Remember: Your Chimney / Flue Requires Regular Cleaning
This has been an unusually cold winter and many home owners are burning wood as an auxillary form of heat.
Creosote is an unavoidable product of wood burning stoves. Creosote is a tarry build-up in the chimney / flue which can cause a chimney fire.
To cut down on creosote build-up, avoid smoldering fires. Keep your fire hot enough to prevent creosote accumulation. Check your chimney. If you see heavy smoke, creosote is probably forming. If your stove has been working well and then begins to smoke around the doors or ports, or if you see a black / dark brown substance running down metal pipes, you should check for creosote.
To avoid excess creosote, only burn dry, seasoned wood. If you are burning greener wood, you should leave the draft in your fireplace open to allow the fire to burn hotter and clean your chimney / flue more often.
The number one thing to remember is that your chimney / flue requires regular cleaning in order to be safe!
Canadian Residential Inspection Services
www.CanadianResidential.com
Posted by Cathy Doucette
on February 17, 2009