How to Clear a Clogged Chimney

 

Did you know that fewer than 42% of new homes are built with a chimney?

As chimneys become rarer and rarer, you can take pride in this unique aspect of your home. However, with a beautiful chimney comes maintenance responsibilities. For instance, it’s essential to clear a clogged chimney before it fills your home with toxic smoke.

Are you wondering how you can do it? Keep reading to learn all about how to clear a clogged chimney.

Identify the Problem

When it comes to clearing a clogged chimney, you should first try to identify what the blockage is. If you haven’t been diligent about keeping your chimney covered, then it’s possible for a bird or other type of creature to build a nest in there.

In some cases, it could be an animal that’s protected by law. If you try to destroy the nest, you could face some serious charges. Instead, you can either call a wildlife professional or attempt to lift the nest out of the chimney using the proper tool

Before attempting anything, it’s important to learn more about common chimney and vent problems.

Clear the Blockage

When clearing a chimney, remember that you should also get at the blockage from the bottom rather than the top. Make sure you have a chimney brush of the appropriate length so you can get in there where it counts.

Are you stumped about whether you got the blockage or not? The last thing you’d want to do is start a fire only to get flooded with smoke that can escape through the chimney. Instead, it’s a good idea to use a handheld mirror and see if you can spot sunlight coming from the top of the chimney.

If no sunlight is getting through, then the blockage hasn’t been dealt with completely.

Stay On Top of Chimney Maintenance

Simply put, clearing a blockage is often a headache. Instead of dealing with blockages on a regular basis, it’s best to practice diligent chimney maintenance.

For instance, you might need to get a new chimney cap. This is one of the best ways to prevent blockages. Another beneficial upgrade that’s worth the investment is a clay chimney liner.

Maintaining the chimney can also prevent more serious damage from occurring. That way, you can save money over time by avoiding a major chimney repair.

Now You Know How to Clear a Clogged Chimney

Now that you’ve learned all about how to clear a clogged chimney, you can make sure that yours stays as clean as a whistle. That way, you can enjoy the coziest fires in your living room whenever you want to set the right mood.

There are many other things that can go wrong in a home. Oftentimes two things break after you fix one, so it’s worth following our site. We publish articles on a regular basis and are proud to cover a wide variety of topics, including home and garden, lifestyle, tech, and others.