The short answer
ClearStack Chimney Service cleans chimneys, dryer vents and air ducts across Brooklyn, from Bay Ridge and Park Slope to Flatbush and Coney Island. We follow the NFPA 211 standard's call for yearly chimney inspections, and we can check flues and liners during an oil-to-gas boiler conversion.
ClearStack Chimney Service cleans and inspects chimneys, dryer vents and air ducts in homes throughout Brooklyn. Housing here ranges from attached rowhouses and brownstones to detached homes and small multifamily buildings, and many of them share one chimney between a fireplace and a boiler or water heater. Our certified technicians look at the whole system, explain what they find in plain terms, and leave your home as clean as they found it.
Chimney Cleaning and Annual Inspections
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. That applies whether you burn wood every weekend or only run a gas boiler. Soot, creosote, loose masonry and nesting debris can build up in either case.
Inspections come in three levels. A Level 1 inspection fits when nothing about your system has changed. A Level 2 inspection is the right choice when you add a new appliance, switch fuels, or buy or sell a home. A Level 3 inspection is for cases where a hidden hazard can only be reached by opening part of the chimney or building.
Oil-to-Gas Conversions and Chimney Liners
Many Brooklyn homes and buildings have moved from oil heat to gas. When a New York City building converts its boiler from oil to gas, the chimney has to be evaluated as part of the work. A new liner is often needed, because gas exhaust produces acidic condensate that can corrode a masonry flue. We can inspect the flue before or during a conversion and tell you whether relining makes sense.
Dryer Vent Cleaning
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, failure to clean is the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires in homes. Lint collects not just in the trap but along the entire vent run, especially in long or bent ducts that run through basements and exterior walls. Signs it's time: clothes taking longer to dry, a hot laundry room, or weak airflow at the outside hood.
Time for your annual chimney check?
Air Duct Cleaning: When It Makes Sense
We take the same practical view as the U.S. EPA. Duct cleaning is worth doing when you see:
The EPA also notes that duct cleaning has not been shown to prevent health problems, and it urges caution with chemical treatments and very cheap advertised offers. If your ducts don't need cleaning, we'll tell you.
- Substantial visible mold growth inside ducts or other parts of the system
- Signs of vermin, such as rodents or insects
- Excessive dust and debris, including dust blowing out of supply registers
Planning Around Heat Season
New York City's heat season runs from October 1 through May 31, when building owners must keep apartments heated to the city's minimum temperatures. For owners of multifamily buildings, a late-summer or early-fall inspection helps catch flue problems before the boiler has to run every day. Homeowners with fireplaces benefit from the same timing.
Brooklyn Neighborhoods We Serve
We work across southern, central and western Brooklyn, including:
- Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach and Bensonhurst
- Sunset Park, Borough Park and Mapleton
- Park Slope, South Slope, Windsor Terrace, Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill
- Kensington, Ditmas Park, Parkville, Flatbush and Midwood
- Gravesend, Homecrest and Madison
- Coney Island, Sea Gate and Brighton Beach
