What kind of chimney or stove service do I need?
This tool exists because the hardest part of a chimney problem is commonly working out what category it falls into. Choose the option closest to what is happening and it returns three things in a fixed order: any stop condition that applies, the page explaining that specific problem, and the service it maps to. The stop condition always comes first, because with combustion appliances the difference between an inconvenience and an emergency is not obvious from inside the room and getting the order wrong costs time when time matters. Nothing here is computed or guessed. Every option is mapped to a written outcome, and the mapping is described at the bottom of the page. A starting point for a conversation with a technician, not a diagnosis of your particular chimney, which needs somebody looking at it.
Choose the chimney or stove symptom closest to what is happening
How this tool decides
It does not compute anything and it does not guess. Each option above is mapped to a fixed outcome written into the page’s source: a stop condition where one applies, the problem page that covers it, and the service it maps to. The stop condition is always shown before any service recommendation. This is a starting point for a conversation, not a diagnosis of your specific chimney: that needs someone looking at it.
The tool's mapping, written out
The tool is deterministic, so its rules are publishable. The same mapping the tool applies, visible without using it.
| If this is happening | Stop condition | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Chimney fire happening now | Leave; 911 from outside | Urgent problems, then a Level 2 inspection |
| Carbon monoxide alarm sounding | Leave; 911 or the gas utility | Urgent problems |
| Smell of gas | Leave; gas utility or 911 | Gas fireplace service, after the utility |
| Room filling with smoke | Leave; 911 from outside | Urgent problems |
| Fire that went out on its own | Do not use the appliance | Chimney inspection, Level 2 |
| Sudden total loss of draft | Do not use the appliance | Sweeping and blockage investigation |
| Startup puff that clears | None | Fireplace service, draft diagnosis |
| A season burned, never swept | None | Chimney sweeping |
| Water getting in | None | Caps, crowns and flashing |
| Brickwork failing | None | Chimney repair and masonry |
| Buying or selling | None | Chimney inspection, Level 2 |
| Stove will not hold a burn | None | Wood stove service |
| Pellet stove shutting down | None | Pellet stove service |
| Gas pilot will not stay lit | None | Gas fireplace service |
| Fireplace smells when unlit | None | Sweeping, and a sealing damper |
| Clothes drying slowly | None | Dryer vent cleaning |
| Adding or replacing an appliance | None | Liners, and a Level 2 inspection |
Common questions about interactive tool
How does this tool work?+
Every option is mapped to a fixed written outcome in the page's own source: a stop condition where one applies, the relevant problem page, and the service it maps to. Nothing is computed and nothing is generated.
Why does the warning come before the recommendation?+
Because with combustion appliances the failure mode is not inconvenience. Presenting a booking as the first available action in a situation that is a 911 call would be the wrong product decision and the wrong safety one.
Is this a diagnosis?+
No. The tool categorises a symptom so you know what you are dealing with and what to read. Establishing the condition of a specific chimney needs someone looking at it, and commonly looking inside it with a camera.
My symptom is not listed.+
Use the closest one and describe the rest in the request form. These are the situations that come up most often; chimneys are capable of doing things that do not fit a list.
Can I trust the stop conditions?+
They are the standard guidance for those situations and they are intentionally conservative. When the tool says to stop using an appliance, the cost of following that advice unnecessarily is a cold evening.
Why does it sometimes send me to an inspection instead of a repair?+
Because several symptoms have multiple possible causes and repairing the wrong one is the common outcome. Leaks and draft problems in particular need diagnosis before scope.
Does the tool store my answers?+
No. The tool runs entirely in your browser and nothing is submitted or recorded. If you then send a request, that form is separate and you fill it in yourself.
Should I use this before calling 911?+
No. If a chimney fire, a CO alarm, a gas smell or a room filling with smoke is happening now, leave the building and call from outside. Read this afterwards.
Why are there so few options?+
Because each one has to map cleanly to a distinct outcome. A longer list with overlapping options would look more complete and give worse answers.
Does it work without JavaScript?+
The tool itself needs it, but nothing else does: every page's content, the problem pages and the service pages are server-rendered and fully readable without it.
Can I use it for a rental I manage?+
Yes, and the routing is the same. For a portfolio, the practical advice is to book inspections in summer, when coordinating tenant access is far easier than in October.
What if the result surprises me?+
Read the problem page it points at. Chimney symptoms frequently have a cause in a different component from the one people expect, and leaks are the clearest example of that.