Winterizing your chimney plays a key role in home energy efficiency, helping your chimney operate safe and clean to offset high furnace costs, using the heat from your fireplace to warm your home instead.
And while a thorough chimney cleaning and inspection is a fundamental part of winterizing your chimney, there are other tasks that should be completed to ensure home energy efficiency.
So, how can you make your home more energy efficient with your fireplace and chimney? Act on the following, and you are sure to save money with natural heat from your fireplace, instead of your expensive furnace.
- Check to make sure the flue damper is working properly before lighting a fire. Ensure that it opens and closes with ease. Open it just before lighting a fire and keep it closed when not in use to avoid cold air entering the living space.
- Collect kindling and firewood and store in a dry place in advance of the fire. Good, seasoned firewood will burn cleaner than damp wood, and will reduce the hazardous by-product creosote, which can adhere to the interior walls of a chimney and can catch on fire in intense heat.
- Consider adding a chimney cap if you don’t already have one. A chimney cap will keep animals and debris out of your chimney, keeping it free from any blockages and inefficiencies.
- Seal any air leaks with fire-resistant materials to keep cold air from seeping into the house.
- Use a sealed metal container to empty ash into from the firebox (always make sure the ashes are completely cooled before scooping them into the box). A clean, ash-free fireplace will operate more efficiently than a dirty one.
These tasks, paired with a recommended annual chimney inspection and cleaning, will help increase home energy efficiency.
At MCP Chimney and Masonry, we can help make sure your chimney is operating at peak performance to offset your home heating costs. From installing a chimney cap to recommending the most efficient way to build a fire, our technicians optimize your chimney and fireplace to help you save money.
For more information about the many services, we offer to increase home energy efficiency using your fireplace, contact us today.
