While many homes have fireplaces, not all of them are used every winter. Some homeowners liked a home, bought it, and had no interest in using the fireplace. However, whether you have decided you like ambiance or just want to cut your heating bills a little, if you decide to start using your fireplace suddenly, does it need to be cleaned?
In general, if you use your fireplace even a few times a year, you should still have it cleaned once per year. As a general rule, the most dangerous thing in a fireplace is the build up of flammable creosote that is a byproduct from fires. Unfortunately, that is not the only dangerous thing.
Even if your fireplace has not been used for years, there could still be issues. You could open up the damper and find mold, dead animals, and debris in there. This becomes even more likely if the chimney cap is missing as well. Debris and animals are fire hazard of their own too.
Even if you open up the damper on your chimney and everything looks alright, you still may at least want to call for an inspection. With every chimney cleaning appointment, the technician will also do an inspection. This ensures that the chimney is structurally safe for use as well as clean inside. What you really want this to check for is if the flue lining is cracked. This isn’t something you can check without a video inspection and it can make a chimney dangerous.
Even if you haven’t used your chimney in a long while, you can still benefit from a cleaning if you plan future use on a regular basis. Contact us today to see what Fiddler on the Roof Chimney Service can do to help you get your chimney in fire ready condition.
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