APPLIANCE SALES CANADA

Edward L. Hale
News Leader/Mr. Thrifty News Correspondent

Winter chimney fire prevention

The cold winter season is coming faster than some may want it to. Homeowners have been preparing for the cold windy winter by stocking up on split firewood to stay warm this winter season.There is no way of stopping the change of the season, however there is something that every homeowner can change before the season arrives, and for some the time to use the fireplace has already come.

Homeowners need to be aware that while they are stockpiling wood, they should also keep their chimney in mind.

Every year someone is a victim of a chimney fire. Carrollton Village Fire Department reports since Jan. 2008, they have handled four chimney fires and expect more if homeowners do not take precautions. Sometimes the damage can be slight while others experience the loss of their home as the chimney fire spreads into the home.

Most chimney fires happen for one simple reason: improper usage and care of wood-burning appliances like fireplaces and wood stoves.

What is a chimney fire and how do you know that you are a victim of one? Some describe it as a sound similar to a roaring freight train, while others say it sounds like a low flying plane over the home. This is typically the first indication of a chimney fire and it's growing louder. You have every reason to believe there's a fire raging in your chimney. The circumstances are not going to be good.

Clouds of black smoke and sparks pouring out the top of your chimney are other indications of a chimney fire. If it's a large fire, flames can protrude several feet above the top of the chimney.

It is highly recommended that homeowners not use the fireplace or wood stove until a professional such as a fire-place or wood stove installer or a chimney sweep come out and inspect the chimney. Chimney fires can cause a lot of damage to the chimney structure, including cracks and holes in the chimney wall, the flue, the flue pipe, and the flue liner. If the damage isn't repaired, any subsequent fires could move beyond the flue and engulf adjoining areas.

If you realize a chimney fire is occurring in your home call 911 for the fire department and get everyone out of the house, including yourself If you can do so without risk to yourself, these additional steps may help save your home. Remember that homes are replaceable, but lives are not.

* Put a chimney fire extinguisher into the fireplace or wood stove. * Close the doors on the fireplace to keep the fire contained. * Close the air inlets on the wood stove. * Use a garden hose to spray down the roof, not the chimney, so the fire won't spread to the rest of the structure. * Monitor the exterior chimney temperature throughout the house for at least 2 or 3 hours after the fire is out. If anyone has further questions or concerns regarding chimney fires, it is recommended to contact your local fire department.

Defective Drywall Installed by Local Appliance Shop

Down County – Building inspectors are investigating claims that drywall installed by Yee Tran Minh, proprietor of the Appliance Garden, was inferior and may pose significant health risks to Flubug residents. Those residents, mostly within Downslope where remodeling becomes routine after seasonal runoffs, are reporting clogged filters, failed appliances and nauseating gases.

They’re also reporting symptoms.

Billl Russell, who remodeled his Downslope rambler last year, has been plagued with headaches, boils and a “goiter the size of a baseball.” Judy Willowbroook, who recently redid her Downslope loft to accommodate aging parents, claims they had panic attacks in their locked bedroom. And Candy Marinowski, who moved in with her parents last year after losing a leg to diptheria, says the odor is so horrendous she’s decided to give the streets another try. “At least I’ll be away from that stench.”

Investigators at Down County Building Permits Division agree there’s a problem and are currently conducting tests to address over 100 homeowner complaints. There’s also a class-action suit which alleges defective drywall isn’t confined to Flubug. At least three other states are embroiled in similar battles.
Tests and lawsuits, however, are small comfort for those trapped in foul-smelling homes. Nor is the knowledge that the drywall probably came from China. “Who cares where it came from?” says Bill Russell. “Yee put it in and Yee should take it out!”

District Attorney Mayweather Simms, who empathizes with the homeowners, agrees: "It's economically and emotionally devastating. In most cases, the interior has to be gutted while the homeowner pays the mortgage and rent for temporary housing. I think the installer has plenty of culpability.”
Judy Willowbrook sees more than culpability in the drywall’s installation...she sees a conspiracy. "My washing machine, dryer, microwave and refrigerator have all broken down because of this drywall. And who sells the only appliances in town? Yee Tran Minh. I think he installed this crap just to sell more appliances!”

Ms. Willowbrook may have a point. Electronics and appliances with copper components, which comprise the bulk of Minh’s inventory, seem to be especially susceptible to the drywall, turning black within weeks of exposure being failing completely.

To Felix Martinez, who moved from his Beantown bodega to search out the American dream, life will never be the same. "My dream is stinkin’ a nightmare. My wife left. My kids is all gone. An’ mia casa smell like stinking a pig. If I find this Tran guy, I cut out his heart!”

Repeated calls to Yee’s Appliance Garden went unanswered.