Remember to practice safety with fireplace
With rising home heating prices looming this winter, many people will undoubtedly stoke up a cozy wood fire in their fireplaces to take the chill out of their homes.
As with any home appliance, fireplaces should be properly maintained to ensure they are safe and good for the environment--inside and out. These tips from Duraflame Inc., can help make fireplaces environmentally friendly and help prevent the risk of chimney fires:
* If you burn natural firewood in your fireplace, choose dry, seasoned hardwoods (oak, hickory, etc.) that produce fewer emissions than softwoods (fir, cedar, etc.).
* Consider burning manufactured firelogs instead of firewood as they produce approximately two-thirds less emissions. Manufactured firelogs produce 73 percent less particulate matter, 87 percent less visible smoke, 88 percent less carbon monoxide and 78 to 88 percent less of the major air toxins associated with burning wood in residential fireplaces.
* Have fireplace inserts inspected--and the necessary maintenance performed--to ensure they are performing at an optimum level and producing minimal emissions.
* If you choose to burn wood, use a wax/sawdust firelighter to start the fire. Firelighters help ignite a fire faster that can cut down on emissions.
* To help prevent against the risk of chimney fires, have all chimneys inspected annually by a chimney sweep certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
