How To Go About Chimney Cleaning San Diego, CA

By Francis Riggs


Creosote and soot are the products of fire burning in fireplaces. Creosote of particular is highly flammable and sticky and if not removed can cause fires. For those who can afford to hire a professional to do the cleaning, then well and good but for the rest doing it yourself is the way to go about it. Below is a discussion on the essentials of chimney cleaning San Diego, CA.

First is determination of the need to have it cleaned. The frequency of the cleanings should be at yearly interval but more frequently if the smokestack is commonly used. A plastic knife or a pencil can be used to get some creosote scrapings. If the thickness is one eighth and above then scrubbing has to be done. The yearly cleaning has to be during spring before onset of burning season.

Several small animals make the smoke conduit their habitation sometimes. Check them out and remove them before the cleaning. The animals you should be on the lookout for include raccoons, birds and also squirrels. Take measurements of your smoke conduit to ensure you pick out the correct sized tools for the cleaning. This should be taken from the bottom and also from the topmost point.

The shape and size of the vent are determined too. In most cases it is round shaped or square, six to eight inches. The height of the vent is of importance too. Overestimation is what you go by in case you are not sure of the measurements. The supplies you need to get include; extension pipes for cleaning, vent brush, a ladder, broom, dustpan, dust mask, goggles, plastic drop cloth and a wired brush. Alternatively a pulley system or a partisan rope can be used.

It is advisable to put on old cloths which are not a big deal when stained with soot. A bandanna is used to cover the hair and for those who deem it necessary to protect their hands can don on gloves. Goggles and the dust mask are for prevention of soot entering the mouth and also the eyes.

In preparation of house for scrubbing, a tarp or drop cloth ought become used to drape the vent and also the living room. Furniture having light fabric is to be covered too. Rugs should be kept away. The damper must be removed from smokestack flue and its handles cleaned off using the small brush made of wires. After that it should be detached to prevent it from getting in the way of doing the job.

The ladder is set in a way that it is safe and stable to stand on. Then you can then climb on after making sure you have packed and taken with you all the essentials you need. Some people are afraid of heights or climbing up ladders. They can opt to do it from the ground or get someone else to do it for them.

Assemble one piece of the pipe and the brush and introduce the brush inside the smokestack. By use of strokes proceeding from the bottom to the top, scrub clean the flue. Pipe sections are added as per the need for brush extension. For the weighted rope method, the rope is attached to a scrubbing brush and the cleaning process proceeds as described.




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