How To Clean A Chimney With A Bend

Many homes in Charleston, SC, Vidalia, GA, and the surrounding Central Augusta River Area and South Carolina Midlands region use wood-burning fireplaces and stoves for supplemental or primary heating. Keeping your chimney clean is vital for the health and safety of your family and pets. It is also essential for preventing a devastating fire that can occur when flammable creosote ignites inside the flue. Chimney cleaning is more complex than it may appear. Depending on the heating appliance and venting requirements for your home and chimney, the flue pipe may be joined to connector piping with a bend or elbow.

Types of Bends for Chimney Venting

Many homes, especially those with an older wood stove, have a direct venting system. They are also known as top or rear venting systems. A direct vent system can terminate either vertically or horizontally, depending on the manufacturer’s specifications for the appliance. So, for the chimney to vent the smoke and harmful contaminants safely and efficiently, the flue collar may require a bend or elbow connector pipe to create a passageway that will expel the exhaust outside your home. Depending on the necessary offset, you may notice a 15-to-90-degree elbow connector on the exterior or interior wall.

DIY Vs. Professional Chimney Cleaning

While bends are sometimes necessary for the venting system, cleaning is more challenging because soot, creosote, and combustion gas residues often stick to the corners inside the pipe or elbow connector. So, you must first go on the roof to clean the top of the chimney down to the smoke chamber. Don’t forget to clean the chimney cap. Then, after cleaning out the fireplace, sweep inside the flue through the firebox. Regular cleaning is vital for fire prevention, whether your flue pipe is straight or has a 90-degree elbow. You really need to remove every bit of the hardened creosote from the venting system.

Otherwise, it can ignite inside the piping and engulf your home in flames. If it remains long enough, the gas residue can “eat” through the piping, causing it to rust, corrode, and leak. It can damage your chimney and reduce the efficiency of your heating appliance. Also, using the wrong brush or tools can damage the piping, and repairing it is far more costly than professional chimney cleaning.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) says that a 1/8″ layer or more of creosote is dangerous and requires removal. However, hardened creosote is extremely difficult without professional tools and equipment. To ensure your chimney, venting system, and attached heating appliances are correctly cleaned, hire a professional sweep for an annual inspection and cleaning.

Then, you can do the routine sweeping to keep your fireplace, stove, and chimney clean between visits.

Vidalia, GA Chimney Cleaning Service

A clean chimney is a safe chimney. Advanced Chimney Sweep provides professional cleaning, repairs, and installations in the Central Augusta River Area (CSRA) and South Carolina Midlands region, including Swainsboro, GA; Richmond Hill, GA; Florence, SC; and Rock Hill, SC. Please call (803) 508-3990 (SC) or (706) 833-4630 (GA) today to schedule a visit or contact us online to speak with a Certified Chimney Professional®.