The heating season is at its hottest – one forgotten routine can cost the whole house

Fireplaces warm Finnish homes during the freezing winter season. It is now important to pay special attention to the maintenance of your own fireplace and to fire-safe and energy-efficient heating.

The fireplaces in Finnish homes form a significant supply security network, as they are the only heating system in real estate that is completely independent of electricity. A well-maintained and functioning fireplace can save you in a situation where electricity is exceptionally expensive or the power grid does not work at all in an exceptional situation.

Ordering and carrying out the sniffing is often thought to be at the beginning of the heating season, in the fall, although there is no real reason for it. In this case, the work queues of the sniffers are long, and you may have to wait weeks or even months for the service. Ordering statutory sniffing can be done more flexibly even in winter.

In the video below, the CEO of Nokikaver explains how to prepare for sniffles.

“Smooting in the middle of the heating season improves the energy efficiency of the fireplace. Fireplaces can be warmed the day before as well as immediately after the smoker has started, so there is no need to take a break from heating either. In addition, the maintenance carried out in winter ensures that the fireplace is ready for the next heating season, when the first colder weather arrives in autumn. Nuohousala Central Union managing director Hannu Murtokare in the bulletin.

Winter sniffing also has other benefits for the property owner.

“In the fall, the calendars of the chimney sweepers fill up quickly, and you may have to wait a long time for the chimney sweep. Once the chimney sweep has been taken care of in the winter, you can start using the fireplace as soon as the cool weather arrives in the fall.”

A fireplace without soot burns wood less well, stores heat less well and produces more emissions. In addition, the risk of a soot fire increases if the combustion waste accumulated in the chimney is not removed regularly.

“In a soot fire, the temperature of the chimney rises drastically, which can damage the chimney’s structures and, in the worst case, lead to the fire spreading to the building’s structures,” Murtokare reminds.

Cold weather increases fireplace fires

The heating season is at its peak at the moment, and it can also be seen in the fires that started in the fireplaces.

“When the weather gets colder and the use of fireplaces increases, it is unfortunately also reflected in an increase in the number of fire damages. Recently, we have seen several fires that started from fireplaces or chimneys and in the worst case led to the destruction of the entire detached house,” senior researcher at Pohjola Insurance Riku Kytölä tells.

Smoke control is one of the most important ways to reduce the risk of fires starting from fireplaces and chimneys. In addition, ordering a sniffer can also directly affect the financial risks in the event of an accident.

“Neglect of sniffing can at worst also affect insurance compensation if it is connected to the fire.”

Overheating the fireplace can also cause a fire risk.

“The fireplace should not be overheated. Excessive heating can cause a fire, especially at the chimney openings, and such fires often cause considerable damage.”