 |  |  |  |  |  |
Beware of the lower priced offer to clean your chimney. Anything below $150.00 for one flue cleaning
could be just a way for a high pressure chimney sweep company to invade your home and practically scare you
into fixing a chimney that might really not any work to begin with.
I went to a job recently inspected the chimney with gas heat, not a thing wrong with. It needed a cap so we
installed one.
He then showed me the other sweeps service slip. They told the customer the flue was falling apart. Even
showed them broken tile pieces. And then they took a bird out of the bottom of the flue supposedly.
In my experience a gas flue is was clean. The house was no more than 30yrs old and there was a clean out
door at the bottom. Is it possible that they could have had a bird in the chimney? Yes, but if there was as much
debris as the customer said they pulled out then the bird would have been dirty too. You do the research and
you will find that most of these companies are from New York. Hire a CSIA Certified Sweep and even further hire
one from the MA Chimney Sweep Guild www.mcsguild.org.
could be just a way for a high pressure chimney sweep company to invade your home and practically scare you
into fixing a chimney that might really not any work to begin with.
I went to a job recently inspected the chimney with gas heat, not a thing wrong with. It needed a cap so we
installed one.
He then showed me the other sweeps service slip. They told the customer the flue was falling apart. Even
showed them broken tile pieces. And then they took a bird out of the bottom of the flue supposedly.
In my experience a gas flue is was clean. The house was no more than 30yrs old and there was a clean out
door at the bottom. Is it possible that they could have had a bird in the chimney? Yes, but if there was as much
debris as the customer said they pulled out then the bird would have been dirty too. You do the research and
you will find that most of these companies are from New York. Hire a CSIA Certified Sweep and even further hire
one from the MA Chimney Sweep Guild www.mcsguild.org.
Things are settling down
Winter is at hand and I've been going strait out for months now. Whether it's just the holiday buzz in
the air a smell of stove burning or just a sigh of relief as heating systems are turning on and
problems have been a minimum. Maintenance is still a large factor in the safe operation of most
systems.
Have you had the heating appliance serviced yet?
Are you burning your wood stove to peak efficiency?
Is your pellet stove slowing down yet?
Do you have cold air issues in the fireplace or stove?
Is there a problem with the chimney you have found that was never there before?
We are here to help and guide our customer through all these questions and more. Life is
expensive and demanding, Keep cost down by having regular maintenance done and keeping the
systems at their best performing rates. When it's busy as it's been out here time to really take a
good look at most chimneys is rushed especially when I am running 6 to 7 appointments a day,
time is tight and I can miss important things. Keeping a keen eye on most systems while in use
will tell us if all is well. I often like to follow up with my customers throughout the winter to see if
there are any issues.
Enjoy and stay warm throughout this holiday season and remember I am just a phone call away.
Winter is at hand and I've been going strait out for months now. Whether it's just the holiday buzz in
the air a smell of stove burning or just a sigh of relief as heating systems are turning on and
problems have been a minimum. Maintenance is still a large factor in the safe operation of most
systems.
Have you had the heating appliance serviced yet?
Are you burning your wood stove to peak efficiency?
Is your pellet stove slowing down yet?
Do you have cold air issues in the fireplace or stove?
Is there a problem with the chimney you have found that was never there before?
We are here to help and guide our customer through all these questions and more. Life is
expensive and demanding, Keep cost down by having regular maintenance done and keeping the
systems at their best performing rates. When it's busy as it's been out here time to really take a
good look at most chimneys is rushed especially when I am running 6 to 7 appointments a day,
time is tight and I can miss important things. Keeping a keen eye on most systems while in use
will tell us if all is well. I often like to follow up with my customers throughout the winter to see if
there are any issues.
Enjoy and stay warm throughout this holiday season and remember I am just a phone call away.
This Liner, the smaller one, was installed by a company who insisted on using a bucket truck to reach the top
of the chimney in order to install the liner. The cost the customer was double and almost triple what it cost
him to have me replace the liner. The 4" liner was 31 feet long and did not reach the bottom of the flue. The
6" liner We installed was 39 feet long and is the required size for the systems venting through the chimney,
based on the NFPA 54 National Fuel and Gas Codes. The 4" liner was crushed and warped in placed where
as the 6" liner went in perfectly round with as much as a struggle. To top that I was able to access the roof
with a 38' ladder and a ridge hook and single ladder to walk up the slate roof. Naturally the home owner will
find a way to refund the cost of the improperly installed liner.
of the chimney in order to install the liner. The cost the customer was double and almost triple what it cost
him to have me replace the liner. The 4" liner was 31 feet long and did not reach the bottom of the flue. The
6" liner We installed was 39 feet long and is the required size for the systems venting through the chimney,
based on the NFPA 54 National Fuel and Gas Codes. The 4" liner was crushed and warped in placed where
as the 6" liner went in perfectly round with as much as a struggle. To top that I was able to access the roof
with a 38' ladder and a ridge hook and single ladder to walk up the slate roof. Naturally the home owner will
find a way to refund the cost of the improperly installed liner.
