Whenever you are cooking in a closed space, where there is little or no ventilation, the heat from the gas makes the entire kitchen warm. The resultant temperature is far more than the standard room temperature, making your time in the kitchen more taxing. But, if you have a chimney, the overall heat temperatures will be much lower in comparison. Chimneys are a wonderful asset to any home, and an annual cleaning and inspection of the system is the best way to prevent the fireplace from becoming a dangerous fire hazard. To schedule an annual inspection, please call our chimney professionals for the best service available. Besides getting your chimney inspected at least annually, anytime you see visible signs of deterioration, an inspection should be scheduled as soon as possible. If you upgrade your system by adding a fireplace insert, for example, it’s best to get an inspection in order to make sure the system is working properly.

Somewhere in your house, amid all this airflow, is the Neutral Pressure Plane (NPP). Above this theoretical plane, the air pressure is slightly greater than the outdoor air pressure and it tries to force its way out of the house. Below the plane, it is slightly negative and the house is trying to draw air in from the outside. The location of the NPP changes in response to changing conditions. The factors that affect airflow in the house also influence the level of the Neutral Pressure Plane. How to tell if the damper is open or closed depends on the type of damper you have.

A chimney installation is not complete without accompanying fireplace installation. A new fireplace sits at the base of your new chimney and is essentially a hearth containing fire. Fireplace installation costs vary depending on material and location. It is a visible extension on the top of your chimney that increases draft to more efficiently fuel your flame. Each flue receives its own chimney pot, and they cost between $675 to $3,050 to install, depending on the material and design. Roof penetrations are the weakest points of your roof, and your chimney is the largest penetration.

That trapped air creates a pressurized area and forces its way out – through even very small openings such as recessed light fixtures and window frames. At the same time replacement air is trying to enter in the lower part of the building to make up for the escaping air. A chimney liner protects the home from chimney fires and from the toxic combustion gases produced by fires. It is very dangerous to use a fireplace when the chimney liner has deteriorated or has a crack in it.

The Importance of Prepping Your Fireplace

We spoke with Russ Dimmitt, director of education at the Chimney Safety Institute of America. He shared his answers to these questions and his best chimney fire prevention tips. Cleaning a chimney is a messy job that’s best left to a certified chimney sweep who’s properly trained to do the job right. A certified chimney sweep will prepare the area, collect soot, open the damper conduct a visual inspection and more. Creosote cleaning logs contain minerals that dry out the creosote, which helps to prevent excessive buildup within your smoke chamber.

Why Does Santa Come Down the Chimney?

If there is more damage that needs to be photographed and noted, it will take us a longer time to complete the inspection. In either case, you can still soundproof the rest of the wall around the fireplace. Many fireplaces protrude from the wall, leaving reflective alcoves on either side with thin walls that allow sound to pass through. Install MLV and acoustic insulation inside the alcove walls, then try products like acoustic panels or foam corner traps to prevent reverberation and echoing. Draft and Flow Many experienced chimney professionals use the similarities between water and air to explain the way your chimney works. Although most people don’t realize it, the air moving up your chimney works under the same set of physical principles as water flowing in a hose or pipe.

These may be easily visible, even from the ground, but can also be found in less accessible places that you might not be able to see. Tree limbs, smaller branches, and other debris commonly blow about in heavy winds and may have collided with your chimney, knocking out bricks or cracking the crown. Your chimney cap may be skewed from winds or debris, and even small areas of the cap fitting poorly can allow water to seep in. And when that hard weather hits, make sure the damper is closed.

We think a lot about chimneys – as well as your safety and wellbeing. Every one of the wild possibilities Mac Barnett poses is accompanied by
mind-blowing visuals by his oft-bookmaking-compadre, Caldecott Medalist Jon
Klassen. For example, two reindeer up on their hind legs, holding hooves
with another reindeer who is at the top of the chimney, stomping down on
something below, just out of sight. Or sweet, old Santa sitting in the
basement, in his heart boxers, with his old-fashioned anchor tattoo,
reading the paper as his Santa suit spins in the dryer. Or the crème de la
crème–a stream of Santa pouring out of the kitchen sink faucet while a
string of colored lights frames the window behind him. Your first step is to open up the damper and see if that fixes the problem. If you’re certain the damper is open and you’re still having backdraft problems, you’ll want to clear and clean your flue of any blockages on the damper.

Read more about Fireplace repair Los Angeles here.

While the wire scenario seems less likely (because power companies watch out for this sort of thing), the tree branch scenario happens all the time. Protect your chimney by making sure that your tree’s branches get a regular trim.