381-8 Old Riverhead Road

Westhampton Beach, NY

Tel. 631-998-0780

Hours: Tues. - Thur. 9am to 3pm / Fri. 9am to 12pm (or by appt.) / Sat. - Mon. Closed

Our Company Blog

Proper Ash Disposal

Disposing of ash is a necessary evil that comes with enjoying a lovely fire at the end of a long day. The burning wood results in a pile of byproduct that needs to be removed in order to be able to continually use your fireplace or stove. Let us walk you through the proper way to remove and dispose of ash, and how often you need to do it to ensure a safe environment. Your plants will thank you!

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After a certain amount of burning, some of the ash needs to be removed, but a little of it can actually help. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) says that having an inch or so of ash under the grate will protect and encourage heat in the coals and result in more heat being produced. This can only be a good thing during the upcoming cold. It takes balance though. Too much ash will do the opposite to the coals, dispersing heat and not insulating the coals. Protecting the firebox is beneficial, but ash overload is where the trouble starts. The ash accumulation could spill over into the floor and singe or burn the flammable materials nearby.

Wait an entire 24 hours before attempting disposal. Ash that may look fine to touch won’t fully be cool until then. If you are unsure or in a time crunch, using heat resistant gloves will be your best bet to not burn yourself. Wearing your gloves, slowly remove the ash from the firebox until all that remains is larger coals that can be relit and about an inch of residual ash. The ash can be put in a bucket or sealed crate until cool, but put the container out of harms reach, in a closet or rarely used pantry. The temptation would be too great for small children or animals. If the ash is still warm, cover the pile in sand or cover with a lid of some sort to keep oxygen out. This will starve out any flame that may be tempted to develop.

Once your ash bucket has been removed from eyesight, forget about it. Wait three days and then uncover it. Relocate the cooled ash to a bag of some sort and put in the garbage. If your garden could use more alkaline soil, sprinkling some ash onto the plants could be very beneficial. Don’t dump the whole bucket though, you don’t want to shock your plants by completely changing the soil pH.

Ash is very alkaline, so too much will change the pH of the soil, and will end up killing your plants. If dumping the remaining ash seems wasteful, there are many other alternative uses as well. Our favorite is using ash instead of salt on slippery surfaces during the winter months to melt ice without damaging your soil!

Give us a call with any questions you have about your chimney or fireplace and make sure to have us out to sweep and inspect before the harsh winter sets in!

By Julie Dismore on November 13th, 2015 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Proper Ash Disposal

Fire Safety for Fireplace Owners

A fireplace can add impressive beauty and comfort to a home, particularly during the chilly winter months. Few can resist the allure of the crackling flames and soothing warmth, which makes fireplaces such popular additions to home. However, they come with their own set of risks, just like all other household appliances. Keeping safety in mind this season can help ensure a warm, happy winter for everyone.

First of all, fireplaces are built to contain live flames that can burn upward of hundreds of degrees depending on the type of fuel being burned. In just a moment of contact with flames, skin can suffer severe burns and flammable materials can ignite violently. One good measure to take to help avoid this type of damage is to maintain a safe distance of at least three feet from the fireplace. This concerns both people and combustible items in the home, such as furniture and decorations. To help maintain this distance, the fire should remain supervised at all times, especially with children or pets around.

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Children and pets are at the highest risk around the fireplace. In addition to close supervision, another way to keep them safe is to have heat resistant glass doors installed on the face of the fireplace. Designed to separate the home from the fire, the newer models of glass doors even stay cool to the touch while the fire burns, making them an ideal safety feature. For older children, teach them about fire safety, including the risk of burns and the danger of putting foreign objects into the fire.

Another crucial step to take to keep the fireplace safe is to have it serviced regularly. Fire code requires the chimney be swept at least once per year. This practice removes built up soot or creosote, which can block the proper ventilation of fumes from the home or even cause a devastating chimney fire. Additionally, an inspection must be performed annually to detect any potential safety threats like an obstruction, a damaged flue lining, or a malfunctioning damper, all of which can flood the house with poisonous carbon monoxide gas.

One final measure, which should be present in a house whether or not it has a fireplace, is the proper placement of functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Smoke detectors should be placed on each floor, outside the sleeping area, and inside each bedroom. Carbon monoxide detectors should also be on each floor and outside the sleeping area. Each detector should be replaced every five to ten years, depending on the manufacturer’s requirements, and the batteries must be tested every month and replaced if necessary.

For more tips on being safe with your fireplace this winter, contact the professionals at Beach Stove and Fireplace.

By Julie Dismore on January 24th, 2015 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fire Safety for Fireplace Owners

Our Location

Beach Stove and Fireplace is located on Old Riverhead Road between Montauk Highway and Sunrise Highway. From Sunrise Highway take exit 63 south, travel 1.2 miles and turn right at the 381 complex (just north of Gabreski Airport)