by Billy Sweet | Mar 26, 2016 | Seasoned Firewood, wood burning
Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire
Yes, smoke generally means a fire exists. However, in your fireplace or furnace, smoke usually indicates a less-than-efficient fire. If your fireplace is smoky, you most likely have a problem with your fuel, or with your venting system.
Proper Fuel
It is very important to choose properly seasoned wood to burn in your fireplace or furnace. If your wood is green or wet it will burn slower, less hot, and maybe incompletely. When green or wet wood is burned it often doesn’t burn hot enough to push the smoke up the chimney, causing the smoke to stall, and fall back down.
Improper Use or Maintenance
If your fireplace is releasing excess smoke into your home, you should first check the damper. The damper should be open in order to allow the smoke to rise up the chimney. If the damper lever is opened, the opening may be blocked by soot buildup or debris. Like the damper, if the chimney isn’t routinely cleaned, layers of soot can prevent the smoke from rising up the chimney and out of the home. You can schedule your routine chimney sweeping to have your chimney flue and damper cleaned thoroughly.
Venting Problem
In order for gas to leave the home through the chimney, it has to pull from inside the home. When air is removed from the home it must be replaced. Modern homes are built tight, so air isn’t pulled from outside as the gases attempt to rise up the chimney. Even adding insulation or replacing windows in the home can create a smoke problem for this reason. An easy way to fix this problem is to open a window in another part of the home.
Also, it’s important to note that other home appliances can compete with the ventilation of the chimney. Even something as simple and harmless as a ceiling fan can compete with your chimney. Also, a leaky chimney can disrupt the draft of your fireplace.
Regardless of the cause, no home or business owner wants to deal with a smoke problem in the fireplace or furnace. Not only is it unpleasant, but it can cause respiratory issues if not corrected, and can also be a fire hazard. If the heated gases aren’t moving up the chimney, they can stall in the chimney flue and cause a flue fire. Because your chimney system is important, and the safety of your family and property are our top priority at Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep, we recommend calling a professional if a smoking fireplace persists. Schedule your appointment today.
For more information about why your chimney isn’t working, check out the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and “100 Reasons Your Fireplace Doesn’t Work”.
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.
