My house has a gas fired boiler. I have a maintence contract with the local utility, for the past 8 years, at the start of the heating season they come out and check the system. Not being an HVAC guy, I asked about cleaning the chimney, they have all said on a properly working, properly maintained, gas system, it is not necessary. This seems to hold with a number of the plumbers I’ve spoken with on jobs sites.
Is this true? Does the same go for an oil fired system?
Edited 9/18/2007 2:49 pm ET by bobo66
Replies
True. Even a misadjusted gas system will cause little flue accumulation.
Not true for an oil system, though -- all cause some buildup and a misadjusted one can cause a lot.
Used to be that there were a lot of CO poisonings when oil systems were converted to gas because the oil-caused creosote would flake off and plug the chimney. I think most areas now require that the chimney be cleaned (or replaced) when going from oil to gas.
My mother in law got a call from a man, offering an inspection and cleaning, first for $125, then 75, then 50 then 25. Finally she called me BEFORE she had work done. (She hates asking me to do things because she says I'm too busy...that drives me F*%$#$#$!!! when she says that)
I told her to tell they guy no. Her heating plant is brand new (less than a year)
All I could picture is this guy going up there and coming down with broken pieces of liner telling her she needs a new one or a new cap. I know the liner is in good shape, I checked it last year when I repointed parts of the chimney.