Why Gas Fireplaces Come with Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Chimney Champions Explains Why Gas Fireplaces Need Carbon Monoxide Detectors in Jacksonville

May 13, 2024 | Chimney Basics

Chimney Champions is a Jacksonville, FL chimney service company staffed by CSIA certified technicians and a National Chimney Sweep Guild member that inspects, sweeps, and services gas and wood-burning fireplaces for homeowners throughout the area. Gas fireplaces have become popular in Jacksonville for homeowners looking to add warmth and ambiance to their living spaces. Burning gas inside a home carries real risks, which is why pairing a gas fireplace with a working carbon monoxide detector matters. Why does a gas fireplace produce carbon monoxide? A gas fireplace produces carbon monoxide when the burner does not receive enough oxygen to complete combustion fully. Incomplete combustion, a blocked flue, or a damaged vent can all allow carbon monoxide to enter living spaces instead of exhausting outside. Chimney Champions CSIA certified technicians in Jacksonville check for each of these conditions during an annual chimney inspection. What makes carbon monoxide dangerous? Carbon monoxide is … Continued

Why You Shouldn't Burn Charcoal in Your Fireplace

Chimney Champions: Can You Use Charcoal in a Fireplace? Why Jacksonville Homeowners Shouldn’t

January 12, 2024 | Chimney Basics

Chimney Champions is a Jacksonville, FL chimney service company staffed by CSIA certified technicians and a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild. Chimney Champions is NFPA 211 compliant and holds IAC2 certification. Technicians train annually through CSIA, CVC Coaching, and All Star Relining. Your home’s fireplace is a reliable source of warmth, especially when cooler weather arrives in Jacksonville. Choosing the right fuel matters. Charcoal is not an appropriate fuel for a residential fireplace, and Chimney Champions technicians see evidence of charcoal use during chimney sweeps. The following four reasons explain why charcoal should not be burned in a fireplace. 1. Why Is Charcoal Dangerous to Burn in a Fireplace? Charcoal releases high levels of carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that is fatal at sufficient concentrations. A fireplace may be ventilated, but household air systems do not remove all carbon monoxide produced by burning charcoal. Because carbon monoxide … Continued

3 Fireplace Mistakes You’re Probably Making

September 9, 2022 | Chimney Basics

Many people enjoy the cozy ambiance and warmth a fireplace provides during the winter or even on those cooler summer evenings. However, if you’re not using or caring for your fireplace correctly, you may be costing yourself money and causing damage to your home. So, Chimney Champions is here to help you avoid these three common fireplace mistakes so you can keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

3 Fireplace Safety Tips for Kids

November 15, 2021 | Chimney Basics

Having a fireplace in your home requires responsibility and safety precautions, especially if kids are in the house. While your fireplace isn’t dangerous when used correctly, it does have the potential to be deadly. Yearly inspections from Chimney Champions can help prevent most fireplace accidents and issues, but there’s still more you can do. To help keep you, your family, and your home safe, pass along these three fireplace safety tips to your kids.

3 Signs of a Chimney Fire

November 10, 2020 | Chimney Inspections

On average, there are roughly 25,000 chimney fires every year, causing more than $125 million in damage. Still, many homeowners don’t realize that they need to have chimney inspections performed regularly. It’s very likely that you’ve had a chimney fire and haven’t even noticed. That’s where the team at Chimney Champions comes in. We can inspect the entire structure of your chimney and tell you whether or not you’ve experienced a fire in your chimney.

Ropes Training – Raising the Standard of Safety

July 7, 2019 | A Day in the Life

Long time, no updates! We have made it a top priority this year to attend as many hands on training classes as possible to stay at the top of the industry. One of the most important classes we have attended so far this Summer is ropes training and safety. Jim Brewer is a legend in the chimney sweep industry and our team recently made the visit to train with him at the Fire Service & Codes Enforcement Academy in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. The two day class went over basic safety precautions, proper ways to protect a clients roof while using ropes, knots, and most importantly hands on training at the Academy. The reality of our industry is that most sweeps are inspecting a home or performing a repair alone. Using the old style OSHA safety harness, if you fall off a roof alone you have no way to self rescue … Continued

Remodeling Dangers – Potential Issues With Factory Built Fireplaces

February 23, 2019 | Chimney Basics

Avoiding Issues with Combustibles When remodeling a home with a fireplace, certain safety issues arise if proper care is not taken during the process. Factory built (prefabricated) fireplaces all come with very specific instructions as to where combustibles can and can’t be placed. This is where having or obtaining the manufacturers installation instructions is key. Fireplace Remodeling Step one Step one should always be finding the installation manual specific to your fireplace. The easiest way to find your installation guide is looking inside of the fireplace firebox for the data plate. Your data plate will provide you with the manufacturer and model of the fireplace and then you can typically find the manual online. If the data plate is no longer visible, painted over, or not found, contact your local chimney professional and they may be able to help. Fireplace Remodeling Step Two Now that you have your manual, make … Continued

The daily battle for a chimney sweep, staying clean

January 20, 2019 | A Day in the Life

Daily and Long-Term Hazards Staying safe is a constant concern for a chimney sweep. Not only are we on roofs, in attics, and crawl spaces, we also have to worry about the hazardous long-term effects of creosote to our bodies and prevent inhalation and interaction as much as possible. Creosote is a natural byproduct of combustion but it comes with a nasty side effect for humans with long-term exposure to it, cancer. Skin cancer, lung cancer, and testicular cancer are the most common for a chimney Sweep to content with. Skin cancer from constant cleaning and repairing systems covered in creosote and let’s not forget clothing. Lung cancer from inhaling creosote while sweeping a system or even after the service with soot floating around in the work vehicle. Testicular cancer you would think would be the strange one but take into consideration the amount of creosote that can get trapped … Continued

Chimney Champions Explains Chimney Sweep Jacksonville Carbon Monoxide Safety

January 13, 2019 | A Day in the Life

Chimney Champions is a Jacksonville, FL chimney service company with CSIA certified technicians and National Chimney Sweep Guild membership, serving homeowners who use fireplaces, gas appliances, and fuel-burning heating systems. What Is Carbon Monoxide and Why Does It Concern Chimney Owners? Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas that is toxic to humans and animals. CO is a natural byproduct of combustion. Fireplaces, gas dryers, and furnaces use venting systems to move CO and other combustion gases out of the living space. When those venting systems are blocked or damaged, CO can accumulate indoors. What Are the Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning? Carbon monoxide poisoning produces symptoms that resemble the flu, which can delay recognition of the danger. Common symptoms include: Dizziness Weakness Headache Upset stomach Vomiting Confusion Chest pain People who are asleep or impaired are at elevated risk because they may not notice symptoms before … Continued

Chimney Champions Inspect Metal Chimney Surrounds in Jacksonville

January 12, 2019 | A Day in the Life

Chimney Champions is a Jacksonville, FL chimney service company staffed by CSIA certified technicians and a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild. Chimney Champions serves Jacksonville and Northeast Florida homeowners with chimney inspections, cleanings, and chimney repairs. What is a metal chimney surround? A metal chimney surround is a sheet-metal enclosure built around a prefabricated or masonry flue termination, popular in Jacksonville-area construction from roughly the 1980s onward. Many of these surrounds are still in service on homes throughout Northeast Florida. Why are metal surrounds a concern for Jacksonville homeowners? Metal surrounds tend to trap combustible debris around the flue termination, which creates a fire risk in a high-heat area where exhaust gases exit the chimney system. Leaves, pine needles, and other organic material accumulate inside the enclosure and sit close to the open flue. A second risk is the absence of a flame arrestor or chimney cap on … Continued

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