Chimney sweep and fireplace cleaning in Richmond Estates

Sweeping a factory-built fireplace and metal chimney

A factory-built fireplace is a metal firebox and chimney system made and tested together. Under the Florida Building Code, a factory-built fireplace must be listed, labeled and installed within the terms of that listing, and its factory-built chimney has to go in, and end at the roof, exactly as the manufacturer's instructions describe.

That listing shapes the cleaning. Our technicians read the label, follow the maker's care directions and use brushes that suit the metal flue. One maker's instructions warn against any brush that will scratch the stainless liner, so nothing abrasive goes into a factory-built flue.

The refractory panels in the firebox, the metal chimney sections and the cap are all part of the listed system. If any of them is cracked, loose or rusted, the replacement has to match the system, so it is quoted as separate prefab fireplace repair.

Stove habits that coat the flue faster

How a wood stove is run changes how much creosote it leaves in the flue. EPA guidance points to a few habits. Turning the air down to stretch a load into a long, smoldering burn starves the fire of air. Packing the firebox full for a longer burn also adds to the buildup and can damage the firebox.

The same guidance says to keep the stove doors closed except when loading or stoking, and to build hot fires rather than smoldering ones.

When our crew sweeps a stove chimney, the deposits show how the stove has been run, and they share what they see along with any change that would help.

• Hot fires instead of smoldering loads
• Doors closed except when loading or stoking
• No overloading the firebox for a longer burn
• Only dry, split, seasoned wood

Dry, split, seasoned wood stored off the ground

Wet wood burns smoky, and EPA guidance links unseasoned wood directly to creosote buildup, since the fire spends its energy driving off water and makes more smoke doing it. The guidance is plain. Burn only dry, split, well-seasoned wood, and skip anything wet, rotted or moldy.

Seasoned wood is darker, weighs less and sounds hollow when two pieces are knocked together, according to the same guidance, which calls for seasoning wood at least six months. Stack it outdoors, off the ground, with only the top covered, because covering the sides traps moisture.

From the deposits, our technicians can often tell whether the wood has been wet, and they will say so.

• Split, dry and seasoned before it burns
• Stacked outdoors and off the ground
• Covered on top only
• Checked for mold or rot before use

An ash dump that has not been emptied

Some masonry fireplaces have a small metal door in the firebox floor that drops ash into a chamber below, with its own cleanout door lower down or outside. Ash dropped there is out of sight, and it can build up for years.

A full ash pit can back up into the firebox, hold moisture and give off a stale smell. The door in the firebox floor can also rust shut or warp so it no longer closes.

During a sweep our crew opens the ash dump, checks how full the pit is and empties it through the lower cleanout when it can be reached. A warped or rusted door is noted for repair on the estimate, and ash from the pit goes out in a metal container like any other ash.