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San Diego County
(619) 280-4700

Chimney Sweeping In San Diego!

FREQUENTLY ASKED CHIMNEY QUESTIONS

These are the questions that we are most frequently asked about chimney sweeping.  If you have other inquiries regarding chimneys, chimney maintenance, related topics, or any of our services, please call us and we will answer your questions.

Q. How often do I need my chimney inspected and swept?

Q. Why is it important to have my chimney inspected?

Q. What preparations do you suggest I take before a chimney sweep technician arrives at my home?

Q.What is creosote and what sort of problems can it cause if left unchecked in my chimney?

Q. Will there be any mess or dust while my chimney is being cleaned?

Q. What is the level of your experience in chimney cleaning?

Q. How do I make an appointment to have my chimney serviced?


How ofte
n do I need my chimney inspected and swept?

That depends on the age and general condition of your chimney, the type of wood you burn in the associated fireplace or wood burning stove and how often you use it. The older the chimney, the more likely it is to have structural damage due to long term repeated exposure to heat and weather. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that all chimneys, fireplaces and vents be inspected at least once a year.
With Chimneys-R-Us’ thirty plus years of experience in chimney inspections, chimney sweeping and chimney maintenance in the San Diego County, we agree with that recommendation with three exceptions.  The first being chimneys that only get used a few times a year can generally afford to have the inspections done every two years. Secondly, chimneys that get heavy usage should be inspected more frequently and the third and perhaps most important exception is that any chimney flue that has a ¼ inch or more buildup of creosote deposits should be cleaned immediately.


Why is it important to have my chimney inspected?

The main reasons for a chimney inspection are to determine if your fireplace or wood burning or pellet stove is safe to operate, to check the chimney and flue for structural problems and excess creosote buildup. The last two items are one of the nation’s leading causes of house fires, because the chimneys are usually directly connected to the frame of the house, which can make it easy for chimney fires to spread from the chimney to the house rather quickly. During our inspection process, besides checking the stove, if present, and inspect the fire chamber, that the throat damper operates correctly, the condition of the flue, the level of creosote deposits, the condition of chimney caps, spark arrestors, as well as, looking for any structural damage, such as damaged flue pipe, cracks, signs of water leakage, integrity of the chimney crown and blockage from leaves, twigs or bird nests.
 

What preparations do you suggest I take before a chimney sweep technician arrives at my home?

We ask you to move things away from the fireplace, so that there is about eight feet of clear space around the hearth. If you assistance with that, Chimneys-R-Us’ well-trained, professional staff can help you.  We do ask that you not use the stove or fireplace for 24 hours before our anticipated arrival and that, while we are working, you keep children and pets out of the room for their own safety.
 

What is creosote and what sort of problems can it cause if left unchecked in my chimney?

Creosote is a highly flammable, dark brown or black tar like residue that is a byproduct of burning wood or coal. Initial deposits of creosote in the chimney flue are usually rather soft and fluffy. With the passage of time, exposure to the sustained heat in the chimney and getting buried under fresher deposits, the older deposits get hard and glazed.  These baked on layers of creosote can be difficult to remove with chimney sweeping wire brushes alone and may require the use of special compounds that chemically assist in the removal process.
The accumulation of creosote in the flue is the leading cause of chimney fires. Because creosote burns with an intense heat, even chimney fires of short duration can cause cracks and damage to clay flue pipe and liners and that will allow some of the future heat traveling up the chimney to escape through the cracks and dry out the nearby framing of the house and ultimately ignite the house itself. More serious chimney fires cause catastrophic damage to the chimney and can quickly spread to the frame of the house.
One of the objectives of proper chimney maintenance and cleaning is to remove the creosote from the flue before it can reach dangerous level.

 

Will there be any mess or dust while my chimney is being cleaned?

Simply, no!  Chimneys-R-Us is a professional operation and we take great pride in doing our work neatly. In order to ensure that your home remains clean and dust free, we protect your home by tarping the hearth area around the fireplace and utilize a vacuum and brush system that traps any soot or chimney debris.
 

What is the level of your experience in chimney cleaning?

Chimneys-R-Us is probably the most experienced chimney cleaning company in the San Diego area. Since the business was established in 1981, Chimneys-R-Us has cleaned and swept over 50,000 chimney flues. With an average length of about twenty feet per flue, that would be about a million feet of chimney flue! Or 800 times the height of the Empire State Building!  With that track record, we are confident that we can solve just about any chimney problem and with our level of expertise, we can help make your fireplace safe, efficient and enjoyable.

 

How do I make an appointment to have my chimney serviced?

