Your chimney has many parts—so many, in fact, that it can be quite confusing to keep them straight. In order for your chimney system to work properly, all the parts need to be in good shape, in proper working order and serviced regularly. Whether you have a new home with a fireplace and chimney system or you’re considering a new installation, it’s important to understand the system and how it works.
How the Chimney Works
From top to bottom, the chimney system must be complete and properly maintained in order to work properly. Every piece of the system is essential for proper function, and although there are newer technologies that make the chimney work better, the older parts will be fine as long as they are intact and in place.
The chimney works together with a fireplace. Without the fire, there will be no heat to drive air up the chimney, and without a chimney, a fire will not burn safely or properly. Here is why: A fire needs three things to burn continuously—oxygen, fuel, and heat. The fuel for your system may be gas, wood, pellets. The heat may be an ignition and pilot mechanism or your own kindling and match. The oxygen, however, is where the flue comes in. Your fire requires airflow to burn and to vent. An open fireplace or stove will draw air from your home to help the fire burn and then vent through a chimney system. A direct vent insert doesn’t require a flue or chimney at all because it draws air from outdoors and vents it out the same opening.
Does Your System Have a Flue?
If you have a wood-burning fire, no matter what type of appliance or fireplace it is, your system requires a flue. It may be inside a chimney or a simple flue pipe—but the flue is the duct by which smoke and waste gases exit the home. The duct should be sized properly to match the capacity of your fire system and smooth for optimum airflow. It should also be properly lined to prevent high heat and toxic fumes from escaping into the home. If your fire is a wood-burning one, your chimney needs a flue to work properly. If your home is newly acquired, you need to have your chimney inspected by a professional to ensure your flue and chimney system is safe for use. Even if you’ve owned your home and used your system for years, if you haven’t had it inspected in the last twelve months, it’s important to schedule this appointment now.
Flue Liners in Marion County
Your flue liner serves many purposes and all of them keep your fire burning properly and your home safe from harm. No matter what type of liner your system has, it protects the house from heat transfer, protects the masonry from corrosive byproducts, and provides a correctly-sized flue for optimum efficiency. Older masonry chimneys were traditionally lined with clay tiles. Over time these liners break away into pieces that you may find in your fireplace. If you find these pieces in your fireplace, your flue needs to be relined or repaired right away. Every time you burn a fire in your fireplace while the liner is damaged you put your home and your family at risk.
In order to keep friends and neighbors in our service area safe all season long, we repair and reline chimney flues with expertise and ease. We can use industrial products to resurface a clay tile liner, repair joints, and convert a liner from wood-burning-only to safe-for-all-fuel types. We can install metal liners that last a lifetime and work for all fuel types. Once you hire the best chimney sweep service company in Indianapolis, you’ll be a valued customer for life! We can help with all the comprehensive chimney care for your home year after year, maintaining the flue system and more in order to keep your fire burning safely and efficiently.
Chimney Maintenance for Safer Chimneys
According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the safest and most efficient chimneys are those that are cleaned regularly and inspected annually. Scheduling these valuable services will help your fire to burn beautifully, eliminate odors and smoke problems from the fireplace, decrease the amount of fuel required to meet the desired temperature, lower fire risk, and more. When your fireplace is properly maintained, cleaned, and assessed regularly, you will experience less damage to the system which means lower costs over time and a longer-lasting chimney. Your chimney is built to last a lifetime, but neglected systems are dangerous systems.
Ensure your chimney system is the safest it can be this winter. The majority of house fires occur in January and can be prevented by cleaning and maintaining the flue. Deposits of creosote in the flue are a serious fire hazard—just as serious as a damaged liner. Don’t put your family and home at risk. Schedule life-saving services with The Mad Hatter today. Call 317-596-0200 today.