Pellet stoves have become very popular, and for good reason. They offer great supplemental heat, burn with very little soot and emissions, and have long burn times. Because they produce so little ash and combustion byproducts, some people think that your chimney doesn’t need to be swept when using a pellet stove. This is not correct. Any type of wood burning you do with your fireplace and chimney results in the generation of creosote, soot and other combustion byproducts that need to be removed. As such, it is recommended, even with a pellet stove, that your pellet stove chimney in Savage is swept annually. Pellet stoves can be great additions to your home and help significantly with home heating. But like any other combustion stove, the chimney needs to be cleaned annually. If you need a chimney sweep, call us today!
Why Is Chimney Sweeping Important?
Here are a few reasons why it’s important to have your chimney swept each year:
- Prevent a chimney fire – this is probably the most important reason to have your chimney swept. Creosote, soot and ash are all highly flammable, and can easily catch fire in your chimney, causing a chimney fire. Removing these contaminants significantly reduces the chances of this occurring.
- Prevents corrosion of your chimney – not only are combustion byproducts flammable, they are highly acidic and eat away at both masonry and metal. Corroded chimneys can allow the release of toxic combustion fumes and gases, which can potentially dangerous.
- Prevents drafting problems – if soot, ash and creosote are allowed to build, they can restrict the airflow in your chimney, making your stove less efficient and reducing its capacity to warm your home.
- Allows for inspection of your chimney – a lot can go on inside a chimney that can cause myriad problems: animal and bird nests, cracked masonry, loose flue tiles, etc. Without a proper chimney cleaning, you won’t be able to see these problems and address them.
Chimney sweeping should only be handled by trained professionals, so if it’s been more than a year since your last chimney sweep, call 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc., today.