Winter is fast approaching and it is time to turn to making sure that your chimney and fireplace are in good condition. Interestingly, most homeowners may focus just on maintenance without any consideration as to efficiency. There are some easy steps to ensure that you don’t waste energy and money when using your fireplace. Some of these are:
- Use the right type of fuel: If you use wood, make sure to use wood that is seasoned as green wood is not the best for fireplaces.
- Put in an insert: There are different types of inserts, but an inflatable insert also known as a chimney balloon or fireplace plug are inexpensive and work well to prevent heat loss from the fireplace. If you can afford it, consider the more expensive fireplace metal inserts that are placed inside the chimney itself. These types of inserts can use coal, pellets, wood, electricity or gas.
- Use the right sized grate: A lot of chimneys have grates that are too large to be efficient. Get help to ensure that you get the right size grate so that your chimney works more efficiently. When you use a grate that is larger than necessary you end up spreading out the logs. On the other hand, grates that are the right size enable you to bundle the wood in the middle for cleaner and better burning.
- Install a top-sealing damper: This type of damper is better at preventing air from escaping. The good thing about these types of dampers is that they work just as well in the summer by keeping cool air in and hot air out.
- Close the damper door: Whenever you are not using the chimney, close the damper door. This will keep warm air from leaving the house.
- Add blowers: These will push the warm air out into the room so that less goes up into the chimney where it is more effective.
- New fireplace: If your chimney is old, it may be time to replace it or at least replace some components with more modern components.
A good chimney sweep will be able to help you get your chimney up to code and improve the energy efficiency. In addition, we will provide professional cleaning and repairs if needed. Having annual inspection is an important part of making sure you are not burning through your money with an inefficient chimney.
The chimney sweeps here at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service are well-trained and highly certified. Call us at 610-626-2439 to schedule an appointment with a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep in Drexel Hill or the surrounding areas. We will help ensure that your chimney is ready to face the quickly-approaching winter season without issue.