How Often Should You Have Your Chimney Cleaned?

How often should you have your chimney cleaned? As a safety precaution, your chimney needs regular cleaning and maintenance. Sometimes, most homeowners think this is a do-it-yourself task, not knowing it requires skills and expertise. The process requires special types of equipment such as industrial vacuums, protective gloves, dust mask, and high-tech cameras to allow the experts to see inside the chimney. Hiring a Long Island chimney cleaning professional to clean the chimney regularly will not only add value to your house but also give the home a beautiful look.

Chimney fires are mostly one of the contributing factors to home fires. If you regularly use wood on the fireplace to warm your house, there must be soot, creosote, and dirt built up in the chimney liner. Creosote is highly flammable, and it takes a small accumulation to create the potential for a chimney fire.

How Often Should Your Chimney be Cleaned?

Most experts recommend you schedule an inspection and clean your chimney at least once a year. However, this depends on how often you use your fireplace. You should inspect your chimney every quarter if you regularly use wood or coal in your fireplace. Burning wood or coal at the fireplace will lead to a high accumulation of soot and creosote in the chimney. Over time, if you fail to clean the chimney, there will be a blockage, and you will start to see smoke backing back into the house. This is a health hazard and can be harmful. Smoke produces carbon monoxide that affects a human being’s breathing system and causes death within no time. If you use smokeless fuel in the fireplace, then cleaning can be done once a year.

Here are signs you need an expert to inspect and clean your chimney:

• Smelling smoke in the house after fire
• Soot dropping down in the fireplace
• Animal nests in the chimney like birds and squirrels
• Smoke back-up into the house

It is advisable to schedule maintenance from experts to check the condition of your chimney to ensure it is in perfect condition. Don’t hesitate to contact reputable professionals to get reliable services.