What is a Certified Chimney Sweep?
What is a certified chimney sweep? A chimney sweep is a person who inspects, cleans, maintains and repairs chimneys that are attached to stoves and fireplaces. A chimney cleaning professional is someone you should contact if your chimney needs to be cleaned or fixed. Chimney sweeps play an important role in preventing dangerous chimney fires that can quickly engulf your home.
The standards of what a certified chimney sweep is vary between different states. Most states to not require chimney cleaning contractors to hold professional licenses. However, some cities and towns do issue licenses to chimney sweeps. States also have trade associations for chimney cleaning contractors.
This lack of nationwide regulation means the best way to make sure that you are hiring a qualified chimney service contractor is to choose a professional who has been certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. This professional credential is the only certification that is recognized throughout the United States. Earning a certification from the Chimney Safety Institute of America requires passing a test on codes and standards, along with agreeing to professional ethics standards. The National Chimney Sweep Guild recommends that before hiring a chimney maintenance contractor, you ensure that the company will have a nationally certified chimney sweep on site at all times.
Industry recommendations say that chimneys should be cleaned at least once a year to prevent the buildup of soot and creosote, which is an oily byproduct of burning fuel in a stove or fireplace. Chimneys that are not cleaned regularly are more likely to catch on fire. What a certified chimney sweep is able to do includes this necessary annual cleaning, as well as a variety of other tasks. These include chimney inspections, removal of animals from chimneys and repairs to chimney bricks that are deteriorating from age and wear.
What a certified chimney sweep is qualified to do is not limited to working on fireplace and stove chimneys. Chimney service contractors also work on gas, oil and coal heating systems that are attached to chimneys. The Chimney Safety Institute of America also certifies technicians who clean, repair and maintain the exhaust ducts on clothes dryers. Regular maintenance of dryer exhaust vents is important because lint and other debris can build up in a dryer vent, leading to poor performance and the potential to cause a fire.