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The fireplace needs to be cleaned regularly for the wood stove or fireplace to function properly. Soot formed by burning wood is deposited on the inside surface of the fireplace, narrowing its opening.
Due to the thick layer of soot, the walls of the chimney are not heated enough and the draft is reduced and becomes insufficient. As a result, carbon monoxide and smoke can enter the interior of the room and there is a risk of fire, as the soot in the chimney begins to burn and the pipe spits sparks on the ceiling. When soot burns in a fireplace, its walls can be mechanically damaged.
Even if the fireplace or stove has not been used for a long time and there is no soot in the fireplace, there is a possibility that cobwebs, leaves, debris, feathers and twigs from birds’ nests have entered the fireplace. Therefore, it is necessary to inspect and clean the chimney pipes once every 6 months. And remember, the best fuel for stoves and fireplaces is dry wood, which has been lying around for a year and a half in a dry place. Any fuel combustion is an oxidation process that requires two conditions: oxygen and high temperature. If at least one is missing, it leads to soot formation.
Traditional “homemade” recipes for cleaning chimneys
To avoid the formation of soot when burning firewood, you can add a little rock salt.
One of the most popular traditional soot removal methods is the use of potato peels. Place about half a cube of potato skins or sliced potatoes in a pot or fireplace and build a fire. The starch in potatoes produces starch-containing vapors that soften and break down the soot, helping it to separate from the chimney walls. This ancient method is used as a supplement to the mechanical cleaning method.
There are more traditional and simpler chimney cleaning methods, but you shouldn’t just rely on them. This can be a great way to avoid the chimney having to be cleaned every few months, but mechanical cleaning and chimney inspection is necessary 1-2 times a year in any case.
First of all, of course, it must be dry wood. Second, the worst option is to burn birch wood. It is one of the types of wood that produces more smoke, tar and scale.
Basic rules for mechanical cleaning.
Time to call a chimney sweep? If you want a wood stove or fireplace to be a nuisance, chimney cleaning is a regular must-have procedure. However, the devices and tools used in modern chimney sweeps are not similar to the classic image we know from Andersen’s fairy tales. To check the condition of the fireplace and make sure there are no cracks or blockages, today’s true arsenal of chimney sweeps even has a video camera.
Many stove and fireplace owners want to clean the fireplaces themselves. Those interested in chimney cleaning methods should remember a few basic rules:
● A general chimney cleaning is required if the thickness of the contaminants on the chimney walls exceeds 2 millimeters. Chimneys can only be cleaned if it is not raining or blowing, otherwise the roof may collapse. Health and home insurance is a prerequisite. Because it is a dangerous occupation, all safety precautions must be taken.
● All cleaning openings and fireplace doors should be closed tightly to prevent soot from entering the house during the cleaning procedure. An open fireplace stove should be covered with a large piece of dense damp cloth.
● Before cleaning, check the fireplace and make sure there are no bird nests or debris inside. If there are any and you can’t reach them from above, use the stick to pull the pipe up.
The main tool for cleaning pipes today, as it was many years ago, is a fireplace wire brush. These tools can be purchased in specialized stores.
I’d rather call a chimney sweep
Although cleaning the fireplace doesn’t seem like a difficult task at first glance, it actually requires so much physical preparation (roofing required), skill in handling tools, and knowing how to clean up “stubborn” soot. So it’s best to entrust cleaning to a professional who knows the answers to all your fireplace-related questions.
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