Many homeowners put a wood-burning fireplace high on their list of must-haves. The ambience and warmth from a crackling fire on a chilly night can’t be beat, but there’s a price to pay for that pleasure – the cost of wood, yes, but also the responsibility to put safety first with regular chimney cleanings.
If the idea of a chimney sweep puts you in mind of Mary Poppins, where soot-covered lads on rooftops stuff brushes down the chimney, think again. They’re not usually covered in soot and they tend to work from the bottom up inside the house – no dancing along the rooftops – but chimney sweeps still do exist and perform an important role in fireplace and home safety.
“It’s the busiest time of year, when the cold hits and people want to have a weekend fire,” says John Ellingson, owner of St. Albert Chimney Sweep Service. ”But no one typically thinks about cleaning the chimney unless they’ve had a chimney fire. Then they know how important it is to clean it regularly.”
For 26 years, Ellingson and his team of WETT (Wood Energy Technical Training) certified specialists have provided St. Albert homeowners with quick and efficient cleaning, vacuuming and running brushes up and down the chimney’s inner walls to remove the tar-like build up of creosote.
“The temperature inside the chimney can go up to 2,100 degrees, and when there’s a quarter-inch thick build-up of creosote, that can set a house on fire,” says Ellingson, whose cleaning service ranges from $150 to $250.
Tyler Cotter, co-owner of Chim-Chimney in Edmonton, said whether customers have a traditional wood fireplace, a sealed insert or a wood-burning stove, there’s still a flue and pipes that need cleaning, but how often depends on the frequency of fires and the type of wood that is burned. Since soft woods create more creosote, Cotter recommends hardwoods like birch or even tamarack.
“Those woods burn hotter and cleaner, and if you have one fire a week from October through March, you may be able to go two years between chimney cleanings,” he says. “You should avoid soft woods like spruce, pine and poplar, and any treated wood or construction material.”
Cleaning with inspection by WETT certified technicians costs about $150, Cotter says, which will alert customers to any potential problem and even tell them if they’ve already had a fire in the chimney.
“People tell me they haven’t cleaned the fireplace chimney in 20 years, and I tell them it’s lucky we beat the fire trucks out,” he says.
Fire Prevention Safety Officer for St. Albert Fire Services Les David Mroz agrees, saying chimney fires aren’t often reported because homeowners don’t even know they’ve had one.
“We see problems where flues and appliances haven’t been installed to code – whether by a DIY job or an unqualified company – so we advise homeowners to use common sense – clean and inspect your wood-burning fireplace regularly to safely enjoy fires all season long,” says Mroz.
