Chimney Inspections Get High-Tech

Taking care of a chimney has come a long ways from the illustrations of chimney sweeps prominent in Victorian literature. Now, the jobs are done by professionals using the most high-tech equipment available. One of the biggest areas featuring high-tech equipment is Level II Video Inspections. In a recent article, it was noted:

"Video chimney inspections can spot defects anywhere along the entire length of the chimney, and they are the only way to examine a chimney that has any changes in direction."

You can't tell a chimney is having problems just with a quick glance. A Level II video inspection of your chimney will go up the whole length of the chimney, and spot any problems that are plaguing it, and may help to prevent potential issues.

Read the entire article: "Chimney Video Inspections and High-Tech Chimney Sweeps."

Chimney Video Inspections for Safe, Cozy Comfort

The nights are getting cool and there's nothing quite so comforting as having a glowing fire in the fireplace. But before you get that first fire of the season going, you should make sure that your chimney is safe with a cleaning and a video inspection.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that you have your chimney cleaned and inspected visually, annually to prevent chimney fires and poisonous gases from entering your home. Chimney fires can result from creosote buildup inside the chimney.

Even if you don't have a fireplace, but you use a gas or oil fired furnace, you should arrange for a cleaning and inspection. Visual inspections are good, but chimney video inspections are much more thorough. Small leaks can develop that will allow deadly carbon monoxide gas to enter your home. Carbon monoxide is an invisible and odorless gas that is undetectable without special CO detectors.

Gas and wood fires can produce carbon monoxide, and oil and wood fires can produce carcinogens and soot. You wouldn’t want any of these products entering your home. Chimney video inspections can often spot small cracks in flues and inserts that could provide a pathway to the interior of your home.

The visual inspection, as recommended by the NFPA, only lets the technician see what he can, without using any tools. This means he will only see inside your fireplace up to the interior side of the damper, and down the chimney for about six feet, using a flashlight. Chimney video inspections let him see the inside of your chimney for the entire length, all the way down to the other side of the damper.

Annual cleanings and New Jersey chimney video inspections will ensure the safety of you and your family as you enjoy the warm, cozy comfort of your fireplace or wood stove.

Chimney Inspections: When Is It Time For a Chimney Inspection?

How often and when should you have your chimney inspected? We recently asked this very question in an article about chimney inspections, and noted that one of the best indicators for an inspection is a major storm:

One scenario in which an inspection should be performed is after a major storm. Heavy winds, rains, snow, or hail can compromise the integrity and effectiveness of a chimney, and hurt its ability to property send exhaust out of the home. When a chimney can't do its job properly, it not only puts your home in danger, but also your family, who may be breathing in harmful gasses as a result of the chimney being blocked or not being able to perform as well. If a big storm has come through your area, it's a good idea to have things checked out to make sure your chimney is still safe.

In the article, it was also suggested you may want to have an inspection done after you change your home's heating source, like when switching from a wood fireplace to gas.

Another situation you should have a chimney inspection done for is if you change the heating source in your home. For instance, if you have a wood fireplace and you make a switch to a fireplace that uses gas, but you still use the same chimney, it's wise to have a professional inspector examine your chimney to make sure it's capable of making the change without being potentially dangerous. This doesn't just cover wood-to-gas changes, either; an inspection should be done regardless of what the original heat source is, and which source you're moving to.

Another great time to have it looked at? When you reline the flue.

There are instances when the installation of this flue can cause a shift in the chimney, and an inspector can check things out to make sure it's still safe to operate. This is very important to do, as any kind of obstruction can stop dangerous gasses from being exhausted from your home.

For more information on New Jersey chimney inspections, visit www.GuardianChimney.com.