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All Seasons Chimney Truck

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New Windsor, NY 12553

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Company Blog

Fireplace Safety Tips

As beautiful as a roaring fire in your fireplace can be, it can also be very dangerous. This is especially true if you are not very familiar with fire safety tips. Following fire safety practices is very important whenever you light a fire in your home, especially if you have children and pets. All Seasons Chimney would like to share with you a few tips on how to stay safe by the fireplace with your family because your safety is a top priority for us!

Schedule an appointment for a professional chimney sweeping and inspection at least once a year.Fireplace Safety Tips Image - Poughkeepsie NY - All Seasons Chimney

To make sure your chimney and fireplace system is working efficiently and safely, it is essential to have a Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)-certified chimney technician sweep and inspect the chimney every year. All Seasons Chimney can check everything out to see if there is any damage or other possible problems.

Make sure the damper is completely open before starting a fire.

You need the damper to be open to draw smoke, carbon monoxide, and the other byproducts of combustion out of your home. HealthyChildren.org recommends keeping the damper open until the fire has been fully extinguished. You could have smoldering ashes that could cause your home to be smoky if the damper is closed before the fire is out completely.

Install a screen in front of your fireplace.

Kids and pets can be very curious about your fireplace. It is very important to protect them from getting too close to the flames. Even if you have glass fireplace doors to close while a fire is burning, those doors can become extremely hot and could harm your child if he touches them. Setting up a fireplace safety screen is a great way to keep this area safe for children and pets.

Never leave a burning fire unattended.

You always want to be sure a fire has been extinguished before you go to bed or leave the house. You should also never leave your child alone in the same room as a burning fire. If you must leave the room, even just for a few minutes, you should bring your child with you to be safe.

Following these fire safety practices will help you and your family stay safe and warm by the fireplace. Contact us at All Seasons Chimney for any of your professional chimney maintenance, repair, and installation needs.

How to Dispose of Fireplace Ash

In the winter, you may use your fireplace everyday to keep your home cozy and warm. When you are lighting a daily fire, you should be removing the ashes every other week or so. Although the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends leaving a one-inch layer of ashes to insulate the firebox, you do need to follow a regular ash removal routine to keep them from building up on the grate, which can cause it to prematurely wear out. Knowing how to properly and safely dispose fireplace ashes is very important. All Seasons Chimney wants to share with you some tips on removing ashes from your fireplace and your home this winter.

Allow sufficient cooling time before starting this task.

How to Dispose of Fireplace Ash - Poughkeepsie NY - All Seasons ChimneyNever remove fireplace ashes right after extinguishing a fire because of the dangers of smoldering ashes. A good rule of thumb is to wait for at least 36 hours after you have put out your last fire.

Have the right tools for ash removal.

Even though you have waited long enough to safely begin this task, you may still encounter hot ashes in the firebox. This is why it is so important to have a metal bucket with a fitted lid, a metal shovel, and gloves to safely remove the ashes. You may also want to wear a breathing mask, especially if you have allergies, asthma, or other respiratory issues.

Scoop the ashes into the bucket, close the lid tightly, and place the bucket outside.

You will want to make sure the lid is securely closed once you have placed the ashes inside the bucket. This prevents the ashes from spilling out if the bucket gets knocked over as well as to completely put out any still-smoldering ashes. Take the bucket outside your home and place it on a non-combustible surface like concrete or brick. Smoldering ashes can generate enough heat to possibly spark a fire on a combustible surface like wood. After a few days outside, you can dump the bucket of ashes into your outside trash can. You can also save the ashes to use in your garden in the spring.

Following these steps will allow you to stay safe when disposing of fireplace ash this winter. Contact us at All Seasons Chimney for any of your professional chimney maintenance, repair, and installation needs.