Inspection of the day – gas fireplace troubles

January 20, 2019 | A Day in the Life

With the addition of my home inspection background, I have seen a few occasions where after closing the sellers take what they can out of a house and even swap out the appliances! During my chimney inspection today, the same situation occurred and the sellers even took the decorative logs from the fireplace 😢. My best recommendation on that end would be to hire a home inspector that is very thorough and also uses a program called recall check where the serial numbers are stored for the appliances in case of a future recall. It can help not only in the event of a recall, but also if someone tries to take and swap out appliances. Onto the inspection. Issue one: The home was in the process of being set up for liquid propane but the fireplace had not been converted from natural gas for use with propane. If the … 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

A day in the life – Can’t beat the views

January 12, 2019 | A Day in the Life

A Chimney Sweep in Jacksonville has a dirty and sometimes dangerous job but you really can’t beat the views. It can be easy to get caught up in the everyday hustle and bustle and forget what is truly important in life. Sometimes it is necessary to take five minutes and just sit back and reflect and in my opinion a rooftop can be the best place to do that (just don not fall off)! Sometimes the only unfortunate thing is the beautiful view on the way home is observed in exhaustion from a hard days work! View or no view it may sound corny, but I have been lucky enough to find something in life that I truly enjoy and I appreciate every single customer that has hired and trusted me to make sure their fireplace was safe for their family to use. My repeat customers will notice that during … Continued

Don’t forget about kickout flashing

January 12, 2019 | A Day in the Life

One common issue I see is where flashing is replaced on a chimney with replacing the kickout flashing. In Florida we have to constantly battle water and considering the amount of water that runs off of a roofline, kickout flashing can divert thousands of gallons of water over time. Here a something that you might find very interesting. During a rain storm that dumps one inch of rain if your have 1,000 square foot of roof, over 600 gallons of water will run off! Jacksonville Florida receives over 50 inches of rain per year so that is over 30,000 gallons of water coming off of your roof per year! Let’s have a look at the long-term impact of forgetting this key element: The first two photos show a chimney chase that had developed large hole following the pathway of travel starting where the kickout flashing is missing. Here is another … Continued

A quick tip for potential homeowners

January 12, 2019 | Training and tips

Sometimes I come across a situation where the sellers have either painted the attic (white most of the time) or try to keep me from inspecting the attic area. The is a instant red flag and once I gain access, typical I find a lot of damage. Just a few instances of severe attic damage from a previous fire and one attempt at hiding the damage by painting the attic. Always make sure the attic is inspected when buying a home, it could potentially cost you thousands of dollars!

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

Drone inspections with pets on location

January 10, 2019 | A Day in the Life

A few things to take into consideration when inspecting with a drone, does the client have pets and will the pet be upset or possibly destroy your drone. The safest option is to have the client bring the pet inside since most animals have not seen a drone before and the reaction to it could be bad. For example, a few years ago when I got one of my drones I was testing it in my back yard. My wife let the dog out while I was flying the drone and it led to one pissed off French Bulldog! One last thing to mention if you are a drone owner. Territorial birds can and will quickly destroy your drone. If you see a swarm of birds chasing your drone or a larger bird of prey getting close to your drone, bring it down quickly!

Ever wonder what it looks inside a masonry chimney?

January 10, 2019 | A Day in the Life

Due to a collapsed top crown, here is a good look. This shows what eventually happens when deterioration wins the battle against a chimney crown. Once we reach this point massive amounts of water intrusion and further damage becomes priority. Please take care of your crown before it reaches the point of no return.

Gas starters in a factory built fireplace

January 10, 2019 | A Day in the Life

This is a interesting one that I always get pushback from both home owners and gas installers.. While gas starters may be allowed in masonry systems, they are not approved for factory built fireplaces and could lead to over firing of the system and insurance issues if a fire occurred. Factory built (pre fabricated) fireplaces are a UL listed appliances and only approved parts can be used in these systems. It may be a convenient way to start a fire but it is not worth the risk!

Sometimes sharing is NOT a good thing

January 10, 2019 | Dangers!

If you live in a multi-family condo or apartment you may have a situation where several flue systems are sharing one common space. The concern when this happens is that all parties need to maintain their chimney system to help ensure the safety of everyone in that shared space. This is not always the case and typically the property management company does not have definitive guidelines for maintenance or unsafe systems. The example above is one common situation where four condos are sharing one chimney chase. The condo inspected had a system that was no longer safe for use and using the system could have led to fire and or carbon monoxide entry into the condo, or even adjacent condos. Currently, the only proactive prevention you can take is to make sure you have the appropriate amount of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home and always have multiple … Continued