Fri, March 29, 2024

Sweeping chimneys from Summerville to Aiken

It won’t be long now until the chill of fall beckons us to throw a log in the fireplace. Before you do, keep in mind there are more than 25,000 chimney fires a year in the United States.

While some sound like a low-flying jet and include flames shooting out the top of the chimney, others are slow-burning and go undetected until a chimney inspection uncovers damage.

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His own experience many years ago sparked Dave Andrews’ interest in fire safety.

“When I was a teenager, we had a chimney fire at my family’s home,” Andrews explained. “Flames were shooting up 50 feet in the air. Our house burned like a matchbox because we didn’t have a fireplace liner.”

That traumatic memory resulted in Andrews becoming a firefighter. Now, he fights fires differently through inspections, cleaning, and education. A few months ago, he and his wife opened their business, Dirty Chimney.

Although the life of the chimney sweep was romanticized as being cheery and fun by Dick Van Dyke’s character in Mary Poppins, the reality is dramatically different.

Dave Andrews prepares for a chimney inspection.

“Instead of singing and dancing across a rooftop, we wear a helmet and respirator mask,” Andrews said.

Andrews, a certified chimney inspector, recommends having your chimney inspected and cleaned annually. If you don’t, creosote can build up in your chimney and lead to a fire. Also, a dirty chimney can cause toxic, deadly gases such as carbon monoxide to build up that are harmful to inhale.

Andrews also inspects and cleans another potential fire hazard – dirty dryer vents, the cause of more than 17,000 fires each year.

Clogged dryer vents can become a fire hazard.

“Cleaning the lint trap and filter in a dryer is good but that doesn’t mean there aren’t problems you can’t see like a clogged dryer vent hose,” he said.

If you are selling or buying a home, modifying a fireplace, replacing an insert, or if your water heater or boiler is venting into a chimney flue, the National Fire Inspection Association requires you to have an inspection.

Dirty Chimney also offers discounts to first responders and veterans.

A dirty chimney can lead to a fire hazard.

“It means a lot for us to do that because of my previous career and because my dad was in the Navy, my brother in the Air Force, and in memory of my brother who was killed in the line of duty while serving in the Sheriff’s Department,” Andrews said.

Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 9-15, is just around the corner. Take it from a former firefighter, it’s the perfect time to prevent a house fire. For more information on services offered, you can visit their website.

Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means! 

If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.

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