Friday, January 20, 2017

Keep Your Fireplace in Tip Top Shape for Winter

Keep Your Fireplace in Tip Top Shape for Winter 

By Marge Padgitt, President of HearthMasters, Inc.

The following are some tips for keeping your fireplace in good order for the winter: 


  •    Have all chimneys inspected annually by a professional chimney sweep to be sure they are in good working order. The sweep will inspect the interior with a chimney camera and the entire exterior wood or masonry structure visually.  He will look for cracks, gaps, or missing mortar joints in the flue, check for proper flue size, check the smoke chamber and fireplace condition, flashing, crown, and chimney cover.
  •   Have flues serving wood-burning appliances swept annually or bi-annually to remove flammable creosote and reduce the risk of chimney fire. All wood creates creosote - even dry hardwoods. 
  •   Have the furnace or water heater flue inspected annually by a professional to be sure it is not a Carbon Monoxide risk. Blockages or flues in poor condition can be a CO risk. Even a CO detector does not register all levels of CO. 
  •   Have gas direct vent fireplaces or stoves tuned up and serviced annually to assure proper performance. Dirt, dust, and spiders clog orifices and can make the unit inoperable. Annual service is required by the manufacturer for warranty coverage on all brands.
  •   Have a chimney cover installed to keep damaging rain and animals out of the flue. A cover should be installed on each flue or a custom-cover can be made to cover all flues and the cement crown.
  •   Masonry problems such as cracked mortar or bricks, deteriorating mortar or spalling bricks should be repaired in the spring and summer months to allow for proper curing so plan accordingly.
  •   Have an elastomeric sealant applied to the cement crown to protect it from weather damage. 

Get a Wood Stove Now


Everyone needs a wood-burning stove in their home for emergency heating and here's why:

  •  Wood-burning stoves work without the use of electricity or fans (unlike gas furnaces or pellet stoves).
  •  Wood stoves and inserts produce TWICE the amount of heat (BTU's) than gas stoves or inserts!
  •  Fuel is readily available either by using your own trees on site or purchasing through a firewood dealer.
  •  No electricity is needed for a wood stove or insert to work! In case of emergency when the power is out you'll be able to stay in your home instead of going to stay with friends or family or going to a hotel.
  •  With a freestanding stove you can cook on the top if needed.

Use a wood-burning stove during fall and winter as a supplemental heating source to save money and provide a more comfortable, even heat. Radiant heat from a wood stove or masonry heater has more health benefits than a gas furnace or electric baseboard heaters.

Good quality wood stoves aren't inexpensive - but they are worth the investment. A good stove will last many years. Note: beware of box store wood stoves that have no warranty and may burn out after a few seasons. 

New wood-burning stoves and inserts are 75%+ efficient which means that most of the heat is staying in your house rather than going up the flue as with a standard open fireplace. 

Call us to discuss upgrading your inefficient open fireplace to a high-efficiency wood-burning insert or if no fireplace is available we can install a freestanding wood stove for you along with a Class A chimney or chimney liner. 

Note: Regency is offering a great deal on their products with $100 - $600 off wood stoves until February 20, 2017. An on-site inspection is required first so call now for an appointment. 

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Carbon Monoxide Risk from Gas Chimneys Worse in Winter

By Marge Padgitt, CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep, NFI Certified Wood-burning Specialist
President, HearthMasters, Inc.

Homeowners need to be aware of the risks of Carbon Monoxide hazards with chimneys serving gas appliances. This can be a real issue when getting a home ready for rent or sale. Chimneys are the LAST thing anyone investigates, and are often overlooked when it comes to budgeting a remodel or restoration project.

 © Kheng Guan Toh

Chimneys and their flue liners and connecting pipes are designed to get toxic heated flue gasses out of the house. If a chimney is in poor condition or blocked it cannot perform its intended function, putting the occupants at risk. It is interesting to note that even with installation of CO detectors, low levels of CO (less than 9 ppm) which do not register on a detector. can cause long term health problems and even irreversible brain damage. Visit www.coheadquarters.com for more information on Carbon Monoxide symptoms, hazards, and more.

When inspecting a chimney what professional chimney sweeps look for are items that can be risks to the occupants. Among these are:
  • §   Damaged or deteriorated flue liner
  • §   Missing mortar joints between tile flue liner sections
  • §   No flue liner installed as required by IRC code
  • §   An abandoned water heater (new furnace installed, water heater is left to vent alone)
  • §   Flue liner too large for the appliances to vent properly
  • §   Flue liner too small for the appliances to vent properly
  • §   Connecting pipes installed incorrectly
  • §   No chimney cover installed to keep damaging rain, birds, and animals out of flues
  • §   Debris (sand, mortar, twigs, bird nests) clogging the flue
  • §   Masonry chimney in poor condition, missing mortar joints
  • §   Cement crown deteriorated, cracked, or missing, allowing rain water to enter the chimney

Carbon Monoxide is odorless, tasteless, and colorless. 

During winter months when houses are closed tightly, the problem with CO becomes much worse. There is often inadequate dilution air provided so CO and other toxic gasses from off-gassing of carpet, woodwork, furniture, etc. increase in volume, making the indoor air quality worse than the rest of the year.  As a result, the occupants can experience unexplained headaches, nausea, dizziness, fainting, or death. 

If the house is under negative pressure this can exacerbate the problem. A whole house ventilator may be needed in addition to chimney repair to bringing the chimney to code and working order.

The most commont problem with chimneys serving gas appliances is rain. Rain water entering a chimney from the top through the flue or gaps in the cement crown cause mortar joints to wash out of the flue liner. Typical clay tile flue liners have mortar joints between each two-foot tile section.  Excessive condensation of flue gasses is also a major cause of missing mortar joints. This occurs when the flue liner is sized too large for the appliances and this is extremely common.

Methods of repair: There are different methods for relining, lining, or repair available. Your chimney professional is the best qualified person to address these issues and offer recommendations.

Licensing: Note that a Master Mechanical Contractor License is required to do chimney flue relining or repair in the greater Kansas City area. Check with the Johnson County Contractor Licensing website at www.jocogov.org /dept/planning-and-codes/cls/home to find a licensed contractor. 


Finding a Professional: The Chimney Safety Institute of America offers training for professional chimney technicians. The CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep designation is a minimum requirement to look for when hiring a chimney pro. Certified Chimney Sweeps know the Codes and Standards and correct methods for repair. Visit www.csia.org for more information. Additionally, request proof of liability and workers comp insurance and contractor licensing. Make sure the contractor pulls a permit for the work and it is inspected by the building inspector. Also check Angie's List for reviews. Unfortunately, there are a lot of untrained and unqualified chimney companies in existence so due diligence will pay off in the end. A mistake in this area can be deadly for occupants so it isn’t worth going the cheap or DIY route.