October 15th, 2011
We just got this hard to find item in recently. Come in today and ask about it.
* No fan or moving parts – completely silent
* Electrically heats the flue to create draw
* Pennies to operate
* Less creosote buildup
* Prevents reverse draft
* It’s guaranteed!
October 8th, 2011
When wood is burned, not all the smoke escapes from the chimney. Some will cool down and become solid, producing creosote. Sweeping the chimney removes this flammable creosote residue. Further, creosote is corrosive to the flue tiles in the chimney and can cause unpleasant odors in your home. Ideally, the chimney should be swept in the spring time just after the winter burn season is over. The photos at right show a chimney the day after a chimney fire occurred (top photo) and after sweeping. This chimney was damaged in the fire and had to be relined. These pictures also demonstrate why a chimney often needs to be swept in order to perform an inspection, as the creosote in this chimney prevented our seeing the vertical cracks in the clay tile liners.
A truly scary aspect of chimney fires is that they often occur without the homeowner’s knowledge. Chimney fires tend to happen most often within a short time of adding wood to a burning fire or upon lighting a new fire. Often people heating with wood are adding fuel to the fire before going to bed or leaving for work and are unaware that the chimney has caught fire.
All chimneys need to be inspected yearly and cleaned when needed. Oil soot is less flammable than wood residues but can cause blockages that allow carbon monoxide and other fumes to back up into the living space of your home. Gas appliances can also cause soot but are more prone to cause damage due to moisture condensation that can cause rapid chimney deterioration. Improperly sized gas flues are a leading cause of severe damages to chimneys and walls which also can allow deadly fumes to enter your home. Leaves, birds, animals and other intruders can also cause blockages that can inhibit proper draft.
As chimney sweep professionals, we also check other components of your home’s heating system. We look for visible damage, structural design problems, signs of deterioration and check proper clearances for the appliance and venting system. We advise you on fire safety, proper maintenance and habit of use to help make sure your chimney serves its function to keep your home warm and safe. When repairs, renovation or upgrades are needed, we’re prepared to provide most any type of chimney related services you could need.
Give us a call today at (215)545-2505 for all your chimney sweep needs!
http://www.thefireplacechannel.com/
Chimney Fire Before & After Sweeping
October 3rd, 2011
Maintain Comfort and Save Money!
The AP8000 Pellet Window Heater is a fully automated pellet window heater with automatic ignition and easy to use electronic controls. It is a pellet stove designed for those smaller spaces that simply can’t handle a full sized pellet stove. It saves space by mounting in the window!
This patented design comes with everything needed to provide you with easy window installation. The circulation blower on the heater spreads the heat evenly through your space, and the exhaust blower provides for negative draft that pulls flue products through and out to completely eliminate smoke spillage.
The durable and sleek design is built for years of high performance, and blends nicely with any room setting. With the AP8000 pellet window heater being EPA approved, and approved for mobile and modular homes, this pellet heater provides you all the features and benefits you expect from Ashley Hearth Products.
April 2nd, 2011
As the weather warms, many are delighted that they no longer need to heat their home. Smart consumers, however, are doing more than heaving a sign of relief; they are getting a step ahead of next winter’s fuel costs by buying or gathering firewood now to use in their fireplaces and woodstoves next winter.
Buy your firewood in the spring, stack it immediately so it does not develop mold and so that the sun and air have a chance to dry it completely before you need it in the fall.
Tips:
1. Understand what a cord is. A cord of wood is a stack of wood that measures 4 feet high by 4 feet wide by 8 feet long and totals 128 cubic feet in all. This cord measurement is standard regardless of what area of the country you live in.
2. Know the length of wood your wood stove, fireplace or fireplace insert can burn. The standard length of firewood for a wood stove or insert is 16 inches, although some larger wood burning units can take wood as large as 20 inches or more. Make sure when you order your firewood you request the right length.
3. Request all hardwood, preferably oak, maple or elm, from your firewood dealer when you buy your firewood. Hardwood burns longer, generates more BTUs of heat and produces longer lasting coals.
March 19th, 2011
While it may be surprising, it is true that water and freeze/thaw cycles cause more damage to masonry chimneys than fire. Water penetration can cause damage to your home including broken brickwork, rusted fireplace dampers, cracked flue liner systems and even deteriorated central heating systems. Water damage to chimneys is usually a slow process which is easily ignored until problems have become quite serious.
