Photos

Just an intro today to Mrs.ChimneyGuy who is the heart of home and hearth, as well as the home-based information gatherer in our business. When you call our office, it’s very likely that you will be speaking with Mary. When I’m out among the chimneys, it’s good to know there’s someone who personally responds to customers.

If you would like tips about keeping your home and hearth safe, just fill out the form to the left. We will answer your burning issues!
Your safety, Mrs.ChimneyGuy’s priority too.

There is a seasonal aspect to chimney repairs. In the late summer, depending on the weather, people call our office to set up a yearly chimney check. Although the heater chimney works all year long in many homes if the hot water heater vents into the chimney, many are not aware of that fact. Some homeowners put off installing a chimney liner until the colder weather comes, even if it has been diagnosed as dangerous.

Now is an ideal time to get the chimney repairs done, the chimney liner installed and the fireplace cleaned and capped. During the late spring and summer, before an emergency situation arises in colder weather requiring extra expense and inconvenience, a homeowner can be smart. This is the time of year that chimney professionals are able to offer fair prices before the busy season and increasing vendor costs.

Just a tip for the seasonal chimney liner shopper…

The Chimney Guy

Watching birds that look like cigars with wings today, the chimney swifts! About 6 of them flying through our neighborhood capturing insects as they flew high and low. Yesterday, while walking the dog, I saw possibly the same group of chimney swifts going in circles around the large heater chimney stacks of our local Roman Catholic Church and Our Lady of Peace school.

theChimneyGuy

Their chirping calls seemed to be the training instructions for the young ones, letting them know the ropes by modeling and chirping encouragement. I found myself looking up a lot more that day and since then, trying to capture a picture with my cell phone, but to no avail. They fly so far and so fast. It’s worthwhile just to pay attention as they move, not missing anything…

Wondering now about their welfare, I realize that the chimneys where they are nesting are not capped and probably won’t be. It reminds me though, of the customers who have had these visitors, and I’ve capped their chimneys once the nest was empty and the chimney swift family had migrated. Where did they nest this year?

Well, it’s often said that “the birds of the air are taken care of” so I will draw on the faith that I have that these little creatures will have the nesting places and all that they need to thrive this year. And, the caps that I install will hopefully be to protect the inhabitants of the home and not harm the inhabitants of the air.

The National Chimney Sweeps Convention, Innovation 2009, is happening this week.  Chimney sweeps and all related industry professionals and vendors gather to discuss the happenings in the industry and learn of new trends.

Alternative heat sources and brainstorming changing environmental and financial times will be a key area of focus.  Keep an eye out for news.  South Carolina is the place to be if you are a chimney sweep. 

This year, though, I’m busy putting heater chimney liner systems into local chimneys.  Traveling when people are scheduling me to install their woodstoves to save on heating, or reline a failing gas or oil flue due to condensation debris just isn’t an option today.  

Keeping in touch from afar, though, I’ll be glad to hear what’s the word!

It’s a backwards truth that giving is a gift in itself and brings return to the giver.  This week in the U.S., we celebrate Thanksgiving holiday.  The first settlers of this continent were able to survive throught their ingenuity and asking for assistance from those who knew the land better than they, the Native Americans.  Today, we honor those Native peoples as well as the adventurous pilgrims. 

The American spirit of entrepreneurialism is alive and well today.  Our current crisis in the financial sector will bring about creative means to move out of ideas and actions that hold economic improvement overall at bay.  We can look forward to innovative ways that our Chimney industry will adapt to this environment, and our business will be there to serve you as you look for alternative ways to live safely with heating alternatives and enjoy your hearth and home with your families.  

Generosity is a wonderful trait.  Let’s honor it today and exercise it when we can. 

Happy Thanksgiving holiday to all who celebrate it!

The National Chimney Sweep Guild had a contest recently.  Chimney Sweeps all over were asked to send in a video on Why I love being a Chimney Sweep

Chick this one out.  I love what I do!

Many of the calls I receive during this busy season in the midatlantic area of the U.S. are from homeowners who ask this question about their oil or gas heater chimney.

The conversation may go something like this:

“My heater has been ‘tagged’ by the utility company. They won’t put it back on until I get the heater chimney cleaned. My heater has a chimney? It was serviced last year, and the heater guy told me it was ok.”

When it gets to the point of an emergency, the fee can run considerably higher than a regular maintenance fee. Maintaining your heater flue by having a certified chimney sweep inspect it on a yearly basis and clean it if necessary will help avoid that.

To avoid a situation like this, here are 5 recommendations:

1. Chimney Cleaning and Inspection yearly by a Certified Chimney Sweep (as suggested by the Chimney Safety Institute of America, who certifies local chimney sweeps every 3 years).
2. Make sure there is a chimney cap at the top of your heater chimney, which protects the inside from the deterioration of weather or animals getting inside.
3. Having your heater serviced and asking the contractor about the condition of the bottom of the chimney, if any followup is recommended. If you don’t ask, you won’t know for sure.
4. Observe: Use your eyeballs to see any changes on the outside of your chimney, missing mortar, loose brick, stains, cracks, or lopsided cap. The situation will only get worse.
5. If you change or plan to change your hot water heater or your heating system in any way, ask about whether the chimney is in good shape. Replacing your older system for a higher efficiency heater can create condensation which may damage the inside of your chimney liner. A chimney relining system, installed by a professional chimney sweep is a solution to consider.

So, Yes, your heater has a chimney, yes, it is important to have it working properly to vent the heater gases like carbon monoxide, and yes, you can do some easy things to maintain your home heating safety.

Don’t make an ash of yourself, get your heater chimney checked!

The Chimney Guy