What is Creosote and How to Prevent It

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All Year Chimney Sweeps and Repairs know a thing or two about creosote. They are the chimney sweep pro for Central Tennessee and they know how to keep creosote from harming your home and family.

What is Creosote?

Creosote is an extremely combustible, foul smelling, gummy corrosive substance, which left unattended, can cause a dangerous fire hazard as well as health issues. Creosote, a volatile gas, arrives when burning wood and coats everything in its path. A proper chimney cleaning can help keep this nasty material from harming what you love.    

Causes of Creosote Buildup  

The type of wood you burn is a contributing factor to creosote buildup. As the wood burns, the water content within becomes saturated steam. This steam is approximately 215° F and that is much cooler than the creosote gasses at 250° F. Creosote and condensation form when the steam cools. This happens whether you burn soft or hard wood.  

The placement, size of the chimney, the flue size, and the clay chimney liner are factors in creating creosote. If you have an older home and a fireplace, contacting a chimney pro like All Year Chimney Sweeps and Repairs can help you navigate the possible dangers and different solutions.

Preventing Creosote

The two options for preventing creosote in your chimney is to burn the creosote gases before they reach the top of the chimney, or keep the chimney temperature above 250° F from top to bottom at all times.

To keep your home fresh, clean, and free from this dangerous gas, have your chimney cleaned regularly. For reliable, quality care, contact Tennessee's best chimney builders, and professional chimneysweepers at All Year Chimney Sweeps and Repairs.

If you haven’t had your chimney cleaned yet this year, winter will be here sooner rather than later. Call All Year Chimney Sweeps & Repair. We’ll have your chimney clean and clear again before you know it! Call All Year Chimney Sweeps & Repair at (615) 285-9118 today! We look forward to serving you.

7 Safe Burning Tips for the Health of Your Family & Fireplace

Fire It Up!

The weather is about to get colder, and we are about to gravitate back to the fireplace again. Are you as excited as we are? Of course, Sometimes the temperatures drop before we’re quite ready with that plentiful stack of firewood beside the garage. We can decide to get a little creative with our choices for acceptable fuel sources. Here is a list of reasons why you may want to think twice. 

7 Safe Burning Tips for the Health of Your Family & Fireplace

1. SEASONED HARDWOODS - Whenever possible, use seasoned hardwoods like maple, elm and oak in your wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. Hardwoods are always your best choice over better softwoods like cedar, fir and pine. Because they burn hotter, they create less creosote - the oily black tar-like residue that clings to your chimney and stove pipe interiors.

2. GREEN OR WET WOODS - Similarly, always avoid using green or wet woods as your primary firewood. Green and wet wood also create more creosote and smoke.

3. TREATED & PAINTED WOOD SCRAPS - Painted scrap wood and wood treated with preservatives should not be burned, as the combustion process releases toxic pollutants, such as arsenic or lead, within the paint or treatment.

4. CHARCOAL, PLASTICS & COLORED PAPER - Other common pollutant producing material that should not be burned include charcoal, plastics, and colored paper, such as comics and wrapping paper,

5. FOLLOW THE MANUAL - Always heed the  manufacturer’s direction. Never burn anything that the stove or fireplace manufacturer does not recommend.

6. ACT QUICK IN A GAS LEAK - If you believe you smell fuel, quick action is key. Be sure to check every possible source, especially your gas stove, fireplace, and pilot lights. Until you are sure the source has been found and the leak resolved, turn off all suspicious appliances, units or devices, extinguish all flames or pilot lights, open windows and doors, call for help, and vacate the building swiftly.

7. INSPECT CHIMNEY - Prior to each fall/winter heating season, be certain to have your chimney and chimney flue inspected for leakage and blockage by creosote or debris. Black stains on the outside of your chimney or flue are evidence that combustion pollutants are leaking into your house instead of being swept up and out of the house. A professional chimney cleaning by All Year Chimney Sweeps will have your chimney clean as a whistle before you know it!

Remember,

If you haven’t had your chimney cleaned yet this year, winter will be here sooner rather than later. Call All Year Chimney Sweeps & Repair. We’ll have your chimney clean and clear again before you know it! Call All Year Chimney Sweeps & Repair at (615) 285-9118 today! We look forward to serving you.

For special offers from All Year Chimney Sweeps, click here:

http://www.chimneysweepsnashville.com