Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

National Fire Prevention Week – October 8-14

Your home is where you go to relax and wind down. It’s where you put your feet up and enjoy the company of the ones you love. So, when it comes to keeping your home and family safe, there’s nothing you won’t do! You make sure that sharp corners are covered so little heads are protected from cuts and bruises. Additionally, you turn the handles of pans in toward the stove so they don’t catch on someone’s clothes as they pass, protecting them from burns. You even make rules, like no throwing balls in the house, to protect the people and possessions you hold dear. That’s why it’s so important to take notice of the week of October 8 – 14: National Fire Prevention Week!

Statistics

The U.S. Fire Administration collects data which helps it keep people informed about the importance of fire safety. There’s some really good news based on the latest data collected, too. Between the years of 2005 and 2014 the number of house fires gone down. In addition, with that decrease came a decrease in fire related deaths and injuries as well. That’s a great trend, one that everyone would like to see continue! There are things all homeowners can do that will help prevent a deadly house fire.

Fire Safety Tips

Keep all things flammable away from your fireplace. Make sure that any pillows, rugs, blankets, toys, books are at least three feet away from your fireplace. This keeps them from possibly igniting when too close to a fire. Contain your fireplace fire by having a metal or glass screen in front of your fireplace. Make sure its one that is big enough to catch any stray spark or ember. Also, never leave a fire unattended, especially if there are children in the room!

One thing that often gets overlooked in the hustle and bustle of everyday life is checking out smoke and fire detectors. Check the batteries at least once a month and change the batteries every six months – whether they need it or not. This simple, inexpensive tip can make sure you and your family have enough warning to get out of the house and to safety, if a fire starts in your home.

A fire safety plan is also essential when it comes to keeping your family safe from the devastating effects of a house fire. Make sure that every family member is aware of the safest escape route from each room. Also, make sure it is well practiced to getting out of the house by that route. National Fire Prevention Week is a great time to come up with such a plan and practice putting it to use!

Inspection

A great way to stop a fire before it starts? Have your fireplace inspected and cleaned on an annual basis. Make sure you use a CSIA certified chimney sweep company like Santa’s Friend Chimney Service! This will make sure that your chimney is clean and safe to use. Put your worries at ease by calling Santa’s Friend today.

Reducing Fire Hazards This Winter

It’s time to think about safety! Fire safety, that is. During the winter months, one of the nicest things to do is to snuggle down in front of a cozy fire. Unfortunately, too often a cozy night can turn into a nightmare. Consequently, because of unsafe fire practices, a chimney fire can destroy much more than just your fireplace. So this winter, make sure that you are taking safety precautions. This ensures many safe, happy nights in your warm home.

Fire Hazards

The big fear that many fireplace owners have is the fear of chimney fire. Roaring flames, smoke billowing out of the chimney, and loss of property. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to happen. How can you greatly reduce the possibility of this situation? Simply follow a few preventative measures.

First, inspect the room around the fireplace. Make sure that there is nothing flammable stored too close to the fireplace. This includes pillows, blankets, books, toys, or even furniture. If placed too close to the fire, these things could easily catch a spark that could ignite into a bigger fire. Make sure matches and lighters are kept out of the reach of children. In addition, educate your children on how to use fire extinguishers.

Fire Extinguishers and Smoke Detectors

This little tool can be vital for saving your home. If you’re wondering how many fire extinguishers you should have, the National Fire Protection Association recommends you have one on every floor. Even if you can’t completely extinguish the fire, it may help you contain the fire until the fire department arrives. Be sure that you take no risks, however. Being safe yourself is more important than material goods. So, if you feel like the fire is getting out of control, get yourself and your loved ones out of your home immediately! In fact, a fire plan is absolutely the most important thing you can do to protect your family in case of a fire. Make sure that everyone knows how to get out of the house and where to meet in case of a fire, and practice this plan often.

Another important protective device is a smoke detector. According to the U.S. Fire Administration website, you should have a smoke detector installed on each floor of the house (including the basement), in each bedroom, and outside of every sleeping area. Your smoke detector is only as good as its batteries, however. So always make sure that you check your smoke detector batteries once a month and replace the batteries every six months.

Who To Call

Most chimney fires aren’t as dramatic as you might think. In fact, in many cases the homeowner might not even be aware that a chimney fire has taken place. Unfortunately, even a small chimney fire can cause damage to the structure of your chimney. This internal damage can only be detected by a knowledgeable professional like the inspectors and sweeps at Santa’s Friend Chimney Sweep. This is why it’s so important to have your chimney inspected and cleaned on a yearly basis. These inspectors can detect structural damage and creosote build-up and can recommend whatever repairs or cleaning may be necessary to keep your fireplace running safely and efficiently!

How To Build A Safe Fire This Winter

The scene is beautiful: Family and friends gathered in front of a beautiful fire, toasting to old memories, and creating new ones. However, things can turn ugly quickly. Especially, if you don’t know how to safely build and maintain a fire. There are several ways to make sure that your beautiful fireplace scene stays just that way.

