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Chimney cleaning logs not good as professionalsBy Barbara Brown The Chisago County Sheriffís Office and fire agencies from the area went to a home on Grand Avenue in Lent Township just before Christmas for a fire call. When fire crews from North Branch and Stacy arrived, the homeowner told them he had used a chimney cleaning log in his woodburning stove just a few weeks prior. The man told sheriffís deputies that his wife had noticed smoke in the house and called the fire department. At the time, it appeared fire and smoke were seeping behind the walls around the chimney. No one involved in that incident was reported injured, but the situation easily could have been worse. Fire departments all over the country are called to emergency situations of all kind, and during the winter months, the frequency of responding to chimney fires increases. The recent invention of chimney cleaning logs seems to have solved the issues of expense and convienience when it comes to cleaning the chimney. But, homeowners should be extra cautious when it comes to care and maintenance of their chimneys, said Bob Carlson, chief of the Rush City Fire Department. ìIt should be like annual maintenance on your automobile,î Carlson said of cleaning the chimney. He said a professional chimney sweep should be hired about once a year to perform a thorough cleaning and maintenance check. ìItís one of those things that people donít really think about,î Carlson said. ìThey just expect it to work when they put the fire in the fireplace.î When wood burns, a byproduct of tar, ash and carbon residue is left over. That byproduct is called creosote. The creosote, which is highly flamable, builds up inside the chimneys if it is not cleaned out and creates a serious fire hazard, Carlson said. Chimney cleaning log manufacturers say their cleaning methods are a do-it-yourself way to clean the chimney. The smoke from the log, filled with those minerals, floats up the chimney, and seeps into the creosote. After a period of 10 to 15 days, the minerals in the smoke cause the creosote to eventually dry out and flake off. Carlson said, however, that ìthereís nothing that replaces a good cleaning of the chimney by a professional.î Not only should homeowners be aware of the status of the chimneys in their homes, Carlson said, but they also should have their furnaces checked each year and make sure their appliances are clean and in good condition. Carlson said having a furnace checked out each year by a professional can not only determine if the appliance is safe, but it can also detect any problems that would make it not run efficiently. Although Carlson, and the State Fire Marshalís Office, endorse professional cleanings and inspections of fireplaces, he said he had not tried a chimney cleaning log himself. ìIím not saying the cleaning logs donít work,î Carlson said, ìbut the best bet is to go with a professional inspection.î ©ECM Post Review |