Since you need your chimney to be in proper condition in the winter to be able to enjoy the holiday season properly, you need to have it cleaned regularly. Yeah, there is a scheduled timeframe to clean your chimney, but sometimes the situation calls for an early chimney sweep.
For this, you have to look out for the signs your chimney needs to be cleaned.
The telltale sign that your chimney needs a sweep, is when you can smell burning wood from the fireplace, even when there is no fire. Also, you need to clean your chimney if your room fills up with smoke whenever you get the fire going. You will also have trouble starting a fire when your chimney is due for a sweep.
Let’s take a detailed look at when you need to have your chimney cleaned.
How do I know if my chimney needs cleaning?
Chimneys ensure your fireplace burns fire safely by releasing all the smoke and ash outside. As they release them, they are filled up with creosote and other debris, which necessitates you clean your chimney regularly.
While it is better to clean your chimney once a year, sometimes you have to clean them before the scheduled appointment. This is when we face the question, “How to tell if my chimney needs cleaning?”
There are a few signs chimney needs sweeping. Whenever you see these signs, you would be better served if you didn’t make any delay and booked a professional chimney cleaning service.
So, how do you know when your chimney needs sweeping? When you see any of these signs.
1. There is a smell of burning wood
Under normal circumstances, the smell of burning wood would be a pleasant one.
But when you don’t have a fire running in your fireplace, and the room still smells like a campfire, then there is something wrong with your chimney, and it will need cleaning. The smell comes from the accumulation of creosote, which poses a big threat to your safety if not dealt with.
2. The room fills up with smoke
The job of the chimneys is to release all the smoke produced due to burning wood in the fireplace to the outside. But when the chimney is clogged by either creosote or any other debris, it can’t take the smoke outside and ends up releasing it inside the home instead.
It is one of the most common signs of a dirty chimney and tells you that you need to get your chimney cleaned.
3. Creosote buildup
Creosote will always build up inside your chimneys, no matter what you do. If the buildup is too much, it can cause a fire, which can be deadly. The issue is, you can’t detect creosote buildup by sight directly.
So, you have to rely on smell. If the fireplace starts to smell like a campfire, then you have to clean your chimney, as there is creosote buildup inside it.
You can also understand if your chimney has a creosote buildup if the damper has turned black, or if there are any oil marks on the walls of the fireplace.
4. The fire doesn’t burn well
Usually, a fireplace with a clean chimney will have enough access to oxygen, which will help the fire burn well. But a clogged chimney won’t have enough oxygen, which will prevent fire from burning well.
If you see that the fire in your fireplace is burning oddly, clean the chimney.
5. The fire doesn’t start easily
Another issue that is caused by a lack of oxygen in the chimney and the fireplace is when you have trouble starting a fire.
When your chimney is clogged, it can’t provide enough oxygen for you to be able to start a fire, and you need to clean the chimney ASAP.
6. Presence of animals
Since chimneys are warm, and provide the perfect shelter to smaller animals such as birds and rodents, they often get inside them and build nests. This clogs up the chimney and reduces its efficiency.
While it is harder to detect the presence of animals by sight if you can what any of them scurrying around in your chimney, you need to get it cleaned.
Final Words
If you notice any of the signs your chimney need cleaning we have mentioned above, you should contact us and book our excellent chimney cleaning service.
Doing so will not only keep your home safe but will also keep it healthy and clean.
FAQ
1. How to check if the chimney is clear?
There are a few ways you can check if your chimney is clear. These are:
– Checking the cap if there is any bird nest
– To see if there are any tree branches above the chimney
– To see if there aren’t any missing or crumbling mortar or bricks in the chimney, etc
2. How often you should clean fireplaces?
Your fireplaces and chimneys need to be cleaned at least once a year. The best time to do so is either in the fall or in the spring.
3. How long does a chimney sweep take?
It takes professionals around 45 to 60 minutes to clean a chimney. But if the scope of work is bigger, then cleaning can take longer.
