Do You Need To Clean Your Chimney If You Don’t Use Your Fireplace

Having a fireplace in your house is nothing less than a blessing, especially when it is freezing outside. Keeping the chimney clean by hiring chimney sweep services is necessary due to creosote buildup but what if you don’t use your fireplace? Let’s take a look into why maintaining your chimney is still important.

Your Chimney Is Your Home’s Respiratory System

You might have heard people saying that a fireplace is the heart of the home. In fact, it being lungs is more accurate. If you closely observe your fireplace, you will notice that the chimney serves an important role in the process. If you are using an oil or gas base furnace, harmful by-products such as carbon monoxide are exhaled outside by the chimney. This ensures that the gasses are not a danger for you and your family.

Furthermore, the chimney also helps create a draft that provides the right fuel and air mixture for efficient burning. If you happen to be using an oil-fueled appliance or a wood stove, know that it will generate a lot of soot quite similar to the soot produced by the woods. Excessive soot in the chimney can lead to fires. Plus, the toxicants can also reverse and enter the home, leading to chronic respiratory problems.

That said, it is important that you keep the chimney clean even if you are not using it. There are several other factors that could turn a chimney into a threatening thing. For instance, extreme weather conditions can cause dead leaves, shrubs, and branches to end up inside the chimney, leading to fires.

Chimney Damage

If you do not use the fireplace for a long time, it could lead to chimney damage as well. You might have heard this for the first time but it is possible. Severe weather can cause damage to the masonry and joints of your chimney, which could lead to a chimney that is shifted or cracked.

If a damaged chimney is not repaired or fixed in time, it could easily collapse. Therefore, if you get your chimney inspected at least once a year, it will ensure that it remains intact even if you do not use it.

Moisture

Another major enemy of chimneys is moisture. Since moisture does not have anything to do with the usage of the chimney, it may or may not affect it depending on the situation. If you live in a region that experiences cold and rainy seasons mostly throughout the year, the chances of moisture destroying your chimney are a lot more. And mostly homeowners don’t know about it until they see chimney leakage.

With more time in moisture, the chimney will experience more damage. It is often the case that many unused fireplaces and chimneys are not properly lined which causes moisture to seep in, not only damaging the chimney but also the structure of your home. Therefore, having your chimney inspected can ensure that moisture does not damage anything important.

Pests And Nests

Perhaps the most important reason why you need to clean your chimney even if it is not used is due to pests and nests. Such creatures are always looking for a safe place to make their home. Anywhere where human traffic is limited, the pests and birds will feel welcome to take accommodation.

That said, these animals can wreak havoc and cause expensive damage to your chimney. The problem with pests and nests taking over is that you won’t notice it in the initial stages. However, once multiple pests and nests start buzzing around inside the chimney, it is going to be too late until then.

Therefore, you will be needing a professional to make sure the chimney is clean, even if you do not use it. Chimney experts have special tools that allow them to go deep into the chimney to inspect the situation inside. This ensures that any factor that could turn the chimney or fireplace into a potentially threatening factor is eliminated.

Final Word

In the end, cleaning your chimney even if you are not using it is important. Make sure you hire an expert chimney cleaning service Upper Marlboro to ensure it is fully clean and free of anything that could cause trouble down the road. During cleaning, inspect the chimney for repairs as well.