CHIMNEY SWEEP DISCOUNT PROGRAM

Need a chimney sweep? Your membership in BHA entitles you to a discount of $10 off the normal price of $75. All you have to do is call Bath resident Frank Pugliese at 330-666-5779 and tell him you are a member. He has a copy of our membership list for verification.

Why should you call a chimney sweep? What's the purpose of getting your chimney swept, really? The short answer is to prevent fires, to save energy and to help prevent pollution. Of course, the most important reason is to save lives that could be lost because of fires or blocked flues.

The smoke from your fireplace or wood stove fires contains droplets of unburned carbon material from the material you burn and some of these droplets condense on the inner walls of the flue, forming creosote.

These deposits can easily ignite - a slightly hotter fire than normal or newspapers flaring up to the damper could be enough. Once kindled, creosote burns with an intense fire at temperatures above 2000ºF. Structural materials in your house near the chimney, such as wood framing, roofing, or paper-coated gypsum board, may be exposed to extremely high temperatures. Your chimney may be weakened so that it is unusable, or the house itself could catch fire.

Also, creosote deposits can build up to the point where the flue is severely restricted, making it difficult to light a fire or keep it going. Smoke and fumes may even spill out into your living area and carbon monoxide poisoning could occur - potentially causing death.

So, if you think your chimney may need swept, don't wait - call Frank who will help you decide if it does. And, as you probably have noticed, the $10 discount to have it swept will pay for your BHA membership. Isn't that a nice coincidence!

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