Remodeling Your Home? Have You Considered Indoor Air Quality?
Ventilation for Homes
In general, you should address the following issues when remodeling your home.
•Using Barriers to Contain Dust and other Pollutants
•Combustion Appliance Backdrafting
•Using Ventilation to Contain Dust and Other Pollutants
If too little outdoor air enters a home, pollutants can sometimes accumulate to levels that can pose health and comfort problems. Likewise, one approach to
lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming in.
Outdoor air enters and leaves a house by: infiltration, natural ventilation, and mechanical ventilation. In a process known as infiltration, outdoor air flows into
the house through openings, joints, and cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings, and around windows and doors (air may also move out of the house in this
manner — this is called exfiltration). In natural ventilation, air moves through opened windows and doors. Air movement associated with infiltration and natural
ventilation is caused by air temperature differences between indoors and outdoors and by wind. Finally, there are a number of mechanical ventilation devices,
from exhaust (vented outdoors) fans that intermittently remove air from a single room, such as bathrooms and the kitchen, to air handling systems that use
fans and duct work to continuously remove indoor air and distribute filtered and conditioned outdoor air to strategic points throughout the house. The rate at
which outdoor air replaces indoor air is described as the air exchange rate. When there is little infiltration, natural ventilation, or mechanical ventilation, the air
exchange rate is low and pollutant levels can increase.
Unless they are built with means of mechanical ventilation, homes that are designed and constructed to minimize the amount of outdoor air that can "leak" into
and out of the home may have higher pollutant levels than other homes. However, because some weather conditions can drastically reduce the amount of
outdoor air that enters a home, pollutants can build up even in homes that are normally considered "leaky."
Most home heating and cooling systems, including forced air heating systems, do not mechanically bring fresh air into the house. Opening windows and doors,
operating window or attic fans, when the weather permits, or running a window air-conditioner with the vent control open increases the ventilation rate. Local
bathroom or kitchen fans that exhaust outdoors remove contaminants, including moisture, directly from the room where the fan is located and also increase
the outdoor air ventilation rate.
Ideally, new homes will be built to minimize leakage to control energy loss, improve comfort, and minimize the transport of moisture and pollutants through the
building shell. These homes should then also have mechanical ventilation to remove pollutants generated in the home and provide outdoor air in a controlled
manner. Whether a mechanical ventilation system makes sense in your existing homes depends on the house, your existing heating, ventilation, and air-
conditioning (HVAC) system, and the changes you have planned. You should discuss this with your HVAC contractor. A local Weatherization office, or building
performance contractor, might also be able to help you with this decision or point you to local experts.
Ventilation for Homes
In general, you should address the following issues when remodeling your home.
•Using Barriers to Contain Dust and other Pollutants
•Combustion Appliance Backdrafting
•Using Ventilation to Contain Dust and Other Pollutants
If too little outdoor air enters a home, pollutants can sometimes accumulate to levels that can pose health and comfort problems. Likewise, one approach to
lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming in.
Outdoor air enters and leaves a house by: infiltration, natural ventilation, and mechanical ventilation. In a process known as infiltration, outdoor air flows into
the house through openings, joints, and cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings, and around windows and doors (air may also move out of the house in this
manner — this is called exfiltration). In natural ventilation, air moves through opened windows and doors. Air movement associated with infiltration and natural
ventilation is caused by air temperature differences between indoors and outdoors and by wind. Finally, there are a number of mechanical ventilation devices,
from exhaust (vented outdoors) fans that intermittently remove air from a single room, such as bathrooms and the kitchen, to air handling systems that use
fans and duct work to continuously remove indoor air and distribute filtered and conditioned outdoor air to strategic points throughout the house. The rate at
which outdoor air replaces indoor air is described as the air exchange rate. When there is little infiltration, natural ventilation, or mechanical ventilation, the air
exchange rate is low and pollutant levels can increase.
Unless they are built with means of mechanical ventilation, homes that are designed and constructed to minimize the amount of outdoor air that can "leak" into
and out of the home may have higher pollutant levels than other homes. However, because some weather conditions can drastically reduce the amount of
outdoor air that enters a home, pollutants can build up even in homes that are normally considered "leaky."
Most home heating and cooling systems, including forced air heating systems, do not mechanically bring fresh air into the house. Opening windows and doors,
operating window or attic fans, when the weather permits, or running a window air-conditioner with the vent control open increases the ventilation rate. Local
bathroom or kitchen fans that exhaust outdoors remove contaminants, including moisture, directly from the room where the fan is located and also increase
the outdoor air ventilation rate.
Ideally, new homes will be built to minimize leakage to control energy loss, improve comfort, and minimize the transport of moisture and pollutants through the
building shell. These homes should then also have mechanical ventilation to remove pollutants generated in the home and provide outdoor air in a controlled
manner. Whether a mechanical ventilation system makes sense in your existing homes depends on the house, your existing heating, ventilation, and air-
conditioning (HVAC) system, and the changes you have planned. You should discuss this with your HVAC contractor. A local Weatherization office, or building
performance contractor, might also be able to help you with this decision or point you to local experts.