Country frenzy: stove-maker explained how to check chimneys so as not to inhale poison

“Most summer residents think about cleaning the chimney only when a problem arises in front of their nose in the form of clouds of smoke,” says Boris Surovy, an expert on summer problems. – For example, when the draft in the stove disappears or worse, reverse draft appears, and smoke begins to pour into the house.

And if the chimney is functioning normally, then a person may not even realize that it is time to clean the stove or fireplace, that they pose a serious danger to his life and health.

Firstly, soot settles on the walls of a chimney that has not been cleaned for a long time, it can ignite and lead to a fire. And, secondly, along with smoke, carbon monoxide can seep into the house through cracks and cracks in the brickwork. It is also called the invisible killer, because carbon monoxide (CO) is a fast-acting poison that has neither taste nor smell, a person can die in his sleep, inhaling it.

Once upon a time there were chimney sweeps in Rus’, today people of this profession are a rarity. But now the distribution network offers a large selection of different tools and devices for chimney care: there are, for example, brushes with a long or telescopic handle, with nozzles in the form of a brush or more intricate ones, so many people try to cope with the problem on their own.

The main thing, experts advise, is to do it regularly. If the cottage is used year-round, then the chimney is cleaned twice a year: before the heating season and at the end of it. And if you don’t live in the country in winter, then you need to clean the chimney in the spring before the opening of the season.

“I do not advise you to take on such a difficult job as cleaning a chimney without proper experience and knowledge,” says Anton Rybakov, furnace master. – Many townspeople do not even know how to light the stove correctly, what can we say about its after-sales service.

I recently had such a case: the family bought a country house, I was called to check the condition of the stove. A few days later they call: “Oh, you must have done something wrong with her, after you left we kindled a fire and almost got poisoned with carbon monoxide.”

It turns out that they, without waiting for all the firewood to burn out, closed the stove view – the damper that closes the chimney. Naturally, carbon monoxide went into the room along with the smoke. It’s good that the family did not have time to fall asleep, they felt something was wrong in time, opened the windows and ventilated the rooms well, by that time the stove had burned out. And if this happened in a dream, they would have burned out and not pumped out.

According to him, now, when many summer residents go to the May holidays to prepare their country houses for the opening of the summer season, it is imperative to make a trial firebox. This rule also applies to stoves in the bath, they burn out even more often than in houses.

“First of all, check the draft, for this you first need to light a small piece of paper, birch bark or wood chips. If you make sure that the smoke is well drawn into the chimney, then you can start the firebox.

If he tumbled into the house, it means that the passages are clogged with something, for example, a large layer of soot has settled on their walls, or crows have built a nest in a pipe, sometimes a piece of brick breaks off from it and blocks the air.

If you cannot eliminate the causes yourself, you need to call a specialist. It also happens that people forget to open the stove blower – this is such a door that is located under the firebox, and air is also supplied through it, during kindling it must be opened.

Well, and a classic of the genre: do not forget to open the damper on the chimney, otherwise there will be no draft. You can close it only after the end of the firebox, when all the firebrands have already burned out. If blue lights are still flickering in some places, it means that the process is not over. For greater certainty, it is better to get them out of the firebox and put them out with water.

The fact that stoves and fireplaces can become a source of headaches, nausea and even visual impairment, many summer residents have learned from personal bitter experience.

“My friends and I decided to have a party in the country last year for the May holidays. It was cool in the house at night, they decided to fire up the stove, but there was not enough firewood. Therefore, the guys suggested closing the damper early so that the stove kept warm longer.

The next morning the whole company woke up with a severe headache, one girl began to vomit. We called an ambulance, and she was taken to the hospital – they said that she had carbon monoxide poisoning. When I told my father about this incident at home, he strongly scolded me. It turns out that smoldering coals with a lack of air form carbon monoxide, it fills the room, poisons people and can even lead to their death, ”says one of the victims.

By the way, people often do not realize that carbon monoxide poisoning is the cause of their poor health. And they understand what happened if everyone suddenly has the same symptoms.

The first signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include lacrimation, headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, dry cough. Feeling these symptoms, you need to leave the house for fresh air as soon as possible. Not forgetting, of course, to open all windows and doors in the room where the stove or fireplace is located.

Those who have been breathing carbon monoxide for a long time may experience more severe consequences: tachycardia, impaired coordination of movements, visual hallucinations, drowsiness, blue mucous membranes and facial skin, convulsions are possible, up to loss of consciousness. If such a person is not provided with medical assistance at the time, then carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal.