Examine the Flue Tiles for Cracks
When your ceramic tile flue liner is subjected to high temperatures, a hairline fracture that first appeared to be innocuous can widen up and become much wider. The following is a description of the worst possible outcome: you become aware of a cracked flue but choose to continue using your fireplace regardless. Your house is at risk of being set ablaze by the heat and flames that are escaping.
According to the most recent figures, chimneys are the origin of more than 25,000 house fires each year. The fact is as follows: the majority of the time, the true threat is posed by fissures that are not visible to the naked eye, which ultimately lead to the ignition of home fires.
Have you ever come across the proverb that says, “What you don’t know can’t damage you”? In this particular instance, however, it is not the case at all. What you do not know about your condition might most certainly be harmful to you. A Certified Chimney Sweep is the only one who can tell you if the interior of your chimney is helping or hurting your house, and you need their assistance in order to determine which it is.
Why is it harmful when a tile in the flue is cracked?
At first, these cracks are hardly noticeable, seeming more like hairline fissures. Cracking can develop on the visible external components of your chimney or fireplace, but in this situation, the cracking happens on the interior of the system. Because of their minute size, these fissures can only be seen with a specialized camera; this is one of the reasons why they are so hazardous. The safety of a home is put in jeopardy when even minor breaks in the chimney do not receive prompt attention.
Every time you light a fire in your fireplace, the heat causes these minor fissures to enlarge and develop into more severe fractures. Eventually, your ceramic tiles will have enormous voids where they once were. As you can see now, it is not difficult at all for the exhaust from the smoke to enter the house. If the system has not been cleaned on a regular basis, there is a good chance that creosote has built up on the tiles, which increases the risk of a fire breaking out.
If you keep up with the routine maintenance of your fireplace, you won’t have to worry about anything. Your neighborhood Certified Chimney Inspector has the ability to inspect your flues and give you with photographs of any flaws found during your evaluation.
If a fire starts up inside the chimney, where does the flame go when it breaks out?
Chimneys are not designed to accommodate fires of any kind. The fire in a fireplace must stay within the firebox at all times. Therefore, if a fire were to start unintentionally inside a flue, the smoke and flame would not go all the way to the top of the chimney and emerge from there; rather, the flame would take the first escape out of that opening and enter your home.
You should now understand how chimneys may be the source of flames in homes. Since you are here and reading this, you are going to make sure that anything like this does not happen to you.
If you suspect that your chimney or fireplace is having some issues, have an expert inspect it. Call Local Chimney Sweep Cleaning today. We also offer Chimney Cleaning Mokelumne Hill and other affordable services.