Why Venting Unused Chimneys is Important
Unused chimneys are a common occurrence. I know, it is a surprise that there are homeowners who do not use their fireplace. However, even those unused chimneys still have a couple of purposes in your home. What are they? Let’s take a closer look.
What are Unused Chimneys?
A homeowner would describe an unused chimney as a lack of use. From the perspective of the homeowner, that would be true. However, an unused chimney is still being productive by extracting combustion byproducts from other heating appliances in the home as well as removing moisture build up. Both uses are to keep you, your family and your home safe.
Extract Combustion Byproducts from Your Home
The chimney is a critical component to your home as it carries gases through the chimney to the outside of your home. If your home is not ventilated, then these gases have no place to go and will be trapped inside your home. With a build up of gases, such as carbon monoxide, it can be harmful to the health and well being of you, your family and any pets.
Gases can also leave a byproduct inside of the chimney. As you may know what effects salt water can have when it interacts with metal…it corrodes. It develops an orange and brown rust on metal. Same thing with gases. When gases build up and cannot be eliminated from the top of the chimney, it can corrode or leave a corrosive substance on the inside of the chimney. As you would develop problems with the salt, you will also develop problems with the gas byproduct.
Extract Moisture Build Up
After you take a nice warm shower, you notice the moisture build up on your mirrors. The only way for it to clear up is to open a window or turn on the bathroom fan. Why? Because you know that bathrooms and moisture build up equal’s mold, mildew and soft walls. The concept is the same. Moisture needs to be removed from the chimney as well.
When there’s no airflow in the chimney, it gets trapped. It also gets trapped inside of your home. The moisture builds up over time deteriorating the inside of the chimney. The same holds true with your home…mold, mildew and softening of the walls.
Unused Still Needs to Be Cleaned Even though it’s an unused chimney, it still needs to be swept and inspected. As you now have learned, chimneys are living, breathing entities in your home. Be sure to call Superior Chimney at 877- CHIM-FIX (877-244-6349) to schedule your inspection and sweep. This will ensure that your chimney is functioning properly and that the byproducts are on their way out!
This post first appeared on https://www.superiorchimney.net
