Every homeowner knows that a home with a traditional chimney has a heat producing appliance of some time, and it’s usually a fireplace or wood stove. What a lot of people don’t realize is that their home probably has a few different types of flue. A flue, by definition, is a duct for smoke and waste gases produced by a fire, gas heater, power station, or other fuel-burning installation. Another definition for flue is – a channel for conveying heat. Different appliances use different types of flue. That’s what we’re going to talk about today.
- Open Flue: An open flue allows the appliance to draw combustion air freely from its surroundings. The exhaust gases rise and exit through the flue.
- Closed Flue: This is an air duct that delivers combustion air to the appliance, like a boiler.
- Balanced Flue: A balanced flue is generally as short as possible. The flue outlet and air inlet are in close proximity so that any wind gusts cancel out flame in the appliance.
- Power Flue: A power flue has a fan that pulls combustion products to the outside, much in the same way the bathroom fan removes humid air and odors from the bathroom or the range hood removes smoke and odors from the kitchen.
- False Flue: A false flue is simply a flue that is added for aesthetic value. It does not serve any other purpose.
Every flue that allows the passage of carbon monoxide and other gases needs to be inspected and cleaned from time to time. Generally, we would clean a chimney flue at least once a year if the fireplace or other wood burning device was used at all. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), the organization through which we receive our training, recommends more frequent cleaning for more frequent use.
The flue that is inside your chimney and carries smoke, carbon monoxide, and other gases out of your home needs to be inspected and cleaned before you build the first fire of the season. This type of flue is often called the chimney liner. This lining is what allows the chimney to properly perform its intended function. Chimney flue repair and chimney liner repair are the same service. Sometimes a badly damaged liner will need to be replaced in order to protect your household from dangerous gases.
Chimney Services in Frazer
Give us a call at 610-626-2439 to schedule your chimney cleaning, chimney inspection, dryer vent cleaning, or utility flue cleaning and inspection. We’ll schedule your appointment as quickly as possible and get you on the books. Call soon, because fall and winter appointments fill up fast!