8 Beautiful Reasons to Keep Your Chimney Clean

You use your chimney on a regular basis and, yet, you haven’t cleaned it in eons. Let us be the ones to tell you: this is a mistake. A clean chimney is a functional chimney. If it’s not kept clean, it can cause you a world of trouble. Wondering why exactly it’s so important to keep your chimney clean? Then read on. Here are 8 reasons. 

1. Clean Chimneys Are Efficient Chimneys

When a chimney gets dirty, the heating systems that are connected to it have a difficult time letting off the exhaust. As a result, they run less efficiently than they normally would. This results in a waste of energy and also reduces the system’s lifespan. 

What this means, of course, is that, if you want your heating systems to run as efficiently as possible, you have to keep your chimney clean. Chimneys should be cleaned at least once yearly and maybe even more if you heat your home frequently. 

2. Failing to Clean Your Chimney is Dangerous

Another reason that you should clean your chimney on a regular basis is that a dirty chimney has the potential to become dangerous. The more residue that exists within the chimney, the less area there is through which ash and exhaust can travel. This can lead to backup, causing smoke to billow into the home. 

In some cases, it can even cause fires to start within the chimney. If this occurs, the fire can spread, leaving the home vulnerable. 

You don’t want either one of these things to happen. Smoke inhalation is bad for your lungs (and potentially deadly) while fire could very well burn your home to the ground. Have your chimney cleaned and avoid this problem entirely. 

3. It Saves You Money in the Long Run 

Dirty chimneys can lead to a number of problems. Not only can they cause house fires and smoke backups, but they can also place unnecessary strain on the heating systems to which they are connected. This can lead to all sorts of damage. 

As you might know, fixing damage such as this isn’t cheap. In fact, it can set you back thousands of dollars. 

Therefore, if you want to save money in the long run, you will have your chimney cleaned on a consistent basis. Yes, you’ll have to dish out a few bucks for chimney cleaning services but it’s nowhere near as costly as having to fix fire or smoke damage, not to mention damage to your heating units. 

4. It Keeps Animal Debris at Bay

One of the issues you might encounter with your chimney is the problem of animals creating a home inside of it. This generally occurs during the warm months, as it’s virtually impossible for animals to live inside of a chimney while its corresponding heating system is running. 

So, why is it a problem, you might ask? Because animals create nests inside of chimneys. And in order to establish their nests, they bring along a great deal of miscellaneous debris. 

Come the heating season, this debris can pose a fire hazard. As such, before turning on your heater for the season, you’re highly advised to have your chimney cleaned out. 

5. It Staves Off Poor Odors

The residue that builds up within chimneys is not only physically obstructive but also smells bad. This smell becomes most prominent during the summer months when the heats are at their highest. It can overpower the area around the chimney opening. 

Want to do away with this smell? It’s as simple as cleaning your chimney. A chimney cleaning company will remove all of the soot from your chimney, preventing its aroma from floating through your home. 

6. It Improves Air Quality

As you might expect, the creosote buildup within a chimney is bad for air quality. The more creosote that exists in your chimney, the more there will be in your home’s air.

You’re breathing this air in on a regular basis, of course. So, if there’s creosote in it, you’ll also be breathing it in as well. This is an issue, as creosote is thought to contain dangerous carcinogens. 

Want to make your home as breathable as possible? You’ll need to have your chimney cleaned on a consistent basis. 1 to 2 times a year is standard. 

7. It’s Inexpensive

Now, you might be skeptical to have your chimney cleaned. You might be afraid of the price, in particular. If so, you should know that it’s really not expensive at all.

Most chimney cleanings cost between $150 and $300. Pay that once a year and your chimney should thrive on all levels.

The alternative is to never have your chimney cleaned and then pay thousands of dollars in repairs after the fact. Believe us: you don’t want to do that. Not only will it impact your bank account but it could also put you out of your home for a few weeks. 

8. It’s Fast

You might also be under the impression that chimney cleaning is an intensive, time-consuming task. As such, you might be hoping to avoid it at all costs. 

However, in truth, chimney cleaning takes between 45 minutes to an hour. You don’t even have to be home to have your chimney cleaned. The cleaners can come to your home in the middle of the day, clean out your chimney, and leave before you even knew they were there. 

Need Help Getting Your Chimney Clean? 

What do you say? Ready to clean your chimney? Need help getting your chimney clean?

If so and if you’re in the Woodbridge, VA area, we here at Sixpenny Chimney & Air Duct Cleaning are the people to see. Our team is well-versed in the cleaning of chimneys and will have yours looking brand new. 

Contact us now to get the process started!