Chimney Maintenance & Air Conditioning Service
Chimney Maintenance | Air Conditioning Service
With colder temperatures settling upon much of the U.S., it’s time to provide chimney maintenance if you haven’t already. The incidence of chimney fires increase in the fall and winter when people begin to use fireplaces and stoves. Chimney fires can quickly spread and burn a home down. Don’t become a victim, make chimney maintenance a part of your routine along with scheduling fall heating and air conditioning service.
Hire a Chimney Sweep
The best insurance against chimney fires is an annual safety inspection and cleaning of the chimney, pipe and flue. For homes with a brick chimney, the inspection should include a probe of the bricks and mortar. Over time both will begin to degrade and crumble, increasing the risk of fire. Don’t use a chimney with degraded brick, mortar, and pipe or chimney liner. If the fireplace flue has warped or worn, have it replaced. The failure to close properly will result in the infiltration of outside air affecting your home’s comfort as well as the pressure balance of your HVAC system.
Remember not to burn green wood, which will result in a rapid build-up of creosote, resulting in an increased potential for fire, and the increased frequency of chimney cleaning.
Just as inspection of the chimney helps to keep it safe, the annual inspection and air conditioning service provided on your HVAC system each fall helps to ensure its safe and efficient operation. Call today for HVAC service if it hasn’t yet been provided this fall.
Maintain a Safe Clearance
Free standing stoves should be on tile or a thermo-resistant pad and it should extend at least a foot from the stove’s door to ensure that any sparks fall harmlessly. Remember to keep furniture and other objects well away from the appliance. Keep children and pets away from the stove, with a gate if necessary.
Fire extinguishers, Carbon Monoxide Detectors, and Smoke and Fire Alarms
Ensure your fire extinguishers are fully charged. If they aren’t, have them filled and tested. You should also test your carbon monoxide detectors and fire alarms and replace batteries with new ones. It’s recommended to have one smoke alarm in every bedroom, one in the kitchen and any room where there’s a wood stove or fireplace. Carbon monoxide detector recommendations are one for every floor, in each sleeping area and near potential sources of carbon monoxide. Integrated alarms are now available, if one alarms, all of them will alarm.
Have Vents Inspected
If you heat your home with gas, or have a gas water heater or dryer, these appliances will be ventilated to the outside of the home and should be inspected annually. Blockages or other problems can spill deadly carbon monoxide into your home. Place a carbon monoxide detector near these appliances. Don’t forget to routinely inspect and clean the dryer vent. Lint is highly flammable and accounts for numerous house fires each year. Cypress Heating and Air Conditioning’s certified technicians provide inspection of the gas furnace flue during your annual fall furnace and air conditioning service and tune-up.
While scheduling chimney maintenance, if you haven’t already provided your annual heating and air conditioning service and inspection, schedule an appointment today. Annual maintenance can detect problems before they cause system failure, leaving you and your family without heat while waiting for repair. A well-tuned system will run more efficiently, and will prolong the service life of your heating and air conditioning system while reducing the frequency of problems and the increased need for air conditioning service. Schedule fall HVAC maintenance with Cypress Heating and Air Conditioning today.
