As you already know, your fireplace needs cleaning to maintain or improve performance, prevent fires, make inspections easier, protect your health, prevent odors, and generally keep your fireplace looking nice.
Should you wing it, or are there signs to look for that indicate your fireplace is due for cleaning? Your fireplace will tell you when the time for cleaning comes.
You typically need to clean both the fireplace and chimney. For this reason, in this article, we’ll look at the signs that your chimney and fireplace need cleaning.
Signs Your Chimney and Fireplace Needs Cleaning
1. Excessive Smoke Indoors
Get your fireplace and chimney cleaned as soon as possible if smoke from your fireplace starts billowing into the room even with the flue open. Do the same also if your fireplace starts generating too much smoke.
When smoke lingers inside the room instead of exiting outside, it strongly indicates that the chimney is obstructed by creosote, soot, or debris. This smoke is unpleasant and makes your home uncomfortable, but it can also endanger your health, potentially causing respiratory problems.
2. Noticeable Soot and Creosote Buildup
A thorough clean-up is overdue if you notice a lot of creosote and soot inside the chimney. Check for creosote and soot by visually inspecting the chimney flue with a flashlight. Alternatively, carefully scrape a portion of the chimney liner using a fireplace poker—clean if the buildup is at least 1/8 inch thick.
In addition, pay attention to the smoke. If it doesn’t rise but instead flows back into the room, the chimney might have too much creosote or soot.
Creosote is a fire hazard, so removing it is essential. A professional sweep will safely and thoroughly clear out creosote and soot.
The chimney’s interior needs cleaning if you find creosote flakes or soot pieces on the hearth or inside the firebox.
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3. Bad Smells Around and In The Fireplace
A dirty chimney and fireplace can develop a foul odor. A faint smoke smell from your fireplace is expected, especially when it’s burning. However, if it emits a strong, unpleasant odor, even when there is no fire, clean your fireplace.
For instance, a mixture of soot, moisture, and creosote causes bad odors. Animal droppings, rotting tree debris, and the remains of dead animals inside the chimney can also make fireplaces smell bad.
Ash also smells; your fireplace will keep smelling the longer you leave ash in the firebox. Fireplaces smell more intensely during humid and rainy days.
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4. Excessive Smoke Stains On the Mantel or Fireplace Walls
What color are the surfaces around your fireplace? If the mantel, the ceiling, or the fireplace walls have dark stains, it is time to clean the fireplace.
Besides cleaning the stained areas, clean the chimney as well. This is because persistent smoke stains show that the smoke is not exiting properly.
5. Sounds From The Chimney
If you hear cracking, pinging, or popping sounds coming from your chimney when you light the fireplace, the creosote is likely expanding and contracting due to temperature fluctuation. You’ll notice this more when you light your fireplace after leaving it dormant for a long time.
Animals could be the other reason you are hearing sounds from your chimney. Birds make rustling or chirping noises, bats flutter and squeak, while rodents produce scratching or scurrying sounds.
6. Difficulty Starting a Fire and Maintaining It
Are you having a tough time starting a fire in your fireplace and keeping it going steady? This is understandably frustrating. Try cleaning the chimney and fireplace, and you will see a great deal of difference.
Fire needs steady airflow to burn properly. Therefore, blockages in the chimney will make sustaining fire difficult. You will also have to try multiple times to start it. Excessive accumulation of ash in the firebox will also restrict airflow, resulting in poor combustion.
However, before blaming chimney obstructions and ash accumulation for your fireplace burning poorly, eliminate other causes. These include closed damper, using unseasoned or wet firewood, negative air pressure, faulty draft, and flue liner or chimney damage.
7. Bird or Animal Nests Inside The Chimney
Schedule cleaning if you find animals and birds living inside your fireplace to protect them and also prevent them from blocking the chimney. Aside from seeing the animals with your own eyes or hearing their sounds, you’ll also detect their presence by their droppings and nesting materials falling into the firebox.
Do not use your fireplace while animals are inside the chimney because this can put them in danger. Wait until you remove them and clean their debris
8. The Damper Is Hard to Close and Open
Is your fireplace’s damper mechanically sound but hard to open and close? Debris and creosote, which is sticky, might be causing this problem. Moreover, a soot and creosote stain the damper black.
If you let creosote accumulate on the damper for a prolonged period, it will really cling to it and harden. Once it gets to this point, professional cleaning might be the only answer.
It is best to remove the creosote on the damper early when it is still flaky and soft.
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9. The Fireplace Is Less Efficient
If you are finding yourself needing more wood or fuel to produce enough heat to warm your home than you did before, obstructions in the chimney might be blocking airflow. Luckily, you can easily fix this by cleaning the chimney and fireplace.
10. You haven’t Cleaned For Longer Than A Year
The consensus states you should inspect and clean the fireplace at least once annually. However, this isn’t set in stone, so you can do it more frequently, especially if you use your fireplace regularly.
If you haven’t cleaned the chimney and fireplace for over a year, schedule one, even if you don’t see the signs above. You will make your fireplace less efficient and allow creosote to accumulate to dangerous levels if you neglect it.
In Conclusion,
Schedule professional cleaning right away if you notice the signs above in your fireplace and chimney. If you are considering doing the job yourself, ensure you have the right tools, are experienced, and are dealing with a light creosote buildup. Leave it to a professional if the creosote and soot buildup is excessive.
Hi! I’m Susie, the creative mind behind Cozy Castle 101. I love sharing easy and simple ideas to make home and garden spaces cozy and inviting. From simple DIY projects and fun crafts to family-friendly recipes, I’m all about creating a warm, welcoming home where memories are made. Join me as I explore ways to add a bit of creativity and charm to everyday life!