Keeping your chimney clean is important to your health and your safety. The process of cleaning a chimney is not an easy one, which is why you should hire a chimney sweep in Utah. Cleaning out the chimney involves a lot of skill as it is more than just using a broom to clean out the chimney. Failure to keep the chimney clean can increase problems with soot, which can lead to a fire. The other concern with a chimney that is full of soot is that it will be hard for the air to properly vent out of the home. This will cause excess smoke inside the home, which is dangerous to your health. Annual cleaning of the chimney is the best way to maintain your wood burning fire. Here are some things you can expect from a quality chimney sweep.
Inspection
One of the first things the chimney sweep will do is inspect the chimney. They will look for signs of serious problems. If they spot an issue with the chimney, they will let you know. This will allow you to plan for any repair work that needs to be done. The chimney sweep will gauge how dirty the chimney is, and how long it will take for them to clean it. They can provide you with an estimate on the spot, and will normally be able to clean the fireplace the same day. Typically the chimney sweep will clean the chimney if they notice more than ¼ inch of soot within the chimney walls.
Preparation
After you agree to the terms from the chimney sweep, they will get started on the cleaning process. The preparation process is challenging as the soot is dirty and can easily get into areas of the home. The chimney sweep will use large drop cloths to help prevent the soot from getting all over the home. They will place these drop cloths over the furniture and over the flooring. Some will even use plastic around the chimney to keep it from getting on the walls. Once the room is prepared, they will use a large vacuum to place under the fireplace cover, creating an airtight seal. This will help to prevent any of the debris from getting into the home as it will be suctioned up before it gets outside the plastic.
Cleaning
The professional cleaners will wear the right safety equipment to work on your chimney. They will insert several different nylon fiber sweep brushes into the chimney to start the cleaning process. The brush will have flexible sections that allow the sweep to get into all the areas of the fireplace. To dislodge the soot, the sweep will need to rub the brush up and down against the chimney walls. The process of cleaning can take an hour or longer based on the amount of soot against the walls. Multiple areas of the chimney will be thoroughly cleaned by the sweep before they can remove the plastic and drop cloths from the home.
Completion
Once the chimney is cleaned, Robert Love Heating & Air will check it for any problems. This is done to make sure the fireplace is functioning correctly, and it helps the sweep to test for areas that may need additional cleaning. Discuss a time frame for additional cleaning for the chimney. If you use your fireplace often, they may recommend having the chimney cleaned at least once a year to prevent soot buildup.