Preparing Your Chimney for the Off Season

After winter, when the temperatures begin to rise, you’ll notice you do not have to light as many fires as you did, so there’s really no need to keep your chimney open. While you don’t need to clean your fireplace as soon as that last bit of snow melts, it’s a good idea to add it to your spring cleaning list that you’ve been working on.

Cleaning the fireplace and chimney should be an annual cleaning routine for every homeowner, because if you don’t prepare it for the warmer months, you may find that when winter rolls around again your fireplace is inoperable and needs repairs. So, to avoid this, we’re going to let you know how to properly prepare your chimney and fireplace for the spring time.

Preparing a Gas Fireplace for the Off Season

Gas fireplaces are far easier to prepare for the off season than wood burning fireplaces, but if you love the smell of a warm fire burning in your home, we don’t blame you for going the traditional route. With that being said, here are some tips for shutting the gas fireplace down during the summer.

• If you don’t think you’ll relight the pilot light until fall rolls around, turning it off will save you a ton of money on your energy bill during those off months. If you’re not sure of what the pilot is, it’s just the little flame that continuously burns, but even though it’s small and can go unnoticed, it still uses a lot of gas.
• Keep your home safe from a gas leak by keeping your damper open at all times. If you keep your damper open, you’re allowing for any excess gas to vent outside rather than collecting within your home.
• Even though your gas fireplace is less maintenance than a wood burning one, you still want to have it annually inspected just to make sure there aren’t any cracks in the chimney or in the pipes that the gas runs through.

Preparing a Wood Burning Fireplace for Spring

Wood burning fireplaces take a little more maintenance and effort when it comes to cleaning them for the off season. However, it’s not so bad when you realize it’s something you only need to do on an annual basis. With that being said, here are some tips for preparing that fireplace and chimney.

• The first thing you need to do is clean out the ash that’s collected over the winter. We did a previous post on how to properly clean your fireplace that you can take a look at for a step by step tutorial.
• Unlike with a gas fireplace, you’ll want to CLOSE the damper in your wood burning one. If you leave the flue open, you’ll not only feel a draft, but if it rains or if a raccoon makes a nest in your chimney, you’ll definitely know about it.
• Although you can do a majority of the cleaning when it comes to removing soot, you’ll want to schedule a chimney sweep before winter just to make sure nothing has decided to make your chimney it’s new home. A chimney sweep will also be able to tell if you need a new chimney liner kit installed to make sure your fires are burning safely.

Need a New Chimney Liner?

If you’re in need of a new chimney liner per the suggestion of the professional who did the inspection, visit our Fireside Chimney Supply website to see our great deals on anything and everything fireplace and chimney related.