Household Hints & Help

filled with creosote. After going through a couple of chimney fires, which scared the willies out of me, I'd advise you to at least get it checked out. My husband and I lived in a house where we had a wood furnace. It was wonderful, heated the house beautifully when we were there to feed it. Husband decided to check out the vent pipes and found they were completely packed with creosote. The system worked much better after we clean the vents and stopped burning pine.

Also, read up on how to put out a chimney fire, just in case you need to do it.

You can buy a chimney ball--it's big ball with wire spokes that you lower down into the chimney and jiggle it around to loosen anything that is clinging to the sides, like old birds nests and mice nests AND creosote.