2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Maplewood’

Why It’s Important to Schedule Professional Air Duct Cleaning

Monday, September 15th, 2014

While your HVAC system has a filter to help reduce the amount of dirt and dust in the system, the filter cannot capture every single particle. The result can be significant dirt and dust buildup in your system, and one of the areas where these types of particles settle easily is in your ductwork. There are no filters inside your ductwork to help capture this excess dust and dirt, so when your system cycles on, this dust and dirt is delivered directly to your living spaces. One of the best ways to remove dust and dirt build-up in your ductwork is by scheduling a professional air duct cleaning in Maplewood. There are several benefits to gain from cleaning your air ducts, and all cleaning should be done by trained professionals, like the ones at 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc.

Why Clean Ductwork?

There are a couple of important reasons why it’s important to have your ductwork professionally cleaned:

  • Improve indoor air quality – as we mentioned above, if there is any kind of dust and dirt buildup in your ductwork, those particles will blow directly into your living spaces every time your HVAC system cycles. This could be especially problematic for those with allergies or chronic respiratory illnesses like asthma.
  • Improve energy efficiency – if the build-up in your system is significant enough, it can impede the air flow in your system. Restricted air flow forces your system to work harder, and any time your system has to work harder, it uses more energy.

Negative Pressure

The key to successful duct cleaning is creating negative pressure inside the ductwork. This is because continuous negative pressure allows very fine particles to be removed from the system as they become airborne, ensuring that these particles are not released into the living space when the system is turned on after cleaning. Negative pressure also serves to extract the loosened contaminants, which are collected and removed from your home. To create the necessary negative pressure for a cleaning, the technician will access your system, seal off all registers, and use professional-grade vacuum equipment to create the negative pressure.

Your ductwork should be cleaned every 3-5 years. If it’s been a while since you’ve had your ducts cleaned, Call Us Today! 612.922.9600 or 1-888-PIXLEYS

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Air Duct Cleaning | Comments Off on Why It’s Important to Schedule Professional Air Duct Cleaning

What Are the Benefits of a Chimney Liner?

Friday, June 20th, 2014

Since the inside of your chimney isn’t something you see often, you may not be aware of how essential the chimney liner is to keeping your fireplace hearth both safe and pleasant. The liner is responsible for helping combustion material from the fires in the hearth escape up the chimney and prevent the development of dangerous residue such as creosote.

Not all chimneys have liners; if you live in an older home, the chimney may have originally been constructed without a liner. If this is the case for your home, you should definitely contact 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. and have us help you choose and install a chimney liner in Maplewood, MN. If your chimney has a damaged liner, you should also contact us for a replacement.

2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. is one of the most trustworthy sources for chimney repair services, and have upheld our standard for quality through two generations.

Chimney liner benefits

  • Protects your home from fire damage: One of the essential functions of a chimney liner is to keep the heat inside the chimney from reaching the combustible material outside it. For older chimneys with cracks in their masonry, it’s easy for heat to escape to areas such as the second floor or the roof and start a conflagration. In fact, the majority of house fires in the U.S. start this way. A liner keeps the heat inside the chimney where it belongs.
  • Prevents creosote and moisture: Creosote is the #1 enemy of chimneys everywhere. This shiny black substance is the unburned wood energy that gathers due to poor venting or wood that doesn’t burn thoroughly. It is highly combustible and a leading cause of chimney fires. A liner prevents creosote from building up by helping with proper venting. The liner also stops water moisture from becoming trapped in the chimney, which is a significant danger because it will cause cracking when it freezes during winter.
  • Increases a home’s energy efficiency: Liners form a layer of insulation inside a chimney that reduces the downdrafts that can come down it during times when there is no fire in the hearth. This means less cold air getting into your home and forcing you to run your heater more often. It also means more efficient burning of fuel inside the fireplace.

Chimney liners are usually made of clay or stainless steel. Both have advantages and disadvantages; your re-lining professionals will determine which one will work best for your chimney.

