Annual Inspections Can Prevent Fires and CO Poisonings

Storks nesting in chimneys were once believed to bring good luck, according to European folklore. But, in fact, nests in chimneys - or blockages of any kind - are nothing short of bad news. They can cause smoking problems, chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.

In 2005, there were 24,500 residential fires in the United States originating in chimneys, fireplaces and solid fuel appliances, according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. These fires resulted in 20 deaths and $126.1 million in property damage.

Virtually all of these fires were preventable according to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), a non-profit institution dedicated to public and chimney professional education. Both CSIA and the National Fire Protection Association recommend yearly chimney inspections to help prevent these hazards.

Many American homeowners think their chimneys only need to be cleaned and inspected if they burn wood in their fireplaces or wood stoves. But almost all heating appliances, whether they burn gas, oil, wood or coal, rely on the chimney to safely carry toxic gases produced by the heating system of the house.

A carbon monoxide detector can warn homeowners of potential poisoning after the deadly gas has already entered the living area, but an annual chimney check can help prevent carbon monoxide from entering the home in the first place.

Each fall, homeowners shift into home-improvement mode. They clean gutters, garages and basements -- preparing homes for winter. But they usually don't inspect, repair or clean their chimneys, despite the potential for damage to their property or even to their lives.

An annual chimney inspection by a is a modest investment that can reduce the danger of chimney fires or carbon monoxide poisoning. The CSIA, established in 1983, is a non-profit, educational institution, dedicated to educating the public about the prevention of chimney safety hazards.

For more information about chimney safety, please visit the CSIA web site at www.csia.org. The CSIA is located at 2155 Commercial Drive, Plainfield, IN 46168.

Please call Spring Hill Chimney Service today, to schedule your inspection--

570-842-1998

PROPERLY VENTING YOUR FURNACE! IT COULD MEAN LIFE OR DEATH!

Oil and gas furnaces are an extremely popular way to heat homes in the United States.  The majority of these furnaces, are vented thru the chimney.  Because you are not burning wood or coal, most homeowners do not think about what is really going on inside of their chimney.  The truth is, that an improperly vented furnace can mean sickness and/or even death.Take a look at some of the statistics below.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, "there are approximately 2,100 unintentional deaths from carbon monoxide (CO) every year in the U.S.
Carbon monoxide (CO) can be produced when burning any fuel: gasoline, propane, natural gas, oil, wood and coal. It is the product of incomplete combustion. Carbon monoxide can kill in minutes or hours depending on the level of CO in the air.
If CO is inhaled at damaging levels it can lead to breathing difficulties, impaired judgment and memory, damage to the nervous system, cardiac trauma, brain damage, coma and even death.
Everyone is susceptible, but experts agree that unborn babies, young children, pregnant women, senior citizens and people with heart or respiratory problems are especially vulnerable and are at the highest risk for death or serious injury.
Every year have the heating system and chimney inspected.  Install a carbon monoxide alarm near the sleeping areas and on every level of the home.
Carbon Monoxide poisonings are one of the most preventable situations occurring in America today. The loss of life is senseless. Purchase, install and maintain a good quality CO detector today, and call a qualified service contractor to test the fired appliances in your home tomorrow. Together, we CAN stop the rising death toll.
 Below is a Public Safety Bulletin from the Chimney Safety Institute of America

It's so easy…so automatic…that people just don't think. Every year, when the weather turns cold, homeowners reach for household thermostats, flip a switch to turn on the heat and set the temperature to 68 or 70 degrees. Little thought is given to whether the furnace exhaust system – the chimney and connector pipe – is ready to provide safe, effective service.
Consumer confidence in the convenience and safety of today's home heating systems is usually well placed. The oil and gas heating industries have achieved impressive safety records. Nonetheless, over 200 people across the nation are known to die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by problems in the venting – out of their homes – of toxic gases produced by their heating systems. This is according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Other agencies estimate actual numbers at between 2,000 and 4,000.
In addition, around 10,000 cases of carbon monoxide-related "injuries" are diagnosed each year. Because the symptoms of prolonged, low-level carbon monoxide poisoning "mimic" the symptoms of common winter ailments (headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, even seasonal depression), many cases are not detected until permanent, subtle damage to the brain, heart and other organs and tissues has occurred. The difficulty of diagnosis also means the number of people affected may be even higher.
Fortunately, regular chimney system inspection and maintenance can prevent poisoning incidents like these.
Numerous agencies and organizations now recognize the importance of annual heating system inspection and maintenance in preventing carbon monoxide poisoning. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Fire Protection Association, the American Lung Association – are some of the organizations that now encourage the regular maintenance of home heating systems and their chimneys.
Dont gamble with your life or your loved ones lives.  Get an experienced and reputable chimney service company like Spring Hill Chimney Service to come out and give you the piece of mind in knowing that you and your family are SAFE!

