Associations

Hearth Patio & Barbeque Association - www.hpba.com

National Chimney Sweeps Guild - www.ncsg.org/main.html

Chimney Safety Institute of America - www.csia.org

Distributors

Northline Express - www.northlineexpress.com/rsearch_maintenance_items.asp

BAC Sales - www.bacsales.com

AES - www.aes4home.com/products.html

Cunningham Living - www.cunninghamliving.com

General Information

Woodstove Maintenance
There is nothing quite like coming indoors on a blustery winter day and warming your hands over a wood stove. The warmth is instant and comforting. Knowing your stove is operating properly is equally comforting, because a stove that is not regularly maintained can be inefficient, unattractive, and downright dangerous. Energy efficiency and safety often go hand in hand. Take gaskets for instance. Installed around doors, they keep the fire in and unwanted drafts out of the firebox.

An efficient-burning stove produces less creosote. Still, it's always a potential danger, particularly if you burn soft woods. Chemical creosote fighters help reduce the buildup of creosote in the chimney, the leading cause of chimney fires, and should be used regularly. Note: NO CHEMICAL TREATMENT IS MEANT TO REPLACE PROPER CLEANING AND INSPECTION BY A TRAINED CHIMNEY PROFESSIONAL.

Of course, you have to get the fire started first. Fire starters are a great way to eliminate "smudge pots" and get a good, efficient burn going quickly. After all, you want fire not smoke. Still, smoke is inevitable and if your stove has a glass viewing window, make sure you keep a stove glass cleaner on hand to keep the view burning brightly. And since your stove is always in view, make sure it looks as valued as it is with a regular application of stove paint and polish. Maintaining a stove is easy and inexpensive, and it's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

The Hazards Of Chimney Fires
Chimney fires are not fun, and we're sure you don't want to experience one on your own. Many people have, and wish they hadn't. Like any fire, chimney fires vary in size and severity. On one extreme, it is possible to have a chimney fire without even knowing it. While this is uncommon, it does happen. On the other extreme a chimney fire may leave nothing more of your home than a pile of ashes around the chimney. Fortunately, this too, is uncommon. The average chimney fire will make a loud roaring noise, often described as a train or jet going through the home. The roaring noise is caused by the sudden rush of air going into the chimney to feed the fire. A column of flames will usually be seen coming out the top of the chimney. Pieces of creosote will often be seen flying out the top of the chimney, and these may ignite the roof or other nearby combustibles. You may also hear popping or cracking noises inside the chimney indicating damage to bricks, mortar and flue liners. Listed below are the things you should do if you have a chimney fire.

• Call the fire department. Hopefully you won't need them but don't wait until you do before calling.
• Locate everyone and get them out of the house.
• If you have a fireplace with glass doors, close the doors and the vents. If you have a woodstove, close the doors and the air inlets. Do not close the damper of either a woodstove or a fireplace.
• If flames are visible at the chimney top, hose down the roof but not the chimney. Spraying water on a hot chimney will very likely damage it.
• Call a chimney sweep before using the chimney again.

Don't be misled into believing that a chimney fire is a good way to clean a chimney. A chimney fire is a serious occurrence and can be very damaging to a chimney. Often a well constructed chimney will confine the first chimney fire to the chimney itself, while repeated chimney fires increase the likelihood of damage to the home. Chimney fires, even small ones, may very likely damage the chimney to the point it is unsafe to use.