge with our customers. We want our clientele to know what to expect from their chimney sweep, and we embrace the challenge to aim higher and know more!
We want anyone looking for a chimney sweep to look first at those that are CSIA certified. Not only are they more educated on what’s important, but they also care more about the home and people that are associated with the chimney. Thank you so much for choosing Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep as your CSIA certified sweeps for over 30 years!
