Monday, November 2, 2009

KABOOM


Early this morning as I was reading my newspaper about all the war things that are going on, I nearly jumped through the ceiling as a very loud explosion sound invaded the morning silence. It sounds like the war has come to my neighborhood. I jumped up and looked outside, up and down the street and didn’t see anything going on. I put it out of my mind and continued to read all the good news in the paper.
Later in the day I heard another strange unfamiliar sound. It was a high pitch noise that just kept going on so I had to go look outside again. Now, I think I know where the morning explosion sound came from. Somebody had hired a chimney sweep and they were cleaning the chimney of the duplex that is across the street and down two houses.
I don’t know for sure, but I am thinking they may be the ones that had the explosion. If so, I guess nobody was hurt. I wonder if that sort of thing damages your walls or anything.
I hate to sound so ignorant, but do you have to have a fireplace for the soot to accumulate like that or does it happen with gas heat also. I wonder if I should do as the neighbors do, and hire one of those places.
I sure would hate to be roused out of bed in the middle of the night to the tune of my chimney exploding. I’ll bet I wouldn’t have any trouble getting out of bed if it happened.


3 comments:

2Grandmas2 said...

Good morning, Grandma 3! Frightening, for sure. I am thinking that the soot accumlation is only in burning wood, but would certainly give the gas company a call. Very odd indeed and I hope no one was hurt.
G2

Jimh. said...

I agree with 2g2, the reason soot builds up with wood is you are combusting a solid and when it goes through the chemical reaction some of those solids are released in the smoke. Incinerators need to use filters for their smoke or the air quality guys would be all over them. You don't have to have a chimney sweep clean out your exhaust pipe in your car, so you won't have to worry about your natural gas or propane...no solids!

Hope that helps!

I remember one time I was at Cora's place in college. We were watching a movie and we were disturbed by a bunch of noise...turned out the neighbors' party had invited conflicting personalities...a fight had broken out. We called the cops. Glad your noise wasn't fight!

Stephanie Frieze said...

I don't think you need to worry about carbon accumulation in your chimney, but getting your furnace serviced yearly is a good idea. At the very least wash/replace filers or get someone familiar with doing it to help. Our filters just go in the dishwasher, but you want to do this before it gets cold and you're miserable about being without heat for any amount of time.

If you smell that rotten egg smell they add to gas, turn off your furnace and call the repair person immediately. We wouldn't want the next big boom to be you!