Oil & Gas Chimney Cleanings
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Oil and Gas Chimney Cleanings
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When most people hear the word chimney they often think of a fireplace. What the don’t realize is that when the home is heated with gas or oil they also have a chimney for their heating system. Most home owners are not even aware of this chimney until there is an issue. But the truth is when you neglect the chimney venting your gas or oil furnace, boiler, or water heater, you can run into issues. Chimneys require routine cleaning and maintenance just like any other area of your home. When not maintained not only will your chimney suffer but your appliance itself will suffer in terms of performance and efficiency, but you may also see an increase in fire and carbon monoxide risks, as well as bigger repair bills down the line. Understanding how and why your chimney needs attention is the first step a home owner can take to help ensure their families safety and to help avoid costly repairs in the future.
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Why does my Oil Chimney need to be cleaned?
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Oil fired appliances produce a soot byproduct. Over time this corrosive residue can settle itself to the inner walls of your chimney. When soot mixes with moisture it can cause the chimney liner walls to flake and decay which can lead to chimney blockages that can create dangerous openings in the liner for carbon monoxide. If a chimney is severely damaged blockages can occur that cause a chimney to “puff back” which results in the soot shooting back through your oil appliance covering your appliance and surrounding areas. Any type of chimney corrosion will effect your heating appliances efficiency. Your oil chimneys main function is to ensure that your oil fired appliances is able to vent out carbon monoxide safely and effectively. When a chimney breaks down it causes your appliance to work harder to exhaust safely which can lead to costly repairs for your heating system.
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Why does my Gas Chimney need to be cleaned?
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Although heating appliances fueled by natural gas may not produce the visible soot they can still deposit corrosive substances in your chimney. Gas appliances also rely on a chimney for proper venting of the exhaust. Gas produces acidic byproducts which cause chimney flues to crack and deteriorate over time just as soot causes an oil chimney to break down. When acidic byproducts are left on the inner walls of your chimney it makes it more susceptible to corrosion without producing any external symptoms initially. Any type of chimney corrosion will effect your heating appliance. Proper maintenance is critical to your families safety. Having a clean chimney ensures that carbon monoxide is venting out properly and also helps preserve the life of your heating appliance. Without proper cleanings and inspections you may not know there’s an issue until the problem has become dangerous or expensive to repair.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR EVERY HOME OWNER
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Many homeowners think that the technicians servicing their gas appliances or oil appliances are cleaning, or at least looking at, the attached venting systems. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The reality is that the oil burner company may shovel out the base of a brick chimney and they may brush out the connector pipes, but they will most likely not clean the chimney system. Similarly, the gas appliance technician is going to tune and service the gas appliance, but the chimney isn’t their main concern. So, when you have your fireplace chimney inspected and cleaned each year, look at your gas furnace flue at the same time.