The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning-As Reported recently by ABC NEWS

(ABC 6 NEWS) -- Investigators looking into the deaths of two people at a home in rural Freeborn County say that at this point they have not ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of those deaths.
But with the weather we've been having so far this winter, the danger of CO poisoning is going up.
"Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, colorless, odorless gas," explained a well known Fire Chief.
And there are potential sources all around us.
"Like your hot water heater, your stove, furnace, anything that has natural gas, propane, kerosene or anything like that," he added.
And if those appliances malfunction or aren't vented properly, the result can be carbon monoxide.
"Make sure they're serviced annually, your furnaces, your hot water heater, check your chimney," said the Fire Chief.
Part of the problem with CO poisoning is that you might mistake it's symptoms for the flu:
"You might feel sort of nauseous, get a headache, just feel kind of out of the ordinary," explained one expert."It's that time of the year anyway and you don't really put two and two together and then it's too late."
"Carbon monoxide accumulates in the body and pretty soon it can replace the oxygen in the blood, and that's when you have your fatalities," added the Fire Chief.
It could be an investment of a few dollars that helps cut into the estimated 500 people who die of unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning in
the US every year.
What Carbon Monoxide Does to You
Too much carbon monoxide in your blood can and will kill you. Most of us know to try to avoid this. It is also a fact that low-level exposure to this gas also endangers your health.
The side-effects that can result from this low-level exposure include permanent organ and brain damage. Infants and the elderly are more susceptible than healthy adults, as are those with anemia or heart disease.  The symptoms of low-level carbon monoxide poisoning are so easily mistaken for those of the common cold, flu or exhaustion, that proper diagnosis can be delayed. Because of this, be sure to see you physician about persistent, flu like symptoms, chronic fatigue or generalized depression. If blood levels of carbon monoxide are found to be high, treatment is important. Meanwhile, it makes good sense to put heating system inspection and maintenance on your annual get-ready-for winter list. Prevention is the best cure.
Using gas:
Natural gas is a clean burning fuel. The fumes produced contain high levels of water vapour leading to more condensation. The vapors also contain chlorides which results in the more corrosive conditions for the chimney flues. This means the chimney flue can either plug up completely or deteriorate quicker than normal.
Using oil:
Oil flues need to be cleaned and checked every year because deposits of soot may build up on the interior walls of the chimney. Soot is made up of carbon therefore if there is any amount of build-up, you are at a higher risk of having carbon monoxide in your home.
It is important to pay attention to your fireplace, no matter what you use to fuel it. Gas and oil may force carbon monoxide into your home. Carbon monoxide is known as the “silent killer” because the symptoms are similar to that of the flu and many people choose to ignore it. Serious effects can be caused by short-term exposure at high levels or by long-term exposure at low levels. . In either case, the situation can be quite serious, therefore all possible preventative measures should be taken to avoid unnecessary exposure.
How to fix the problem-
Quite simply, the best way to eliminate the possibility of carbon monoxide leaking thru your chimney is to re-line the chimney creating a seamless vent up and out of your house.  Spring Hill Chimney Service has been inspecting and re-lining chimneys in Northeastern Pennsylvania for over a decade.  Starting with a thorough inspection, and then if needed, highly qualified installation teams will come out and install a full stainless steel liner kit, while making sure that everything is working properly before we leave your home.  Spring Hill provides a lifetime warranty with their chimney liner installs, leaving the homeowner with piece of mind knowing that it is done right, the first time.

