Monmouth County | 14 tips to keep you safe during fireplace season

Home fire statistics are scary. Knowing how not to be among these statistics, however, is critical.

Let’s take a look at some of these statistics and then dive into some safety tips to ensure your home’s fireplace keeps on cranking out that toasty heat while ensuring its occupants are safe.

Statistics you need to know

“Home heating equipment is the leading cause of U.S. home fires during the months of December, January, and February, when nearly half (48 percent) of all U.S. home heating equipment fires occur.” (National Fire Protection Association, or NFPA)
While space heaters cause the most home fires, fireplaces and chimneys rank second, causing three in 10 residential heating equipment fires. (NFPA)
Fires considered “confined” (those in chimneys, flues, and flue burners), makeup 87% of heating fires in homes. (US Environmental Protection Agency)

The anatomy of a fireplace

“Fireplaces rely on the simple technology of air being drawn in from your home to feed the fire and then rising up and out of your chimney thanks to the heat generated by the fire,” according to the pros at Fluesbrothers Chimney and Fireplace in Kansas City, KS. We do have local places you can contact here in Monmouth County as well.

Fireplace Companies in Monmouth County:

They go on to list the basic parts of the unit:

Hearth: The floor of the fireplace and the extension to the area in front of the fireplace (made of non-flammable material, such as tile or brick).
Firebox: The part of the fireplace in which the fire is contained.
Lintel: “The fireplace lintel … is a horizontal beam that runs across the length of the fireplace and supports the chimney,” according to the experts at Burlington Fireplace and Solar in Burlington, WI. Although it may look decorative, its most important purpose is to support the chimney’s weight.
Damper: Most homeowners are familiar with the fireplace damper. It consists of a flap that, when adjusted, allows smoke to rise up the chimney and exit the home. When closed, it will reduce drafts and heat loss.
Smoke Chamber: Located above the firebox, the smoke chamber starts wide and narrows to the chimney’s opening. Its purpose, rather like a funnel, is to direct smoke from the firebox to the chimney.
Flue: The passageway for exhaust gasses to the outdoors. “A flue may be a duct, pipe, vent, or chimney,” according to High’s Chimney Service in Gaithersburg, MD.

All of these parts work together to draw the air into and out of the fireplace and chimney.

Do you need additional information about Monmouth County? If so click here

Fireplace safety tips

Ensure your home has working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors/alarms. Test each one on a monthly basis and change out the batteries annually.
Purchase a fire extinguisher and service it at least once a month during fireplace season. You’ll find tips on the process online at NFPA.org.
Don’t use a fireplace without a screen in place.
Never use an accelerant (acetone, Coleman fuel, kerosene, gasoline, etc.) to start a fire in a fireplace.
Keep all combustible materials (fabric, wood, paper, plastics, etc.) at least three feet away from the fireplace.
Dirty fireplaces and chimneys account for 25% of all home heating equipment fires. Ensure that both are routinely cleaned. Never allow more than 1 inch of ash from a previous fire to accumulate.
The NFPA recommends that you hire a chimney professional to inspect the fireplace and chimney annually and have everything cleaned by a chimney sweep.
Repair any cracks found during the chimney inspection.
Shine a flashlight up the chimney before lighting a fire to ensure there are no critter nests or other blockages.
Burning small pieces of dry and well-aged wood contributes less soot to the chimney.
Hot ash and coal can remain hot for several days after a fire. Dispose of the material safely by transferring it to a metal bucket or other container. Pour water over the ash and coal then dispose of it.
Don’t close the chimney damper until the fire’s embers are completely extinguished.
Never retire for the night while a fire is still burning in your fireplace.
The experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics urge parents to “Talk with children as early as possible about the dangers of fires and the heat coming from them.”

If you want to stay up to date with all things Monmouth County and Real Estate you may want to consider subscribing to my Youtube channel. Information is below!

👇 CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE NOW👇
↪️︎ https://youtube.com/corisellsnj

If you are considering BUYING in Monmouth County, Click below for a Home Buyers Guide:
👉 https://corisellsnj.com/ultimate-home-buyers-guide/

If you are considering SELLING in Monmouth County, Click below for a Home Sellers Guide:
👉 https://corisellsnj.com/free-sellers-guide/

Download your FREE copy of the “Ultimate Home Buyer’s Guide” today!

Download your FREE copy of the “Ultimate Home Buyer’s Guide”

Cori Dunphy is local, she’s a life -long resident of Monmouth County. Why is that important? Because she has knowledge of the area. Cori Covers all of Monmouth County but has a very strong following with listing and selling homes in also has experience listing and selling houses in Marlboro, Morganville, Manalapan, Freehold, Hazlet, Holmdel, Matawan, Aberdeen, and more. She has a true understanding of the market in Monmouth County.

Cori Dunphy is a Marlboro Township resident. If you need extensive information about Marlboro Township, Everything from Real Estate to Restaurants, From Schools to Shopping. JUST ASK!

Cori Dunphy is Realtor®. When you are a realtor. You are forced to follow an extreme code of ethics and Cori stands by that. Her clients needs have and will always come first.

Cori Dunphy is a Certified Pricing Strategy Advisor. This means she can help you determine the most competitive and realistic sales price when listing your home. Relying on your tax assessment or an online estimate just isn’t accurate. A Pricing Strategy Advisor knows how to determine the market value, AND how to help you determine a price that will make your home competitive with other houses for sale.

Cori Dunphy is a Certified Real Estate Negotiator. This means after you receive an offer on your house, she will use proven negotiating strategies to get you under contract and sold.

Cori Dunphy is a Senior Real Estate Specialist. This means she has the training and experience to meet the needs of the over 55 homeowners who are typically considering retiring and/or downsizing, and whose needs are different than those of homeowners under age 55. Cori currently specializes in the Adult Community of Greenbriar. www.greenbriarmarlboro.com

Cori Dunphy is a certified e-Pro. This means she uses extensive creative online marketing to get homes sold. Why? Because the majority of buyers find the house they end up buying online! Your house, like most houses for sale, will be found on the thousands of real estate websites showing homes for sale. Melissa will extensively market your home on a wide variety of social media platforms. Melissa will ensure your house has its own dedicated property webpage, and will also ensure your house is a “featured property”. Ask Melissa about the one unique marketing concept she uses that NO ONE else in the area is doing!

Cori Dunphy has proven experience working with home sellers. Every house Cori has ever listed has SOLD!

Cori Dunphy knows the real estate market. She knows the average days on the market of homes for sale. She knows the sales price trends. She knows whether it’s a buyer or a seller’s market, and can provide advice to get homes sold!

Do you have a house to sell outside Cori’s area? Cori will connect you with a Realtor® in her network. Currently, her network includes New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, Las Vegas, Colorado, Oregon, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Kentucky. This network is growing every day!

Cori is a Monmouth County Specialist! – living here for 50 years, she truly knows the ins and outs of the Monmouth County area.

Curious about the Marlboro NJ market? Hop over to my website and take a look around. www.corisellsnj.com