Clean Sweeps of Michigan's Blog

The Basics of Ash Removal

There’s a lot of upkeep inherent in using and maintaining a wood-burning fireplace or stove. You need to make sure and schedule your annual chimney inspection and regular chimney sweeping appointments, chop and dry and/or store wood, build your fires, tend your fires and clean up after your fires.

Are you unsure of whether or not the ashes in your fireplace or stove need to be removed?

One thing that might surprise you if you’re new to wood-burning appliance ownership, though: You don’t need to remove all the ash in your fireplace or stove all the time. In fact, you really don’t want to remove it all.

A small layer of ash actually makes it easier for you to get a consistent fire going, by encouraging heat back toward your fuel and the fire and helping to get combustion moving. An ash layer also gives your firebox a little extra protection by buffering the floor against the fire’s heat, too.

You will, of course, need to remove ash at certain points. But don’t rush it — you’ll want to remove the ash only when it’s necessary. And that’s not just an excuse to cross off that line on your honey-do list — it’s the truth!

Here are a few guidelines that can help you know if it’s time to remove the ash in your fireplace or stove:

Remove The Ash When…

The Level Of Ash Reaches Your Fire Grate

Is your pile of ash poking up from under the grate? It’s time to tame it back. That’s in part to help maintain the grate — ash has acidic qualities that can start to erode it, and beyond that, the ash is helpfully pushing heat back toward the fire, and your grate is getting caught in the crossfire, undergoing a heat blast that won’t help its longevity. Really, an ash layer of about an inch is all you need to get the burn benefits and protection that ash brings, so shooting for that is a good rule of thumb.

Your Stove Is Stuffed

Do you have so much ash in your wood-burning stove that it’s making it hard to get sufficient fuel in there? You’re probably assuming — and rightly so — that it’s time to ditch some of that ash. Ash has its benefits, but a stove stuffed with ash that’s burned well past being useful is just creating a dirty and inefficient stove situation. Grab your ash shovel and metal bin, for sure.

It’s Closing Time

When the warm weather rolls in for good and you’re calling an end to your burning and heating season, giving the appliance a good ash removal is smart. If ash deposits sit through the spring and summer, the acids in the ash can damage a variety of materials and many parts in your appliance, from your metal grate to your masonry. Beyond that, ash can pull in and hold moisture, and we all know how much damage moisture can do to our chimney systems.

If you have any other questions about smart and effective burning and appliance maintenance practices, Clean Sweeps of Michigan Inc. is always glad to help. Just give us a call!

Common Replacements for Chimney Parts

It’s time to fix your chimney up. Start by replacing those parts that have not been working the way they should and those that poses a threat to your family’s safety.

Your chimney system is comprised of numerous parts, all of which are inspected by a chimney professional during your yearly chimney inspection and sweeping. To prevent major chimney system repairs, it is of paramount importance to make minor repairs as soon as problems arise. Some parts are in the line of fire more than others and are adversely affected by the heat, while other parts are exposed to the elements, thereby causing them to wear out faster. Either way, these parts need to be replaced at one point or another. Keep reading to get a better understanding of some of the more common chimney repairs that our technicians encounter.

Help—My Mortar Joints are Crumbling

The mortar used in the construction of your chimney is exposed to the elements on the outside and the heat from your firebox on the inside. This greatly speeds up the weathering process. As such, it is common for it to begin to crumble and fall away, leaving open areas between the bricks, which only exposes even more to these weathering agents. As you might guess, this leads to even more issues. The process for repairing your damaged mortar is known as repointing. During this process, the damaged, old and loose mortar on your chimney is removed from the joints between the bricks and replaced with new mortar or masonry repair caulk. Only a skilled professional should repoint a chimney, as the work requires an experienced hand.

Caps Aren’t just for Baseball

The basic job of a chimney cap is to cover the chimney’s opening in an effort to keep water, birds and other wildlife, leaves, twigs and other debris from getting into your chimney and/or house. Water is directed away from the center and off the sides of your chimney. Birds, other wildlife, leaves, twigs and other debris are blocked from getting to your chimney via the mesh screening on the side, thereby preventing it from becoming a giant trash can. If any of these things were to get into your chimney, they could damage the chimney and cause more problems for you down the road. On the other hand, keeping them all out can increase the lifetime of your chimney liner. Deciding to purchase a chimney cap and have it installed by a professional chimney technician is a choice you won’t soon regret.

Chimney Flashing is Nothing to Overlook

Chimneys are notorious for leaking, and the culprit is almost always the flashing, which lies at the point where the chimney rises above the roof. It keeps water out of the chimney, protecting both the flue and roof. Flashings are made from a variety of materials (e.g., aluminum, copper, galvanized steel, and/or tin). You’ll want to have new chimney flashing installed is it’s missing, rusted through, falling out or completely covered with roofing tar (a common short-term fix that’s sure to be hiding bigger problems). Many homeowners also opt to have new flashing installed when having new shingles put on because they want it to last as long as the new roofing (anywhere from 25-40 years).

Keeping Warm Air in and Cold Air Out

The main purpose of a damper is to seal the chimney airtight when it’s not in use. Heat rises, and if the chimney isn’t sealed when the fireplace isn’t in use, all of the heat in the house goes up the chimney. Liken this to leaving your door open in the middle of winter. You wouldn’t do that, so why settle for a damper that doesn’t seal properly. There are two different types of dampers: top sealing and throat mount. Each type has its pros and cons; in a perfect world, you’d have one of each installed, as this would provide you with the best overall performance. Dampers are one part of your chimney that you shouldn’t leave to function inadequately.

Ushering those Harmful Gases out of your Home

According to the CSIA, problems in your chimney’s flue can present serious risks to your home and family, because it’s no longer able to perform its primary function: to safely contain and vent the products of combustion to the outside of your home. If your current liner was installed improperly or is deteriorating, it is highly recommended that you either have a new one installed by a licensed professional or, if possible, have your current liner repaired. There are several different relining options (clay, stainless steel, and cast-in place liners), depending on both the type of flue liner you currently have and the overall condition of your entire flue. Because of the critical job completed by your chimney liner, it is a critical part. Every chimney needs a working liner.

As you can see, a chimney technician’s job is far more labor intensive that one might think. Chimney systems are comprised of many parts that depend upon one another to function at peak levels. A problem with one part of the system can cause another part of the system to have to work harder to pick up the slack, thereby causing that overworked component to wear out at a much quicker rate. This can become a vicious cycle rather quickly if the initial problem isn’t addressed in a timely manner. The moral of the story: repair minor problems as soon as possible so as to prevent them from becoming major problems down the road.