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Show Says safetyspeaaEst Clean chimneys prevent fires around to protect rugs and furniture, Bilboa said. "Alter thoroughly cleaning the chimney, remove any accumulation ac-cumulation of carbon from the damper shelf and from the hearth. Use a brush and shovel. Don't use an ordinary household vacuum; it can spread grime to other parts of the room and may get clogged, Bilboa cautioned. Protect the ioom from soot by using duct tape and large sheets of plastic, cardboard or canvas. Use it io seal off the fireplace or stove from the rest of the room. Cut a slit in the covering just large neough to fit the brush through. With a back and forth motion, run the brush through the flue five or six times. For further precaution, it's also a good idea to spread plenty ol newspaper or plastic CEDAR CITY Buildup of unburned particles can cause a chimney fire. To prevent this, chimneys from fireplaces and wood-stoves wood-stoves need cleaning, according to Steven C. Bilboa, extension safety specialist, Safety Education Office, Utah State University. He says fireplaces used continuously and air-tight stoves need to be cleaned once a year at the minimum. They may even need to be cleaned once a month. He suggests checking the flue lining every couple of weeks to find out how fast creosote is accumulating inside the flue. A quarter inch thick accumulation ac-cumulation of creosote signals that it's time to clean the flue yourself or call in a professional to do it, he said. Creosote, a tarlike substance created in a flue's lining from un burned particles, presents the fire hazard. To be safe, see that the chimney gets thorough cleaning as needed. Experts say the most effective way to clean the flue is to sweep it out w ith a steel-wire brush. Other objects used in the chimney may do irrepairable damage to the flue or they may get stuck in the chimney. Special chimney sweeping brushes are available at several stores and at most reputable woodstove and fireplace accessory dealers. Certain woodstoves must be cleaned from the firebox up. A fireplace may be cleaned that way also. This requires a set of connecting flexible rods to run the brush up and down the chimney. This may require removing the damper. |