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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

GallaghersChimney.info is dedicated to those who enjoy their fireplace hearth and want information to keep their home safe.

Gallagher’s Chimney Service provides a safety inspection with every chimney cleaning.  Barney Gallagher, the Master Chimney Sweep will explain to you just what you need to know and are not afraid to ask.

We hope to provide information on this blog that will answer your questions and encourage you to contact us for your chimney repairs.

In this day of finding ways to offset heating costs, you may want to investigate alternate forms of heating your home to save money and energy.  A wood stove insert, zero vent gas log fireplaces, using a Lock-Top Damper for your open hearth fireplace are a few tips we will be discussing here.

So, with that introduction, if you have a question or a comment, just enter it below and we’ll be glad to start a conversation online!  Have a great day, stay warm and safe.

TheChimneyGuy

P.S. Follow me on Twitter also, www.twitter.com/chimneyguy