Gain Greater Energy Efficiency with a Chimney Cleaning

A fireplace has special appeal and is unlike any other feature in the home. A wood fire is a throwback to primitive cooking and heating methods. There’s something very natural about a fire, with the crackling wood and outdoorsy scent. On cold winter days, the best place to be is near a warm fire. The fireplace is even a great place to gather with family and friends. A hearth can be the most appealing architectural feature in a home, as well. The only way to improve on all these great qualities of a fireplace is to ensure the greatest possible efficiency with a chimney cleaning and more.

Benefits of a chimney cleaning

Every time you burn firewood, creosote deposits are left in the chimney liner. This highly flammable material will continue to build up and take up the cramped space in the flue until there is a good cleaning by a chimney sweep with the tools to do the job right.

When chimney cleaning is neglected, the lining in a flue becomes obstructed. The blockage affects the operation of the chimney system, and fires can’t operate properly because of an insufficient draft. In addition, the risk of a dangerous chimney fire is heightened.

Install a fireplace insert

If you are concerned about fireplace efficiency, there are other things to consider besides the chimney. The best thing you can do if you have a traditional masonry fireplace is to have a fireplace insert installed. A fireplace insert is built specifically to fit inside your fireplace, and it transforms it into a highly efficient supplemental heat source with an efficiency rating of 70% or more. This is an excellent eco-friendly move, considering that the efficiency rating of a traditional fireplace is 10% or less.

Install a top sealing damper

A fireplace can be a very costly home amenity. During months when fires in the fireplace aren’t needed, your fireplace and chimney can become an escape route for the air in your home that you’ve cooled or heated. It’s like having an open window that never closes. Even if your damper is shut, it may not form an adequate seal that prevents air from flowing through. This is one of the things you can have inspected by a professional chimney sweep.

A chimney cap damper can be installed in many kinds of chimneys, and it provides a second seal that will help reduce the cost of heating and cooling your home.

Seasoned logs

Although firewood is the least expensive type of fuel for fireplaces, it’s still good for the environment and your utility costs to be careful about burning only seasoned logs. When firewood is seasoned, it has low moisture content. When trees are first cut, they are filled with moisture. It takes from 6 to 12 months for logs to dry out in sunshine and wind, before it’s seasoned well enough to make an excellent, efficient fire.

How energy efficient is your fireplace?

With the rising costs of utilities and growing social consciousness about protecting the environment, the time for fireplace efficiency is now. Contact our expert chimney sweeps at Hudson Valley Chimney to schedule a chimney cleaning, chimney inspection, installation of a fireplace insert, and anything else you need to ensure safe and efficient operation of your fireplace and chimney.