Fireplace Season Safety Tips

Winter is a time for cozying up in front of the fireplace in your home and enjoying its soothing warmth. While you can still enjoy your fireplace to the fullest, careful steps should be taken to monitor flames and properly maintain the fireplace. Handyman Connection of Kelowna has some tips to keep your home and family safe this fireplace season.

Clean and Inspect your Chimney Yearly – Creosote is an extremely flammable byproduct that is released and deposited on the lining of your chimney whenever a wood fire burns in your fireplace. As it builds up it becomes quite a bit of a fire hazard which is why it is so important to have a qualified professional clean your chimney ever season. While they are there, a thorough inspection of the fireplace should be addressed to identify potential hazards.

Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector – Carbon monoxide gas is tasteless, odorless and colorless which makes it knows as the “silent killer.” When a fireplace flue is left closed or closes over a smoldering fire, the risk for poisoning occurs. If you do not already have a carbon monoxide detector installed, call Handyman Connection of Kelowna to have on put in to as they are essential for protecting your home and family.

Never Turn your Back on a Fire – Unless you know that you will be around for the full length of the burning fire, avoid starting one as accidents can easily happen when unsupervised. With that note, always refrain from using water to extinguish a fire in your fireplace as it can damage the interior as well as causing the embers to scatter.

Regularly Clean out the Fireplace – If you burn fires frequently, clean out the fireplace at least once a week as the ashes that are built up and accumulated can catch fire at any time when you least expect it.

Get Help from the Pros

Give the experts at Handyman Connection of Kelowna a call to ensure that your home is ready for fireplace season. We want to ensure that you can enjoy the warmth and comfort of a crackling fire while also using safe fire practices!