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to include but not limited to:
 | chimneys | |
| dryer vents | |
| cleanings | |
| liners | |
| leaks | |
| caps | |
| fireplaces | |
| masonary restoration | |
Homeowners who heat with coal, natural gas, oil, propane or wood that it is recommended to periodically have their
chimneys inspected to assure the safety of their homes. The exhaust of all combustible fuels, in combination with weather
and time, can cause chimneys to deteriorate. Chimney deterioration can affect the efficiency of a home’s heating system
and lead to a buildup of carbon monoxide in a home. That’s why yearly inspections are advised.
According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, homeowners with high-efficiency heating systems should carefully
monitor the condition of their chimney. According to the institute, these systems send less heat up the chimney than any
previous generation of home heating systems. This can cause condensation in the chimney where water and other
substances can accelerate the deterioration of the masonry.
Clothes dryers start more residential fires that any other appliance. The Consumer Product Safety
Commission estimates that there are over 24,000 dryer vent fires each year in the United States,
causing over $96 million in property damages. Lack of vent maintenance is the leading cause of dryer
fires, and lint, which is a hidden fire hazard, is the material that is most likely to ignite. Even a cleaned
lint screen traps only 75 percent of the lint. When lint builds up in a dryer vent, the dryer has to labor
harder and can over heat, igniting the lint. Again, yearly inspections are advised.
It isn’t just clothes-dryer vent hoses that need to be checked. Clogged lint screens compartments,
disconnected or ripped dryer vent hoses, smashed hoses behind the clothes dryer, bird nests in dryer
vents, poor dryer-vent design, screens placed over the exhaust point, use of white plastic vent hoses
instead of aluminum foil ones, building defects, wrong exhaust hoods all produce the same blockage,
and all cause dryer vent fires. All these fires are preventable.