A wood-burning fireplace can help to heat part of your home during the cold winter months without you having to run the heating and cooling system as much as you would otherwise. There’s also no question that a wood-burning fireplace can add atmosphere to your home, and pretty much everybody loves a warm fire in the winter. However, if you’re like the average homeowner, you may not know how to maintain your wood-burning fireplace. Use this guide to make sure your fireplace is safe and functional all year round.
- Check the interior of your wood-burning fireplace for creosote buildup at the beginning of the cold season. Creosote buildup has a blackish color, and since it’s flammable, can make your fireplace a safety hazard. Clean your fireplace with creosote remover before using it if you notice creosote buildup.
- Try to burn certain types of hardwoods like maple, oak and ash in your home. These woods tend to burn quite hot for the longest amount of time, and also have less sap and create less dirt so you won’t have to clean your fireplace quite so frequently. The less creosote buildup a certain type of wood has, the better it is for your fireplace. Hardwoods like maple and oak cost more, but they burn longer, so they’re worth the extra cost per pound.
- Have your wood-burning fireplace inspected at least once per year at the beginning of the winter season by a chimney sweep. You may not think this is something you have to do that often, but not having your fireplace inspected can result in you having to spend a lot of money on repairs that could have been taken care of for much less if they were caught earlier. Think of an inspection as part of regular winter maintenance.
- Make sure you have an effective ventilation system to remove any smoke or fumes that may backdraft from your chimney.
Please contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing for more information on how to maintain your wood-burning fireplace all year round. We proudly serve the Greater Indianapolis area and look forward to serving you as well.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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