It’s the coziest time of the year. Time to grab a cup of hot cocoa, curl up next to the fireplace with a chunky-knit blanket and get lost in a good book. But before you start roasting chestnuts over the fire this December, take a second to ponder this: When was the last time you cleaned your fireplace?
Fireplace and chimney maintenance may not be the most festive topic this holiday season, but it’s an important one. Whether your stockings are hung over a wood-burning fireplace or a gas-burning one, the flue needs to be free and clear of debris to function properly and keep excess CO2 out of your home. It’s also vital to clean your fireplace once a year to prevent fire safety concerns.
This is due to the buildup of creosote: tar-like substance that’s produced when wood burns and coats the inside of chimneys. Whempys Chimney Services Accounts Manager, Rachel Reed, warns that creosote is “very combustible,” which is why it is important to keep up on yearly inspections and cleanings to limit buildup and help prevent chimney fires. Whempys suggests completing this either before you burn your first yule log this year, or after you’re done burning for the season.
According to Reed, the best time of year to check the health of your hearth is actually in the spring. She says, “The benefit of cleaning and inspection in the spring is [being] able to get any of the ash and soot out before the weather gets wet and warm. This can cause a smokey smell to permeate from the chimney, especially if you have closed the flue.”
For homeowners who have a gas burning fireplace, maintenance is the same as a wood-burning one. “It may seem like a gas fireplace does not need to be cleaned or inspected, but homeowners should be aware that gas fireplaces still produce substances that need to properly vent through their chimney,” explains Reed.
Both types of fireplaces should be inspected and cleaned regularly. While homeowners are preparing their holiday festivities by the fire, Whempys will clean chimneys from the bottom up. “This gives us the opportunity to control how quickly soot and debris come down the flue,” Reed says. “We use a specially vented vacuum to remove everything as it comes down.” Whempys enjoys taking care of this for homeowners so they don’t have to, and they can fully enjoy the holidays with a freshly-cleaned fireplace.
Sometimes, chimney cleaning can lead to interesting surprises, too. Whempys has come across some funny finds while on the job. “Fireplaces are apparently great places to hide things,” Reed mentions. “We’ve seen our fair share of…interesting things often hidden by homeowners long ago,” recalling her favorite on-the-job story: When Whempys owner Dave Reed found and saved a family of baby raccoons.
Other than the potential discovery of a cute, furry, (and perhaps a little sooty) family, yearly fireplace maintenance goes a long way to keep homeowners happy and healthy for the holidays. It helps them save money long-term by fixing small issues before they lead to larger ones, and it allows them to snuggle up next to the fire with some peace of mind.
You can contact Whempys for a professional cleaning and inspection by calling their direct line at 614-888-6670 or visiting their website, whempys.com
Before you start roasting chestnuts over the fire this December, take a second to ponder this: When was the last time you cleaned your fireplace?