If you have any doubts about the integrity of your chimney liner or any other part of your fireplace, contact 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. and we will perform a CSIA-approved inspection. Based on our findings, we’ll recommend how best to proceed with making your chimney as safe as possible, whether through restoration, repair, or a new chimney liner in Maplewood, MN.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Chimney Liner | Comments Off on What Are the Benefits of a Chimney Liner?

Minneapolis Chimney Sweep Q/A: Do I Need to Have My Chimney Cleaned if I Use Gas Logs?

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

In recent years, gas logs have grown in popularity. They allow you to have a comfortable, warm fire in your living room without having to deal with cutting cord after cord of wood to fuel it. However, there are some misconceptions about the maintenance needed to keep your Minneapolis chimney and gas log fireplace operational and safe, especially in the cleaning department.

Is Cleaning Necessary?

If you have a traditional chimney and are considering having a gas log fireplace installed or your existing fireplace retrofitted for gas logs, you will need to have a new flue liner installed and probably a number of other upgrades made.

Beyond the changes, you should have your chimney cleaned on a regular basis. While it is true that there is less soot and debris from a straight gas fire that produces a blue flame, most gas logs are designed to burn yellow to simulate a real fire. A yellow flame is not as hot and therefore does not burn as completely as a blue flame.

For this reason, the fire produces gasses such a carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide as well as soot. Those gasses and soot will build up in your chimney over time and just like a traditional chimney, will soon require cleaning by a Minneapolis chimney sweep.

If you opt for a blue flame gas log fireplace, you can have your chimney cleaned far less frequently, though it is still recommended to have periodic inspections to ensure the flue liner remains clean.

Keeping Your Home Safe

While gas logs produce less soot and debris than wood fireplaces, they still burn incomplete and produce enough components that you need to have someone inspect your fireplace on a semi-regular basis. Even if the need for cleaning is less or not as frequent, you’ll find yourself glad you did it, if nothing else, for the peace of mind.

If you have any questions about gas log fireplaces or chimney cleaning, give 2nd Generation Chimneys a call!

Continue Reading

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Chimney | Comments Off on Minneapolis Chimney Sweep Q/A: Do I Need to Have My Chimney Cleaned if I Use Gas Logs?

Bloomington Chimney Q/A: Why is it Important to Have My Chimney Serviced and Inspected After a Chimney Fire?

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

Hopefully, you have never experience a chimney fire in Bloomington and won’t ever have to. But if you own a home with a fireplace (and use it), the risks of a chimney fire are there and it isn’t important to know what to do after one happens.

Once the fire is out and you have called your insurance company, you may think it is fine to just start using your fireplace again. It is not! You must have your chimney inspected and serviced before using your fireplace again. There are at least four crucial things to be checked for and resolved during this process:

  1. Creosote buildup
    Creosote that is left behind from the fire can clog the up the chimney, presenting a risk for smoke and carbon monoxide to back up into the home. Creosote can also be fuel for a future chimney fire, so any buildup must be removed.
  1. Damage to the chimney
    The fire may have damaged the chimney, especially the smoke shelf, chimney liner or flue tiles. These must be replaced if they are damaged.
  1. Smoke damage
    In addition to damage from the fire directly, there may be smoke damage inside the chimney which will prevent it from working properly and safely.
  1. Proper ventilation
    Any damage or buildup inside the chimney can cause improper ventilation, either in the form of too little clearance for gases to escape up the chimney or leaks that allow gases to ventilate outwards into the home. As mentioned in #1, this can cause smoke and carbon monoxide to get into your house.

In short, getting a quick inspection and potentially chimney repairs after a fire is a matter of safety and health. You want to reduce the risk of further unsafe events, such as carbon monoxide leaks, another chimney fire or even a collapse.

Hopefully you never have to deal with a chimney fire, but if you do, do not skip this important step in the aftermath.  Please contact 2nd Generation Chimney if you have any questions about this.

Continue Reading

Tags: , ,
Posted in Chimney, Chimney Inspection, Chimney Repair | Comments Off on Bloomington Chimney Q/A: Why is it Important to Have My Chimney Serviced and Inspected After a Chimney Fire?