Chimney Sweep in Rancho Palos Verdes

Strong wind across an exposed chimney top can push air down the flue, and a fire that smokes on windy afternoons but draws well on calm ones is showing that. A clean flue helps, because deposits narrow it. So does a cap designed to shield the outlet from wind.

If smoke comes into the room on calm days as well, the cause is more likely a dirty or blocked flue, a partly closed damper, or a house pulling air in through the fireplace because other exhausts are running.

Many fireplaces are lit rarely, and a flue that has been idle is not necessarily clean. CSIA points out that animals may nest in a chimney that is seldom used, and that other deterioration can make it unsafe; an annual inspection applies even with light use.

Birds' nests, fallen mortar and debris from a failed cap are the usual findings. Before the first fire after a long gap, a sweep and a look at the top are sensible, and that holds for a chimney serving a gas appliance as well.

During a routine sweep, the readily accessible parts of the system are looked at: the firebox, damper, smoke chamber, visible flue, and the chimney exterior and top where they can be reached. CSIA's guidance is that a chimney with 1/8 inch or more of buildup should be swept, and that signs of a chimney fire call for a more detailed Level 2 inspection.

The California Residential Code requires a spark arrester on any chimney serving a solid-fuel fireplace, and its mesh is cleaned or its condition noted as part of the visit.

Whether the top can be reached easily, the length and type of flue, how heavy the deposits are, whether a nest or debris has to be removed, and whether the cap has to be taken off. A house with more than one fireplace or a flue serving another appliance adds to the work.