The temperatures are up and your fireplace is now doing its best to add environmental aesthetic to your home, rather than warmth. Whether it is gas-powered or wood-burning, it is likely that this system in your home will be dormant for a few months. This does not, however, mean that your chimney should go unchecked. A chimney that has been used all fall and winter, and maybe some spring, still needs to be inspected for potential problem causers? Why? Because any issues that go unchecked can put your safety at risk.
We want you to be able to enjoy your fireplace and chimney all-year-round but to do that you need to make sure you schedule a chimney inspection with our team to keep your system in a safe condition. Otherwise, you may run into some potentially dangerous problems such a negative air pressure in your chimney.
The Problem With Negative Air Pressure
So what is negative air pressure and why is it problematic? We are glad you asked.
In short, negative air pressure is what happens when air moves the wrong way down your chimney. Your chimney is really meant to be a one-way street, moving soot and smoke out of your home when you use your fireplace during winter. As you may have guessed, negative air pressure can be annoying in winter because it will bring in cold air to the home. But how is it a bad thing during the summer?
In summer, negative air pressure can be just as bad for you and your home. Here’s why:
- It can introduce hot, humid air from outside into your nice, cool home.
- It can bring in the scent of any creosote that is in your chimney flue
- It can increase the risk of a chimney fire by spreading creosote throughout the chimney itself.
It may not be as jarring to your home as an icy breeze in winter, but negative air pressure in your chimney during the summer months is not a problem to ignore.
Potential Solutions to Negative Air Pressure
It is likely that your next question is how to combat any negative air pressure that you are noticing in your chimney. We can help you solve this problem with solutions like:
- Inspecting and cleaning your chimney: Our professionals can provide expert inspection and cleaning to clear out any creosote and other debris that may be present and cause problems for your home.
- Check your chimney cap and damper: A chimney cap and damper are both meant to help keep things out of your chimney and control the flow of air from your fireplace and chimney. If your cap or damper are in disrepair, we can get them fixed to restore proper airflow.
How Chimney Inspections Can Help
A chimney inspection that is performed by a professional technician is going to identify any potential problems in your fireplace or chimney. Not only is it important to identify these issues for your comfort, catching them is important for your safety too. If you are getting your chimney cleaned, this service should always start with a proper chimney inspection.
If you need a chimney cleaning or chimney inspection, contact 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. to get the job done right.