RELINING A CLAY OR TERRA COTTA FLUE IN A MASONRY CHIMNEY

     Until a few years ago, Clay or Terra Cotta tile has been the standard material used in masonry chimney construction . These flues are susceptible to cracks and breakage during a chimney fire, or to deterioration after years of use and/or due to lack of cleaning and maintenance.
Even if you know your chimney is lined, and the chimney has seemed to perform fine for decades or a brand new chimney, an annual inspection will either find a safety problem or help you rest assured that your venting system is in good condition.
     Poor construction, creosote, water damage, moisture damage, amount of usage, efficiency of the furnace and mortar deterioration are some of the reasons why these flues must be re-lined.
     Flexible Stainless Steel chimney liners are the most cost effective and efficient re-ling product available.
Why should you even bother to install a liner? They aren’t cheap, but their benefits definitely outweigh their cost. The liner will protect your flue system, damaged or not, from the transfer of heat in your system to nearby combustibles.
Liners also keep your masonry safe from byproducts of combustion that can be extremely corrosive and damaging to your flue system. The gases produced by combustion will actually eat away at or deteriorate the mortar located in between the flue tiles in your chimney.
The question is what type of liner and who installs it.
     Alloy is the strength of stainless steel to resist corrosion. The following fuels should be matched with following alloys:
    Wood, Pellet:  304, 316, 321 or 316Ti Alloy
    Coal, Oil, gas (cat, 1): 316 or 316Ti Alloy
316TI is the better of the bunch, having traces of titanium in it, to help prevent corrosion.
The liner you should use is constructed of high quality 316Ti stainless steel for extra protection against corrosion and tested to withstand a chimney fire of up to 2100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The seams should consist of many layers that are crimped for a super strong and airtight
lock.
If you have a clay flue, or even if you have a masonry flue with no lining, have a thorugh inspection done immediately, to give you the the piece of mind in knowing that you and your loved ones are safe!
570-445-3312
Brought to you by Spring Hill Chimney Service

Fireplace and Chimney Safety!

It might not surprise you that more than one-third of Americans use fireplaces, wood stoves and other fuel-fired appliances as their primary heat source in their homes. However, what is surprising is that many of these people are unaware of the fire risks when heating with wood and solid fuels.

Heating fires account for 36% of residential home fires in rural areas every year. Often these fires are due to creosote buildup in chimneys and stovepipes. All home heating systems require regular maintenance to function safely and efficiently.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) encourages you to practice the following fire safety steps to keep those home fires safely burning. Remember, fire safety in your home, is YOUR responsibility …You CAN stop the Fire!

Protect the Inside of Your Home

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and inside and outside of sleeping areas. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year.

Provide proper venting systems for all heating equipment.

Extend all vent pipes at least three feet above the roof.

Protect the Outside of Your Home

Stack firewood outdoors at least 30 feet away from your home.

Keep the roof clear of leaves, pine needles and other debris.

Cover the chimney with a chimney cap that mesh screen spark arrester.

Remove branches hanging above the chimney, flues or vents.

Safely Burn Fuels

Never use flammable liquids to start a fire.

Use only seasoned hardwood. Soft, moist wood accelerates creosote buildup.

Build small fires that burn completely and produce less smoke.

Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fireplace or wood stove.

When building a fire, place logs at the rear of the fireplace on an adequate supporting grate.

Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house.

Soak hot ashes in water and place them in a metal container outside your home.

Keep Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Clean

Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist.

Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials.

Leave glass doors open while burning a fire. Leaving the doors open ensures that the fire receives enough air to ensure complete combustion and keeps creosote from building up in the chimney.

Close glass doors when the fire is out to keep air from the chimney opening from getting into the room. Most glass fireplace doors have a metal mesh screen which should be closed when the glass doors are open. This mesh screen helps keep embers from getting out of the fireplace area.

Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces that do not have a glass fireplace door.

Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict air supply to fireplaces. Otherwise you may cause creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire.

Use fire-resistant materials on walls around wood stoves.