subject: Things To Take Care While Cleaning A Chimney [print this page] There are different chimney caps for metal chimneys and masonry chimneys. Metal chimneys are employed for wood burning stoves or stand alone fireplaces and it is necessary to cap these types of chimneys. On the other it is advisable to use chimney caps for masonry or brick chimneys but it is not mandatory.
Having a chimney installed is one of the very important aspects in anybody's house. A chimney helps in getting rid of the harmful gases produced from the cooking stove. The fireplace also produces a lot of carbon dioxide and it is essential to get rid of these gases, otherwise they will have a negative effect on the health of the people living in the house. Installing a chimney is very important but even more important is to regularly clean the chimney. Experts recommend that the chimney should be cleaned at least twice a year.
Chimney cleaning helps in ensuring the safety and efficiency of the chimney. If you have a stainless steel chimney, then extra creosote will form on the inner walls of the chimney and this will create a flammable area that will cause the fireplace to choke of the air that is needed for burning. It is advisable to hire a professional chimney sweeper as they are not expensive and it is a safer option to hire them instead of doing the cleaning yourself.
The amount of soot that accumulates in the chimney depends on the wood being burnt and it is recommended that dry wood be used for the burning process, as this type of wood gives rise to lesser soot and therefore lesser chimney cleaning. Another important aspect in maintaining the chimney is the liners, as they help retain heat from the fireplace besides allowing smoke to drift further away from the house.
The best method to clean the chimney is to insert a chimney brush into the opening of your vent and then lower and raise the brush and subsequently clean the walls of your chimney. The movements of the brush can be controlled by rods connected to it and there is provision to add or detach rods to accommodate the depth of your flue. This method is helpful when there is very little cleanup from inside the home. You can also close off the opening to the fire place to help keep the soot and rubbish from going all over your home. You can also opt to use the flue brush from inside the home.
