Winter Is Coming, Is Your Wood Burning Stove Or Fireplace Ready?
Winter is just around the corner. Soon we will start waking up in the morning and we will feel the crisp bite in the air. The green grass we have now will fade to yellow, the cottonwoods will start to drop their leaves, and Starbucks will have their obligatory “Pumpkin Spice” caffeinated beverages. All signs that the seasons are changing.
With the change in seasons comes a set of standard home projects that we get done prior to the cold weather getting here. We stock up on snow shovels and ice melter, winterize our irrigation systems, stock up on some nonperishable food, and….. make sure that our wood burning appliances are ready to keep us warm when we need it.
All summer long, we’ve been super busy with dryer vent cleaning, smoke detector replacements (thank you all who have kept us busy this summer), however Prescott Home Safety is often inundated with calls when the weather gets cold and customers start to burn in their stoves and fireplaces. Many times these customers are having issues with their chimney drafting (pulling smoke up and out of the chimney). Sometimes smoke is billowing back into their living room and setting off their smoke detectors (you better have working smoke detectors too! If not, we can help with that). Or worse yet, they have had a chimney fire due to excessive creosote. Often we find ourselves booked several weeks out and can’t get to these priority jobs. It really is best if you give us a call to come take care of it well in advance of the cold weather to give yourself the peace of mind that your unit will function appropriately when you need it.
I often talk to customers who don’t get their chimney cleaned and inspected annually, because they don’t burn very often. This goes against my recommendation as a lot can change since last winter. I have found chimney caps missing from freakish monsoon winds, bird nests, and even signs of rodent nests inside the fire box and chimney. My services aren’t just to perform a cleaning with the intention of preventing a chimney fire. We do a thorough inspection of your entire system to make sure that it is operating and safe to use. We really want to get your unit taken care of at the beginning of the season rather than you being stuck without a critical source of heat when the temperature dips below freezing and a winter storm knocks out the power.
Quick Story: As a local firefighter I often think of stories from my public safety career that carry over to Prescott Home Safety. I remember the great SNOWMAGEDDON OF 2019 where massive amounts snow fell across the entire northern half of Arizona. Roads were impassable, as the snow plows just couldn’t keep up. One critical event that happened during that storm was that a major power line supplying the Copper Basin area had been compromised and would take about a week to repair. While working on the fire truck, we were dispatched to a home in the area without power. We were called by an elderly woman who was concerned about her husband. They had been without power for 3 days, and hence, they were without their standard HVAC system for heat. The inside of their home was about the same temperature as it was outside. The husband was shivering in their bed under about 5 blankets. I noticed that the couple had a wood burning stove in their living room but no firewood anywhere. I decided to send the other firefighter to the gas station to buy the couple two bundles of prepackaged firewood, two cups of coffee, and a newspaper. I stayed with the couple to keep them company. When the other firefighter returned, we were able to get a fire lit in the wood stove while the elderly couple sat and drank their hot coffee, getting caught up on the last 3 days worth of news, and, most importantly, getting warmed up next to the fire. They ended up calling their son from Phoenix to come pick them up and bring them to a Hotel for a few nights until power was restored and the roads were passable for a taxi to bring them home.
Lesson Learned: You never know if we will face the snowmageddon of 2023 this winter. It pays to have your contingency plan ready to go before you need it. Had this older couple been prepared, there would have been far less suffering in the days prior to them calling the fire department. That’s the message I’m trying to communicate; give Prescott Home Safety a call and get yourself ready for the “what if” scenarios of this upcoming winter. With both of my jobs I’m in the business of managing those “what if” scenarios. The difference is, as a firefighter, my role is reactionary, and as the owner of Prescott Home Safety, my role is prevention. Have you ever heard of the 5 P’s? As an outdoorsman, firefighter, business owner, husband, and dad, I try to apply the 5 P’s to all of those roles. Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.
On a side note, if you’re looking for a wood burning unit to help you with planning for these winter storms, I can’t help you. However, Ty & Lora Scott at Builders Wholesale have been very helpful with referrals and helping me grow my business. They are great people and can get you taken care of. Call them early as they are busy just like everyone else in the construction industry. I can’t say enough good things about Builders Wholesale and the Scotts. 928-778-6655
In the meantime, please enjoy the blessings of summer while we have them. The longer days, warm evenings, and hopefully a few more lightning shows from the lingering monsoons. Thank you for visiting my website and please consider Prescott Home Safety for all of your home safety needs.
-God Bless.