To make an appointment, please call Customer Service at:

619-280-4700

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FIREPLACE ACCESSORIES
Some of the communities in our service area are:

Alpine 91901, Alpine 91903, CHIMNEY CLEANING Bonita 91902, Bonita 91908,Bonsall 92003, Borrego Springs 92004, Boulevard 91905, Campo 91906, Cardiff by the Sea 92007, CHIMNEY SWEEPING Carlsbad 92008, Carlsbad 92009, Carlsbad 92010, Carlsbad 92011, Carlsbad 92013, Carlsbad 92018, Chula Vista 91909, Chula Vista 91910, CHIMNEY MAINTENANCE Chula Vista 91911, Chula Vista 91912, Chula Vista 91913, Chula Vista 91914, Chula Vista 91915, Chula Vista 91921, CHIMNEY REPAIR Coronado 92118, Coronado 92178, Crest 92021, Cuyamaca 92036, Del Mar 92014, Dehesa 91901, Descanso 91916, Dulzura 91917, CREOSOTE REMOVAL El Cajon 92019, El Cajon 92020, El Cajon 92021, CHIMNEY SWEEPING El Cajon 92022, Encinitas 92023, Encinitas 92024, Escondido 92025, Escondido 92026, Escondido 92027, CHIMNEY SERVICE Escondido 92029, FIREPLACE CLEANING Escondido 92030, Escondido 92033, Escondido 92046, Fallbrook 92028, Fallbrook 92088, Granite Hills 92019, CHIMNEY CLEANING Harbison Canyon 92019, Hidden Meadows 92026, Guatay 91931, Imperial Beach 91932, Imperial Beach 91933, CHIMNEY MAINTENANCE Jacumba 91934, Jamul 91935, Julian 92036, La Jolla 92037, La Jolla 92038, La Jolla 92039, La Jolla 92092, CHIMNEY SWEEPING La Jolla 92093, La Mesa 91941, La Mesa 91942, La Mesa 91943, La Mesa 91944, Lake Morena 91906, Lakeside 92040, CHIMNEY CLEANING Lemon Grove 91945, Lemon Grove 91946, Lincoln Acres 91947, Mount Laguna 91948, National City 91950, National City 91951, CHIMNEY SERVICE Oceanside 92049, Oceanside 92051, Oceanside 92052, Oceanside 92054, Oceanside 92056, Oceanside 92057, CHIMNEY SWEEPING Oceanside 92058, Pala 92059, Palomar Mountain 92060, Pauma Valley 92061, Pine Valley, 91962, Potrero 91963, CHIMNEY CARE Poway 92064, Poway 92074, Rainbow 92028, Ramona 92065, Ranchita 92066, Rancho San Diego 92067, CHIMNEY MAINTENANCE Rancho San Diego 92091, Rancho Santa Fe 92067, Rancho Santa Fe 92091, San Diego 92101, San Diego 92102, San Diego 92103, San Diego 92104, San Diego 92105, CHIMNEY SWEEPING San Diego 92106, San Diego 92107, San Diego 92108, San Diego 92109, San Diego 92110, San Diego 92111, San Diego 92112, CHIMNEY CLEANING San Diego 92113, San Diego 92114, San Diego 92115, San Diego 92116, FIREPLACE CLEANING San Diego 92117, San Diego 92119, San Diego 92120, CHIMNEY SERVICE San Diego 92121, San Diego 92122, San Diego 92123, San Diego 92124, San Diego 92125, CHIMNEY REPAIR San Diego 92126, San Diego 92127, San Diego 92128, San Diego 92129, San Diego 92130, San Diego 92130, CHIMNEY MAINTENANCE San Diego 92131, San Diego 92132, San Diego 92134, San Diego 92135, San Diego 92136, San Diego 92137, San Diego 92138, San Diego 92139, San Diego 92140, San Diego 92142, CHIMNEY SWEEPING San Diego 92145, San Diego 92147, FIREPLACE REPAIR San Diego 92149, San Diego 92150, San Diego 92152, San Diego 92153, San Diego 92154, CHIMNEY CLEANING San Diego 92155, San Diego 92158, San Diego 92159, San Diego 92160, San Diego 92161, CHIMNEY SERVICE San Diego 92162, San Diego 92163, San Diego 92164, San Diego 92165, San Diego 92166, San Diego 92167, San Diego 92168, San Diego 92169, CHIMNEY RPAIR San Diego 92170, San Diego 92171, San Diego 92172, San Diego 92173, San Diego 92174, San Diego 92175, CHIMNEY SWEEPING San Diego 92176, San Diego 92177, FIREPLACE CLEANING San Diego 92179, San Diego 92182, San Diego 92184, San Diego 92186, San Diego 92187, CHIMNEY MAINTENANCE San Diego 92190, San Diego 92191, San Diego 92192, San Diego 92193, San Diego 92194, San Diego 92195, CREOSOTE REMOVAL San Diego 92196, San Diego 92197, San Diego 92198, San Diego 92199, San Luis Rey 92068, San Marcos 92069, CHIMNEY CLEANING San Marcos 92078, San Marcos 92079, San Marcos 92096, San Ysidro 92143, San Ysidro 92173, Santa Ysabel 92070, CHIMNEY SWEEPING Santee 92071, Santee 92072, Solana Beach 92075, Spring Valley 91975, Spring Valley 91976, CHIMNEY REPAIR Spring Valley 91977, Spring Valley 91978, Spring Valley 91979, Tecate 91980, Tecate 91987, Valley Center 92082, CHIMNEY SERVICE Vista 92081, Vista 92082, Vista 92083, Vista 92084, Vista 92085, Warner Springs 92086, CHIMNEY SWEEPING San Diego County, North County San Diego, FIREPLACE CLEANING East County San Diego, South Bay San Diego, Parts of the Inland Empire

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