Homeowners with a wood-burning fireplace or solid fuel stove or insert can protect your property and your family by having a qualified professional inspect and clean your chimney at least annually. Maintaining a chimney through an annual inspection and cleaning is critical, especially as winter approaches and temperatures drop.
According to data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, fireplaces, chimneys and flues account for a significant number of home heating fires each year. The buildup of chimney deposits is a major factor in chimney fires.
Creosote, a tarry residue caused by incomplete combustion of wood, can build up in chimneys and ignite a chimney fire when the internal temperature of a chimney flue becomes very high, especially during times of extended use during persistently cold temperatures.
The National Fire Protection Association recommends that chimneys be inspected at least once a year and cleaned as necessary. However, the inspection and cleaning of a chimney is a specialized job and should not be performed by a general maintenance company or handyman. A chimney and flue system is a complicated mechanical system that requires regular inspections, just as HVAC systems, plumbing systems and electrical systems do. The Chimney Safety Institute of America provides access to a nationwide network of certified chimney sweeps.