ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The chill in the air is leading to many people cranking up the heat, but before you fire up your fireplace, there are some dangers to keep in mind.<\/p>\n
69 News Reporter Sydney Kay was in Allentown with tips from a local expert.<\/p>\n
Michael Wittkopp, Director of Operations at Lehigh Valley Chimney, said the business is as busy as ever making sure chimneys are clean this season.<\/p>\n
Every year, the biggest challenge companies like his face is the initial rush of customers because of the temperature changes.<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s created a fun safety mascot, \u201cFluey Louie,\u201d to get people excited about chimneys, he said.<\/p>\n
He said chimneys are an integral part of homes\u2019 heating processes. Some people rely only on chimneys to vent out dangerous gases in their homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur major focus is being able to protect the Valley, one chimney at a time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said with that comes maintenance and getting ahead of the ball before it\u2019s the eleventh hour.<\/p>\n
Make sure no water gets into the chimney, which along with heat can cause significant damage, he said.<\/p>\n
Check out your carbon monoxide detectors in your basement and make sure the batteries are not out of date.<\/p>\n
That way, if something were to happen, you will be well protected, Wittkopp said.<\/p>\n
If you are going to light a fire and smoke rolls back into your home or you notice any type of staining on the front of the fireplace, that\u2019s not a good sign, he said.<\/p>\n
Smoke should be exiting the home, not coming back into it, he said.<\/p>\n
To learn more, you can head to the Lehigh Valley Chimney website<\/a> and its Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> pages.<\/p>\n