Wellers Chimney Sweeps

MayTip Of The Month

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:12:40 +0000

Spring is the perfect time to have your chimney serviced it is also a good time to have repairs done that have to do with masonry, brick work, crowns, etc. because of the warmer weather. Take advantage of this time to take care of chimney’s that have loose brick or missing mortar and problems at the top. We also fix leaking chimneys which is a common problem this time of year.

April Tip Of The Month

admin — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:22:27 +0000

Well it happened again, we got a call from a woman who was taken across by scammers. The company was from Hazelton and claim to be Chimney and Roofing Professionals. They tried forcing this woman into doing major work on her chimney on the spot, left the masonry cap off laying on the roof and damaged the roof and told the lady that there was a hole in the roof and they could repair it for $200. Please please people be careful of who you let in your house or on your roof. This poor lady now not only needs repairs to her chimney but a new rubber roof. Before making an appointment with anyone make sure of their credentials, Ask them “Are you Certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America?”, ” Are you Registered with the Attorney Generals office and if so whats your HIC No.” When they arrive at your home ask to see their credentials,and identification, if they are a legitimate company they will be glad to show them to you.

March Tip Of The Month

admin — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:17:41 +0000

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I can’t tell you how many times we go to a customers house and they say ” well we figured it wasn’t done in a while so we figured we better get it looked at.” Well these are the people that are surprised when we tell them that the liners, are deteriorated, the whole top of the chimney needs to be repointed, rebuilt or needs some other costly repair. We try to make homeowners aware that the chimney is a functioning thing 24hr’s a day and like anything else it will require maintenance. Chimney’s that are regularly maintained require little or no work and Chimney’s that are not maintained usually are the ones that people are shocked when you tell them somethings wrong. Of course my point is to make you realize that just like changing the oil in your automobile by having your Chimney serviced regularly you are preventing costly repairs in the future. It just makes good sense.

Be Well and enjoy Spring around the corner.

Kenny

February Tip Of The Month

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:14:41 +0000

We are so glad to see there wasn’t near the chimney fires this burning season that we’ve experienced in previous years. I’m sure a lot has to do with so many customers upgrading to the newer EPA certified wood stoves. Keep in mind dampening a stove down when its warm outside for long periods will build up creosote quickly. Also Please, please check the moisture content of the wood you are buying or burning . Moisture meters are available from us or you can find them on line or at some big box stores. Use them and make sure your wood doesn’t have more than 20% moisture content. This will ensure a clean efficient burn and reduce the risk of chimney fires. I can’t tell you how many times people tell me ” Well the guy that sold it to me said it was seasoned.” How do you know without a concrete way to check it. Do yourself a favor and buy a moisture meter, it takes all the guess work away. Next time someone sells you some wood and says it seasoned, tell them you want to check it first before he starts unloading and know for sure.

January Tip Of The Month

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:42:50 +0000

I am Re-Posting this TOTM from previous postings because i feel very strongly about the awareness of this problem that causes house fires every year. If your using wood or coal as an alternative heat such as a wood or coal stove, make sure to use a metal ash bucket with a metal lid when removing ashes and be sure to place it outside away from the house. Burning embers and coal can stay hot for a very long period of time and an uncovered plastic bucket can either burn through or wind can blow the hot ashes onto something combustible and catch the house on fire. Again, make sure to dispose of the ashes in a metal can with a metal lid and place the can outside away from the house. Be Safe, Stay Warm and have a Happy New Year.

Kenny F

December Tip Of The Month

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:26:53 +0000

Well it’s the last month of the year and want to remind anyone viewing our website that is planning on having service done by us to utilize the downloadable coupons available. Why not take advantage of this savings and put some $$$$ back in your wallet.

We would like to Wish all of our Customers a Safe and Merry Christmas and want to Thank you all for a great Year.

November Tip Of The Month

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:32:00 +0000

Wow, i’m late again with posting the T.O.T.M. Can you tell we are in the busy season? This month i would like to remind anyone using a wood stove to heat their home to make sure you are burning it hot enough. A magnetic stove pipe thermometer is an inexpensive tool to monitor the proper burning temperature and keep creosote to a minimum. The optimum burning temperature range is usually between 275F – 500F on these thermometers.

October Tip Of The Month

admin — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 13:51:07 +0000

This T.O.T.M. is going to focus on the importance of a chimney cap. i can’t tell you how many chimney’s i reline a year because of people not having a chimney cap on their chimney. Water mixed with the sulfur laden soot which is the bi-product of most furnace becomes Sulfuric Acid. The Sulfuric Acid will first attack the mortar joints between the flues then into the terra cotta flues causing them to flake and fall apart. Keeping your chimney dry is a very important and a cap will also keep out unwanted pests such as bats, birds and squirrels , Point here is spend a little know or a lot later.

September Tip Of The Month

admin — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 02:29:56 +0000

Chimney Sweep Scams are going around in our service area. We are urging all of our customers to be on alert for them, in some cases they are posing to be Weller’s. We’ve had numerous calls from local police departments telling us this is going on. How it works is someone calls and says ” this is your chimney service co. and its time to get your chimney serviced” They make the appt. and when they show up they find things wrong with your chimney and charge a rate of 5 times what it should cost to fix it and they try to get you do it on the spot. In some cases one guy distracts the homeowner while another one is rooting through the house. A reputable company will have their vehicle well marked and introduce themselves at the door along with identification if asked.

Please take this serious as it is real and happening in our area, what we are telling our customers to do is if they find something to be suspicious is to make sure you know who is entering your home. Ask for identification, ask are they certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America? and if so ask to see their credentials. Check to see if the truck they are driving has an out of state license as this is a tell tale sign of a scammer and above all call the police without hesitation if you feel you are being scammed in any way.

Please be safe

Kenny

August Tip Of The Month

admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:29:24 +0000

We will Be at the Fair the First Week in August displaying various stoves and accessories that we install along with chimney components and invite anyone who has questions about chimneys or hearth products to come out and visit our booth. Keystoker will have a Representative present Wed. through Sat. 4-closing to answer any questions about the many stoves on display. We will be having drawings everyday for hearth accessories and special fair discounts on services. So please stop in and see us and and enjoy the many great attractions offered at the fair.