Review Our Business
Schedule an appointment TODAY!

Clean Sweeps of Michigan's Blog

The Importance Of Reviewing Your Chimney Sweep

Have you recently hired Clean Sweeps of Michigan to sweep, inspect, or repair your fireplace system? Did you shop with us to find a new fireplace, insert, or stove for your home? If so, we ask that our customers take a few minutes to review our service! While it may seem unimportant – or even a minor inconvenience – reviewing your chimney sweep is beneficial to your chimney sweep, your friends and neighbors in the community, and even your future services!

Why reviewing your chimney sweep is important

Writing a review of your chimney sweep only takes a few minutes, but can help your friends and neighbors find the best service possible. The following are three reasons why reviewing your chimney sweep is important.

  1. Help others find the right chimney sweep. Most people now search for services, including chimney sweeps, online. Leaving a detailed review of your services can help others find the right chimney company. Likewise, writing reviews can also help other community members avoid chimney sweeping scams.
  2. Help the business improve. If there was a way your service could have been better, writing a detailed and constructive review can help the company improve service in the future. Likewise, if you had an outstanding experience a 5-star review can help ensure your chimney sweep gets recognition for his work.
  3. Help small business thrive. Small businesses grow and thrive off of word of mouth; writing a review for a small business is like giving your recommendation to your friends and neighbors!

Leaving a constructive review

A well-written review can help future customers make a decision on who to hire – as well as help the business recognize areas of outstanding service or how they could improve in the future. The following three tips can help you write a thorough, constructive review of your chimney sweep services.

  1. Avoid writing when upset. If you’ve had bad service, it can be tempting to immediately write a scathing review online. Instead, try contacting the company directly first; most businesses will do whatever they can to correct and resolve the situation. After doing this, write a review detailing the original problem – as well as how the company responded; waiting until your emotions have cooled down can allow you to write a more objective, constructive review.
  2. Include specific details. Include specific details in your review to provide a context for the service you received. What season was your appointment in? Who was your chimney sweep? Was he on time and courteous? Were all of your questions answered? Was the estimated cost close to the final bill? Providing specific examples and information paints a thorough picture of the service you received.
  3. Avoid errors. Many people skim over reviews that are riddled with errors. To make sure your opinion is heard, double check a review for grammatical or spelling mistakes before posting it. Typing a review in a word processing program first can help you spot any errors before posting.

At Clean Sweeps of Michigan, we value feedback from our clients.

Don’t Be On Santa’s Dirty List!

Christmas is just around the corner. It’s only a matter of days until St. Nick himself is ready to slide down your chimney to deliver presents. This year, make sure you don’t get put on the naughty list for having a dirty chimney. Get your chimney swept before Christmas arrives!

Don't Be On Santa's Dirty List Image - Ann Arbor MI - Clean SweepsHow often should my chimney be swept?

According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, or CSIA, all chimneys should be swept at least once per year. This guideline applies to all fuel-burning heating appliances. Including gas fireplace and appliances, wood and pellet stoves, and inserts. Chimney sweepings help remove any buildup of soot, ash, and creosote in the fireplace and flue. They also check for blockages in the flue and any signs of damage or deterioration to the chimney structure.

Annual chimney sweeps should still be done even if your fireplace is only rarely or infrequently used. In fact, sweepings in these situations can even be more important! If a fireplace is only used a few times per year, many of the performance problems that indicate a chimney issue may not be immediately noticed. Because of this, an annual sweep can help determine if there are any blockages, problems, or damage to the fireplace or chimney.

If your home’s fireplace or stove is used as a primary heat source it may need to be swept more often. As a general rule, a chimney should be swept any time there is 1/8th of an inch of soot accumulation in the flue. Under normal conditions this amount of buildup is caused by burning, on average, a full cord of wood. If you are using more than a cord of wood each burning season, you may need to have your chimney swept again mid-winter.

Benefits of a swept chimney:

An annual chimney sweeping is about more than just keeping Santa’s red suit clean. The following are just a few of the benefits of having a swept chimney.

  1.  Improve venting. A buildup of soot or other debris in the flue can prevent proper venting. This causes smoke, ash, and other byproducts of combustion to back up into your home.
  2. Avoid chimney fires! Creosote, a highly flammable byproduct of fuel burning fires, can accumulate in the flue over time. If not removed, it can be accidentally ignited by stray sparks or embers from the chimney, leading to a damaging chimney fire. Creosote ignition is the leading cause of chimney fire – and is entirely preventable with regular chimney sweepings.
  3. Prevent chimney damage. Creosote does more than just cause chimney fires. It can also damage your chimney liner and flue. Regularly removing creosote and soot, as well as having the exterior of the chimney structure inspected, can help prevent chimney damage. In addition, it can extend the lifespan of your fireplace system.

Don’t get on Santa’s naughty list by having a dirty chimney this year. Instead, contact Clean Sweeps of Michigan today to schedule your chimney sweep – before Christmas arrives!

Recent Posts

Find Posts About