Hearth & Stove recommends four preventative measures to help save homeowners the expense of large masonry repairs:
1. Install a Chimney Cap
A well-designed cap will keep out rainwater and will also prevent birds, squirrels and other animals from entering and nesting in the chimney. Caps also function as spark arrestors, preventing sparks from landing on the roof or other nearby combustible material.
2. Repair or Replace a Damaged Chimney Crown
The crown is located at the top of your chimney and helps to prevent erosion of the brick and mortar in the chimney’s vertical surfaces. Crowns should be in solid condition without any cracks.
3. Repair or Replace Flashing
Flashing is the seal between the roofing material and the chimney that prevents rain water from running down the chimney into living spaces where it can damage ceilings and walls and cause rafters and joists to rot.
4. Waterproof your Chimney
Common brick is like a sponge, absorbing water and wicking moisture to the chimney interior. Defective mortar joints or the use of improper mortar or brick can greatly increase the tendency to absorb and convey water to the interior of the masonry chimney structure.
Annual chimney inspections and preventative chimney maintenance is best left to a qualified chimney professional.
March 12th, 2011
Now that the heating season is behind us, the smell of leftover creosote in your chimney is one of the only reminders of last season’s cozy fires. This odor is sometimes called chimney breath and is usually worse in the summer when the humidity is high and the air conditioner is turned on. When you add a chimney inspection and sweeping to your spring cleaning to-do list, your CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep can identify the source of the odor and potentially even help you eliminate chimney breath before it becomes a nuisance. (Locate a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep at www.CSIA.org.)
Additionally, off-season scheduling is typically much more flexible and is often less expensive as business for chimney sweeps tends to slow down in the warmer months. The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends annual chimney inspections and sweeping when needed to reduce the risk of chimney fires and carbon monoxide intrusion.
February 26th, 2011
Uncle Sam wants to help you control heating costs by using renewable fuel – and so do we!
2011 TAX CREDIT:
Save energy costs and contribute to a greener Earth by heating all or part of your home with biomass fuels. U.S. homeowners who purchase a 75%-efficient biomass (wood or pellet) burning stove, fireplace or insert during 2011 can receive a U.S. federal tax credit for 10% of their cost, up to $300.
We have many products available that will qualify. Featuring the industry’s most advanced technologies for heat efficiencies, these products are also protected by a limited lifetime warranty. There are many designs and styles to choose from that will provide ambiance, warmth and comfort to your home.
Note: For tax years 2006-2011, there is a $500 cap on home efficiency tax credits claimed by a single consumer. For example, if you claimed $300 in 2007, you can claim only $200 in 2011. It is important to note, however, that a consumer who claimed a $1,500 tax credit as part of the 2009/2010 tax credit, will benefit from the full amount but is not eligible for the new $300 credit.
Check with you accountant to verify if you qualify.
February 19th, 2011
Fire is one of the basic essentials for our survival on this planet. Whether it be for warmth, cooking, light, or a sense of security, humans need fire.
Here ares some tips to help you get some.
1. Make sure your fireplace damper or wood stove flue is opened and that you have a good draft.
2. Place firestarters, fatwood or crumpled newspaper (4 or 6 single sheets balled up fairly tightly) on the floor of your stove or under the grate of your fireplace. Place small kindling over top of the newspaper. Crisscross the kindling so there is plenty of air space in between each piece. Wood that is packed too tight will not burn properly.
3. Light the paper in a few spots and let the kindling catch fire. Add kindling when necessary until all is burning well. Only use paper at the beginning of the fire, as it creates a lot of floating ash when added on top of the kindling.
4.Keep the door to your wood stove slightly open. Also make sure the air control is completely open before starting the fire. This allows air flow through the wood stove, feeding the fire with needed oxygen. Don’t keep the door wide open enough for sparks to escape and cause damage to the flooring or surrounding area. Wait until the smoke is disappearing up the stovepipe before completely closing the door. This indicates good combustion is present.
5. Once kindling is burning well, add larger and larger logs until you have a base of fuel that will continue to burn for the desired length of time. If you throw a large log onto a small fire, you’ll only smother the flames. Work your way up to thew larger logs. Be sure to open the door slowly when adding logs or use a top loader for convenience and safety. Use Dry, Seasoned wood – if your wood sizzles and refuses to light or burn it’s probably not seasoned and ready to burn. Firewood needs to be split and seasoned for at least 8 months.
Learning how to properly start a fire in a wood stove is an important task to ensure safe and efficient use. Your family will enjoy many hours in front of the wood stove or fireplace basking in the warmth and comfort of a well built fire.
February 9th, 2011
Welcome to Hearth and Stove’s new website. Please take a moment to view our specials and our products.
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