Get The Fireplace Ready
The cooler weather is finally starting to make its presence known and boy am I HAPPY! I love fall and winter: with its crisp mornings, rustling leaves, and cozy sweaters.
And as it gets even cooler, we start to consider starting a fire in the fireplace for warmth. But is it ready? With such opportunities, comes necessary maintenance for safety and prevention. First things first: if you have any type of fireplace that burns something, get a carbon monoxide detector!
Regardless whether your firebox is wood-burning, gas-burning, ethanol-burning, or even electric; they all require some annual maintenance for peak performance and safety.
The least amount of maintenance goes to the electrical. Cleaning and inspecting your fan will ensure dust collected from the summer months doesn’t burn off or contribute to early motor exhaustion. A close second to the electrical fireplace is the ethanol-burning.
While ethanol is a very clean burning process with no ash and only trace amounts of soot, they also need a little love before use each season. The vast majority of these types of fireplaces when it comes to maintenance are cosmetic; but thoroughly inspecting the burners and supply lines along with wiping clean the back of the fire box will keep your space clean and in good working order.
While a gas fireplace has a much lower maintenance level compared to wood, it is very important that they be inspected and maintained on an annual basis. The ceramic logs can deteriorate and clog vents, valves and connections can establish leaks, and birds or other animals can build nests which block the flow of ventilation. Having a certified chimney sweep inspect your exhaust ventilation system will ensure cracks or other openings of moisture haven’t developed. As an added safety issue, know that the glass doors on gas fireplaces reach up to 400 degrees and take almost an hour to cool down after a fire. Keep little hands and faces FAR from those doors!
And now to the most common, wood burning. To keep your family safe while keeping warm or just enjoying the relaxing beauty of a fire:
•Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and keep them in working order.
•Keep combustible materials like carpets, drapes and furniture away from the fireplace when a fire is burning.
•Clean ash from the fireplace whenever it reaches the bottom of the grate, where it can impede airflow.
•Have your wood-burning fireplace and chimney cleaned and inspected by a certified sweep at least once a year.
•Test out the function of your fireplace by lighting a few small pieces of seasoned wood. If smoke doesn’t exit vertically from the fireplace into the chimney, but enters the room, immediately troubleshoot and correct any problems. These can include creosote/soot build-up, other debris in the chimney like bird or animal nests, a damper that is partially closed, or wet wood that isn’t burning well.
•Burn only seasoned, not “green,” wood. Seasoned wood is wood that has been cut and dried under cover for at least 6-12 months. Split wood dries more thoroughly and burns better than whole logs. Well-seasoned wood makes a sharp ringing sound when two logs are knocked together, while green wood makes a dull thud. Green wood will not burn as thoroughly, creating more soot and creosote.
•Burn hardwoods, not soft woods. Hardwoods like oak, ash and maple are denser and heavier, delivering more heat than lighter softwoods like pine, poplar and cedar.
I called several chimney sweeps and their average was $185 to inspect and $275 to inspect and clean your system. A wise minimal investment indeed! Enjoy this gorgeous weather, snuggle with family, and stay safe Jasper!
