PREFAB

PRE-FABRICATED FIREPLACE WARNING!

Whole states have passed laws which mandate that if ANY zero clearance fireplace chimney is ever even subjected to a creosote chimney fire: the whole chimney system MUST be replaced!

Not only do they build up creosote much faster than normal, they are less able to safely withstand a chimney fire!

Prefabricated chimney's build up excessive amounts of flammable creosote very rapidly!
Many of them cannot contain a serious chimney fire, which makes them dangerous!
If these chimney's DO catch on fire, the intense 2100 degree temperature often "sensitizes" the light metal flue, causing it to loose it's stainless steel properties and begin to rust!
One chimney fire may cause the whole chimney system to begin to corrode. They literally crumble to pieces! A home owner continues to use a deteriorating fireplace which is becomming a fire-trap!

The photograph on the left shows the results of a chimney fire on an expensive "Class A" chimney system ($125.00 per foot). "Class A" chimney systems are designed to withstand a 2100 degree chimney fire for 10 minutes. Almost NONE of the prefabricated zero clearance chimney systems installed in California are "Class A" chimney systems. These prefabricated zero clearance chimney systems are commonly installed in apartment buildings, housing tracts, and in all newer homes. Many of them are flimsy, inherently dangerous structures which in reality do not withstand chimney fires. But these flimsy chimney's build up flammable creosote much more quickly than regular masonry chimneys! The interior surface of these light sheet metal flue's stays abnormally cool, which causes creosote to condense inside them at an accelerated rate! So not only do they build up creosote much faster than normal, they are less able to safely withstand a chimney fire!

How many more whole apartment complexes will be allowed to burn down, before it is realized that the fire code which requires annual chimney inspection and cleaning MUST be enforced! Consider the fact that the total cost of of one of these inexpensive prefabricated fireplaces is only about $125.00! Thus the cost of the whole fireplace itself in a zero clearance system, is equal to the cost of only ONE FOOT of quality "Class A" chimney material. (In Canada, "Class A" chimney's must be designed to withstand a 2100 degree chimney fire for 30 minutes!) The total cost of a zero clearance chimney system in California is often UNDER five hundred dollars: which is the cost of only 5 feet of quality "Class A" chimney material!

Moreover, if a standard zero-clearance chimney system IS subjected to a chimney fire, the physical composition of the chimney pipe itself may become altered to loose it's stainless steel properties! This is referred to as becoming: sensitized. The heat of the chimney fire causes the chimney to loose it's stainless steel properties, and thereafter it begins to rust. Soon thereafter, a home owner may be using a fireplace with a corroding chimney which allows flame to directly contact the wood chase! Whole states have passed laws which mandate that if ANY zero clearance fireplace chimney is EVER even subjected to a chimney fire: the whole chimney system MUST be replaced! Associations, apartment building managers, cities, and home owners alike must all take seriously the N.F.P.A. Fire Code regulation which mandates annual chimney inspection. The only "safe" chimney, is a clean chimney!