Five Ways a Dirty Chimney Affects Your Health

Your fireplace does wonders to keep you nice and toasty in the dead of winter as the winds blow and the snow falls outside. Unfortunately, that same fireplace that can be a lifesaver can also negatively impact your health if your chimney is not properly cleaned by a professional. A dirty chimney is something you don’t want to mess with. Here’s why:

• Carbon monoxide poisoning: When it comes to safety threats resulting from a dirty fireplace, carbon monoxide is at the top of the list. The gas is the result of incomplete combustion due to a dirty chimney. The worst part? It’s basically impossible to detect without a carbon monoxide detector in your home. Carbon monoxide poisoning might just seem like the flu at first. You may experience nausea and fatigue, and get headaches, but the problems won’t stop there. Breathing in large quantities of carbon monoxide can result in brain damage, heart problems and even death. Purchase a carbon monoxide detector and have your chimney cleaned today.
• Respiratory problems: Inhaling creosote, the oily black substance that builds up in dirty chimneys, often causes breathing problems. Anyone in your family is at risk of developing respiratory problems, but those with asthma or similar lung issues are particularly at risk. Don’t put anyone in harm’s way—call us today for chimney cleaning in Wausau, WI!
• Eye irritation: Creosote doesn’t just hurt your lungs—it can also irritate your eyes. Any creosote debris that touches or even gets near your eye can cause a burning sensation that may need medical attention. Luckily, all it takes is a quick cleaning to avoid this issue.
• Skin irritation: For creosote to actually irritate your skin, you’d have to be in direct contact with it. So, chances are, you won’t have to worry about this one. That being said, it’s important to note that if simple contact hurts your skin, imagine what happens when you’re breathing that nasty stuff in. After all, your lungs are much more sensitive than your tough skin.
• Fires: A dirty chimney can lead to a fire, and not one that you can control in your fireplace. All of that junk that’s built up in your chimney can suddenly ignite and burn your whole house down. Call a chimney cleaner, and the only fires you’ll have to deal with are the ones you made in your fireplace.

Tips to stay safe

Having a fireplace in your home can be a great source of heat and enjoyment, but it’s also important to stay on top of safe fireplace practices:

• Hire us for cleaning: The easiest way to ensure your fireplace doesn’t harm you this year is to have us clean it! Call at least two times a year for chimney cleaning in Wausau, WI, and you can rest easy at night knowing that your fireplace will be safe.
• Make repairs right away: Have you noticed that your fireplace isn’t functioning as it should? Don’t just sit around and wait for the problem to get worse—call us right now to address the issue. The longer you wait, the higher the chance your fireplace malfunctions and causes some of the problems mentioned above.

Don’t run the risk of affecting your health this winter. Give Marcell’s Specialties Inc. a call right away for chimney cleaning in Wausau, WI. We’ll send someone right out to your home to have your chimney looking and functioning good as new!

Categorised in: Chimney Cleaning

This post was written by Writer