How can you tell if a fireplace and chimney is safe to use?

You need it inspected personally, unless you are willing to risk burning down the house, i'd have it inspected by a chimney sweep or structural engineer.

Building Inspector or Chimney Sweep I'd recommend hiring a professional, either a building inspector or chimney sweep. They should be able to tell you if it's safe and how to use the flue etc.

There are several things you should do to check a fireplace (read below). Here are some useful tips: Checking Chimney Caps A cap fitted with wire mesh sides covers the hole at the top of the chimney. It keeps rain, birds, animals, and debris from entering.

Replace or repair a cap that is missing or damaged. Inspect Masonry Chimneys Examine the outer mortar between bricks or stone to make sure it is intact. Shine a flashlight down the chimney to look at the mortar inside.

If the mortar is crumbling, it must be replaced. Look for cracked tile liners or missing bricks, too. Inspect Metal Chimneys Look for dented or rusted metal and missing screws at joints.

Watch for Formation of Creosote Creosote is a flammable substance that is hard, dark, and crustlike. It is produced during incomplete combustion of wood. An accumulation of creosote can cause a dangerous chimney fire, so it must be removed.

You can minimize creosote by burning dry hardwoods, since their lower moisture content promotes more complete burning. A hot fire produces less creosote than smoldering woods. Increase the air supply if necessary so that wood burns more completely.

Identifying Soot Soot is a flammable deposit, dark in color but softer than creosote. Most chimney sweeps recommend cleaning when soot deposits reach 1/8-inch in depth. Creosote Glaze This shiny, tar-like product is flammable, and usually difficult to fully remove.

Smoke If there’s smoke in the house, and you’ve eliminated chimney debris, make sure the damper is open. If lots of smoke is coming out the chimney, it means that wood isn’t burning completely. http://homebuying.about.com/cs/fireplacesafety/a/wood_fireplace.htm ________________ Separately, here is a website that discusses getting a chimney liner for chimneys that were built a long time ago (i.e.100 year old house like yours): Dear Home Inspector: We’ve been told that the fireplace flues in our 1890s home should be lined.

We’re getting estimates and getting confused. One contractor wants to install a formed concrete liner. Another recommends a stainless steel liner.Do we really even need a liner?

And if so, which one is best? Your chimney probably performed well for more than 115 years -- the house didn’t burn down. But a flue liner will extend the life -- and safety -- of your chimney.

Benefits include: Easier maintenance Reduction of heat transfer to aging combustibles near the chimney Elimination of further wear inside the flue There are more than the two options you mentioned for lining flues. Each has advantages and limitations. I’ll discuss three popular lining methods in this column.

What’s inside your chimney? A liner can prolong the life of your chimney -- and make it safer. Cast-in-place liners can reinforce a weakened, older chimney.

Terra Cotta This hard-fired clay was the first and most widely used chimney lining material. It’s still used for new chimneys today. Terra cotta is very durable, often lasting 80 years or more with regular maintenance.

The downside? Installing terra cotta inside an existing chimney is very tricky. Many chimneys are too small or have offsets that won’t accept this type of liner.

Only experienced professionals can maneuver these sections of flue tile into alignment...... read more click on link below http://www.oldhouseweb.com/stories/Detailed/14073.shtml Sources: http://www.oldhouseweb.com/stories/Detailed/14073.shtml, http://homebuying.about.com/cs/fireplacesafety/a/wood_fireplace.htm .

" "I have a gas furnace and gas hot water heater that feed into my chimney.No fireplace! Do I still clean my chimney? " "how to install a dimplex electric fireplace if I don't already have a fireplace to insert it into?" "I was told that burning an aluminum can in the fireplace will help to keep the chimney clean.

Is it so?

I have a gas furnace and gas hot water heater that feed into my chimney. No fireplace! Do I still clean my chimney?

I was told that burning an aluminum can in the fireplace will help to keep the chimney clean. Is it so?

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