Lighting a fire to cozy up in front of in winter is a true, simple luxury, but as our HVAC pros warn, it's not without its risks.
In fact, they stress, it's crucial to take the necessary safety steps and precautions to protect your health and your home. Luckily, it's neither difficult nor time-consuming to complete, and it won't cost you much, either.
Here, our experts share why it's so crucial to clean your fireplace with a creosote remover, such as the Rutland Creosote Remover, available at Amazon, this January.
This $10 Maintenance Trick Will Increase Safety All Winter
This fireplace and stove creosote remover is affordable, effective, and easy to use. It's safe for use in all types of chimneys, fireplace inserts, wood stoves, airtight stoves, and free-burning fireplaces.
It's no surprise that starting a fire in a fireplace is a sure-fire way to amplify the common fire risks in your home. And, without taking the time to prep your chimney for winter, you're only increasing these risks tenfold. That's where the Rutland Creosote Remover, available at Amazon, comes in handy.
As Tamer Sayed, an HVAC expert and the owner-operator of Tamas Mechanical, explains, 'Creosote remover is a chemical product created to break down and dry out creosote in a chimney. Creosote is a highly flammable substance that builds up from unburnt gases condensing in the chimney. It's like charcoal or charcoal dust. Removing it reduces the risk of dangerous fires.
'Creosote removers work by chemically altering the creosote. In the process, the creosote becomes less sticky and more likely to flake off and fall into the firebox. It can be easily swept off from the chimney and firebox afterwards,' using a fireplace brush, available at Amazon, and Deluxe Galvanized Ash Bucket, available at Plow & Hearth.
Tamer adds that creosote removers come in the forms of liquid, powder, and canisters. 'To use the liquid type, simply spray onto the existing fire or add to pre-treated fuel,' he advises. 'Powder creosote removers are added to hot coals. As for canisters, some can be tossed into the fire. Refer to the packaging for proper use. Just apply once a week when using the fireplace,' if you're wondering how often you should clean your chimney.
Eli Zimmer, CEO of Luxaire HVAC Services, agrees that removing creosote is essential for the safety of your home. 'Creosote remover essentially helps change the makeup of creosote so that you can easily remove it,' he adds. 'In its tar-like form, it’s very hard to remove from the walls of your chimney. Creosote remover, when applied to it, turns it instead into a powdery consistency, which breaks it free from the walls and makes it easy to brush away and discard.'
In particular, the Rutland Creosote Remover, available at Amazon, is safe for everyday use, and removes that sticky, tar-like creosote that Tamer and Eli both mentioned, and turns it into a loose, powdery, non-adhering ash that can easily be brushed away. The one-pound container has enough for up to 16 applications, and there's a handy one-ounce scoop included. The Rutland Creosote Remover is also available at Amazon in a two-pound tub.
One five-star review titled 'Bye bye creosote', by E. Hudachek on Amazon, stresses how easy it is to use. 'I have always had a problem with creosote from my woodstove,' they say. 'Cleaning my chimney was a monthly job during the heating season. After using this Rutland product, the creosote build-up almost disappeared. I ordered my second tub because I am so satisfied with how well it works. Very easy to use and highly effective.'
So, to avoid any home maintenance mistakes never to make in winter, don't delay taking this vital winter deep-cleaning step now.
Shop Safety Essentials
This handy creosote remover boasts over 3,000 five-star reviews and is safe for use in all wood-burning appliances.
This ash vacuum makes it effortlessly easy to clean up after lighting a fire or using a creosote remover, and is suitable for handling both hot and cold ash. It features a large four-gallon capacity.
'For products, I highly recommend Pine Mountain Creosote Buster,' says Tamer. 'This powder creosote remover is easy to use and effective.'
This fireplace tool set includes a stand with a poker, shovel, broom, and tongs. It's crafted from wrought iron in a classic black finish, and is designed for smaller hearths and wood stoves.
This fireplace shovel is weather-resistant and affordable, and makes removing ash and embers from your fireplace safe and easy.
This Creosote Sweeping Log helps to prevent chimney fires and is super easy to use, as it just burns in your fireplace like a regular firelog.
Meet the Experts
For added safety, you can also use baking soda as an effective and environmentally friendly fire extinguisher.
