Understanding Your Chimney
Chimneys, often misunderstood, are, in fact, complex structures. Beyond the seemingly simple exterior of bricks and mortar, they comprise of more than a dozen components. This vessel, with a smoke chamber resembling an inverted funnel, is a vital part of your home, expelling pollutants so your family can safely enjoy the warmth of the hearth. At Advance Chimney Solutions in Pittsburgh, we believe that understanding your chimney is vitally important.
Above the Stack
Chimney Cap: This metal component covers the open flue pipe to keep rain, snow, and critters, like birds and racoons out of the chimney. Many caps have a spark arrestor to prevent embers from landing on the roof or nearby brush.
Chimney Crown: This sloped masonry surface, often made of concrete or mortar, is the top of the chimney. It sheds water away from the stack and siding.
Flue: The passageway that extends from the top of the smoke chamber to your roof that channels smoke and gases up the stack where it exits your home.
Flue Pipe: This vertical pipe vents smoke and gases from the appliance, like your fireplace, stove, and furnace to the outside.
Flue Liner: A protective lining inside the flue, typically made of clay tile or metal, helps prevent a house fire and improve the draft.
Flashing: The sheet metal that seals the joints between the chimney and the roof, preventing water and pest infiltration.
Smoke Chamber: This narrow area at the base of the chimney just above the throat damper is where smoke and gases mix to vent up the flue as oxygen is drawn into the chimney.
Smoke Shelf: A ledge within the smoke chamber that helps to deflect creosote and sooty buildup. It also collects rainwater and debris that fall into the flue.
Below the Stack
Firebox: The combustion chamber of your fireplace or stove where the fire burns.
Ash Dump: A compartment for collecting and removing ashes.
Bricks and Mortar: These are the masonry structural components of the chimney. Some masonry chimneys in southwestern PA are built with stones and mortar.
Cleanout: An access point for cleaning and inspecting the chimney.
Foundation: The base that supports the weight of the chimney. Depending on size, a masonry chimney can weigh 5-10 tons.
Internal Components
Throat Damper: A metal plate above the firebox that regulates airflow into the firebox. When shut, it improves energy efficiency, preventing conditioned air in the home from flowing into the chimney.
Appliance connectors: Pipes that attach the appliance to the flue.
Manufactured Chimneys
Chimney Chase: The wood framing in the wall or ceiling near the fireplace or stove that houses the chimney.
Chase Cover: A protective covering preventing moisture, debris, and small animals from entering the flue.
With a clearer understanding of your chimney’s structure, you can appreciate the importance of each component. The Chimney Safety Institute of America and local fire departments recommend that homeowners schedule annual chimney inspections and cleaning.
Pittsburgh Chimney Inspections & Sweeping
Fireplace safety begins with an annual chimney inspection and cleaning. Our certified chimney sweeps thoroughly understand your chimney, vents, and attached heating appliances, including wood and gas-burning fireplaces and stoves. Contact Advance Chimney Sweeps for your yearly inspection and cleaning today! We serve Export PA, McKees Rocks PA, South Park Township PA, West View PA, and communities throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
