Does having my chimney swept improve the air quality inside my house?
Around Mars Hill, most rural homes heat with propane or wood, and that decides what a sweep does for your air. Wood fires build creosote that clogs the flue and spills smoke back inside; propane flues gather debris that blocks draft the same way. Clearing the flue restores draft and sends byproducts out. It's not, though, an air purifier for the house.
Wood and propane in the valleys
Out the Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek valleys, Mars Hill homes run on propane or burn cordwood, since natural-gas mains don't reach these hollows. Wood-burners are the ones a sweep is classically for: cool, smoky fires from unseasoned mountain hardwood lay down creosote fast, and at one of the colder elevations we serve, those fires burn many months a year. Load the flue up and it drafts poorly, pushing woodsmoke back into the room. Propane gas-log flues don't make creosote but collect nests and cobwebs that block draft just as surely. Sweeping clears either.
The campus side wants simple
Near Mars Hill University, the rental housing leans toward easy-use gas fireplaces that come on and off through the academic year. Those sealed units don't backspill combustion the way an open wood flue can, so their annual need is a clear vent rather than a creosote sweep, a quick check for debris and nests. Knowing which type a rental has keeps the maintenance right-sized and the air moving where it should.
Cold country, honest limits
Mars Hill's long, cold season means the flue works hard, so book the sweep in late summer or early fall, before you're leaning on the fire. We're 30 minutes north of Emma Road. And keep it grounded: a sweep clears the chimney and its odor, not the household's dust or pollen. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Mars Hill
We install and service fireplaces throughout Mars Hill and the rest of Madison County — just 30 minutes north from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- Is creosote toxic to breathe or touch?
- Do wood-burning fireplaces pollute the air inside your house?
- Why do I smell smoke in my house when the fireplace isn't even burning?
- Why does my fireplace smell in the summer or when it rains?
- Can an unused fireplace or chimney cause moisture and mold problems in the house?