Having a fireplace that works well is great. Besides providing warmth and ambiance, a functional fireplace looks beautiful and adds value to your home. A broken fire setup, by contrast, can be dangerous and unsightly. If you have an unusable fireplace, now is the time to seek fireplace repairs in West Michigan. If you generally want to keep your fireplace in good working order, there are some things you can do. While not all suggestions apply to every type of fireplace, here are some tips for keeping your fireplace in good shape.
Clean the Fireplace
For setups that burn wood, pellets, and other organic materials, ashes accumulate in the bottom of the fireplace. You should remove these and other debris frequently. Failing to do so can cause a dangerous fire hazard.
Check the Damper
Your routine fireplace maintenance checklist is not complete until you have checked the damper for blockages. This is especially important at the beginning of the fire burning season. Frequently, leaves and other material can get stuck inside your chimney, effectively clogging it. Because smoke will not be able to escape effectively, your system will not function properly. Clogged dampers generally require a professional cleaning to ensure they are working correctly.
When you are performing your check, if you notice damage to the damper, flue, or chimney, you should contact a professional the does fireplace repairs in West Michigan before using your fireplace. Unless every part of your system is working optimally, you cannot know if it is safe to build a fire.
Burn Clean
Depending on the style of your fireplace, you might have a choice of which fuel to burn. If you do, consider green fuels that burn cleaner than traditional materials. This can reduce soot buildup in your fireplace and chimney. That can save you money down the road.
Regardless of the fireplace system you have, you should take steps to keep it functioning well. If you have a broken system, though, you shouldn’t put off fireplace repairs in West Michigan. Click here for more information.
