When is the best time to have your chimney swept?

The Traditional Season The most popular time of the year in Florida to have a chimney sweep is in the Fall and before the holidays. As the holidays get closer, the demand increases even more to the point where it is tough to find any sweep available before January. This can be an issue because the best sweeps typically book up early in the Fall and by the time you go down the line you might end up with someone who is less than qualified to perform the service and does not have the proper tools, insurance, or certifications. The Best Time to Sweep – Spring Spring is actually the best time to have your chimney swept for a number of reasons. One reason is you can save money not having the sweep performed during the peak season. Take the HVAC industry in the Summer for example. If you are having a A/C issue and it is 90 degrees, you might be a little more willing to pay a price premium to have it fixed, and finding another estimate during the Summer could take time and be even higher. It is no different with chimneys in the Fall, the prices for service typically go up until after the New Year. One other thing to keep in mind is that if you have your system swept in the Spring you eliminate the byproducts of combustion from your chimney and improve your indoor air quality overall. I personally clean my chimney every Spring just for that reason. Additional Benefits of the Springtime Sweep The last reason I would suggest the Spring would be so that your chimney professional can check to see if your system is protected from animal and water intrusion. Chimney swifts migrate back to the US in the Spring and once they have chosen a chimney to call home, they legally cannot be removed until they leave on their own in the Fall. If you have read any of my other blogs you have seen some of the water related issues that can occur in Jacksonville and the staggering number that just 1000 square feet of roof sheds over 30,000 gallons of water per year with our areas rainfall averages. Save some money and improve your indoor air quality. See you this Spring 🙂