Maintain Your Fireplace

The first thing to do to make sure that you have a safe, stable fire is to be proactive! Have your chimney and fireplace inspected and cleaned on an annual basis. When you’re looking for a chimney sweep service, it is important to hire someone who is Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified. This ensures that your chimney inspection is held to the highest standard of quality in the industry. When you hire the qualified technicians at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service, you’ll be getting just that. The staff at Santa’s Friend has over 26 years of experience. In addition, they use the latest techniques and technology, ensuring that things are fixed promptly and cleaned thoroughly.

How to Light Your Fire

There’s more to lighting a safe fire than just throwing some wood down and lighting a match. According to the Martha Stewart website, start by opening your dampers all the way. Crumpled newspaper makes a great fire starter. So, crumple some up and put it under the grate, then top this with strips of newspaper. Add eight or so pieces of kindling on top. Afterwards, add a few thin, split logs to top the kindling off. If you stack this too tightly, air won’t be able to circulate. If this happens, you will have trouble starting the fire. It’s best to keep these layers loose. Light the tinder, then, when the fire is burning steadily, add a couple of small logs and one large log. If you add too much too soon, you risk smothering your fire. Worse yet, you might get a larger blaze that is difficult to control.

After It’s Lit

After you have the fire burning, there are other things to consider to make sure that things stay safe. Make sure that there is nothing flammable near the fireplace, including books, toys, furniture, or curtains – any of these can easily catch a spark that cause a fire that can put your home and loved ones in danger.

Healthychildren.org tells us to be sure that the fire is completely out before going to bed or going out for the evening. Absolutely never leave little children alone in a room with a burning fire. Also, don’t leave matches or fire starters out where children can get a hold of them.

It is also very important to make sure that your smoke detector batteries are charged. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, you should have a smoke detector installed on each floor of the house. This includes the basement, as well as in every bedroom, and outside every sleeping area. Check your smoke detector batteries once a month, and change the batteries at least twice a year.

Call Santa’s Friend Chimney Service

If you have questions or concerns on fireplace safety, call Santa’s Friend Chimney Service at 601-854-7563. Their qualified professionals have the answers to help keep your home safe and worry-free.

Reducing Fire Hazards

Dryer Vent Safety

One of the leading causes of  house fires is due to neglecting the care are maintenance of dryer vents. Be sure to have regular cleaning and inspection done.

Clean your dryer vents before serious problems occur.

Don’t Forget the Vents!

With things like carpools, soccer practices, and other family-related activities with which to contend, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some things, often through no fault of our own, take a back seat to everything else that’s going on.  One thing that is commonly overlooked by homeowners is the proper maintenance and cleaning of dryer vents.  People may think that cleaning these vents isn’t all that important.  This couldn’t be further from the truth!

Dryer Lint Buildup is Dangerous!

If your dryer seems to not be working at its peak efficiency, you likely need your vents cleaned. Don’t wait, as this can impact both performance and safety.

There are thousands of fires caused by dryer lint buildup that happen every year.  One of the ways to decrease the chances of fire is to clean your dryer vent after every laundry load you use it for.  In fact, studies prove that effective cleaning maintenance of dryer vents can reduce the chances of fire by 90%.  Not only does vent cleaning help prevent house fires, it also will make sure our clothes are dry and smelling nice after each use.

Dryer Lint Buildup Causes Increased Energy Consumption

Aside from the dangers of fire, buildup of dirt and lint in the dryer vent can also significantly increase your energy consumption.  This is due in large part to the fact that a clogged vent makes your dryer take more time to dry your clothes.  There are numerous warning signs that you can watch for that will indicate that you have a dirty dryer vent.  Possible signs that the vent may be clogged is if the dryer no longer dries the clothes in one cycle, the clothes carry a musty smell after a drying cycle, the dryer seems to run hotter than normal, a visible amount of lint is noticed around the lint filter, and debris is noticed within the outside dryer vent opening.

Dryer Lint Buildup Must be Removed Regularly

To avoid this potentially dangerous buildup in your vents, you need to follow a predetermined maintenance schedule.  As a general rule of thumb, the majority of dryer vents need to be cleaned at least once a year; some dryer ducts need more frequent attention.  Some determining factors include:

• The number of people who are using the same dryer
• The age and condition of the dryer
• The length of your dryer vent

The best way to ensure dryer safety is to clean the lint screen after every use and to have your vent and duct cleaned regularly.

Each time you use your dryer, lint builds up in the vent.  Cleaning the lint screen will help you keep the dryer running and working well, but a little lint will remain within the vent.  It’s very important to keep up with dryer vent cleaning, as the built up lint poses a very serious hazard to your house and everyone in it.   If you’re ready to see exactly what’s lurking in your dryer vent, call Santa’s Friend today, and we’ll schedule a convenient time to come out and take care of it for you!