There are differing opinions on how often you should have your chimney swept. A chimney sweep company will likely tell you that the answer depends on what kind of fuel that you are using. If you are using smokeless fuel such as natural gas, you can likely have it cleaned once a year. Having it cleaned before winter begins is a good time for that. If you are using a dirtier fuel such as wood, you likely need to have it done every few months. The chimney needs to stay clean and clear so that the smoke can escape quickly.
Chimney Effect
The chimney effect drives smoke out of your house and up through the chimney. When your fireplace is burning, the air inside of the fireplace is much hotter and less dense than the surrounding air. Since heat rises, the smoke naturally rises up as well. The difference creates low pressure inside your house, which pulls air into your house through open windows, door frames, and anywhere that a draft can get through. That’s how the air is exchanged and the chimney works. A chimney sweep company in Severna Park, MD can make sure that your chimney is clean enough to do this effectively.
If the chimney is not completely clean, different deposits on the side of the chimney can create turbulence inside the chimney. That turbulence will cause air to swirl inside your chimney, impeding the free flow of smoke out of your air. This is why it’s so important to call a Severna Park chimney sweep company.
Air Turbulence
Air turbulence creates eddies of high and low pressure that can cause the smoke to swirl inside the chimney instead of leaving. It’s the same reason that a baseball curves because the spin creates different air pressures on different sides of the ball. You need a chimney sweep company to visit probably every three to six months to prevent this from happening.