Owning a two- or three-family house means being responsible for more heating equipment than most homeowners ever think about, and all of it usually vents through one chimney. AM Chimney Sweep inspects, cleans, relines and repairs chimneys in Paterson. This page is written for the owner, whether you live in one of the units or not.
Paterson is a multi-family city
Census Bureau estimates show that more than half of Paterson’s homes are in two- to four-family buildings, and about a third of the city’s housing was built before 1940. The typical job here is an older brick chimney carrying a separate boiler or furnace and a water heater for each apartment.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 five-year estimates.
An owner’s chimney checklist
Know what vents where
Go to the basement and trace each appliance to the chimney. Note how many flues the chimney has and which appliances share one. Label them. When something is replaced years from now, that note will save time and money.
Have it inspected every year
The national standard, NFPA 211, calls for chimneys and vents to be inspected at least annually. In a building where the flue serves several households, the consequences of a blockage are shared by all of them.
Re-inspect when equipment changes
Replacing one apartment’s boiler or water heater changes the load on a shared flue. The flue should be checked, and if necessary relined, to suit what is now connected.
Keep the base accessible
The clean-out door at the bottom of the chimney should not be buried behind stored belongings. Debris collects there and needs to be removed.
Nothing else goes into the chimney
Clothes dryers, space heaters and kitchen fans must not be vented into a chimney flue. If a tenant or a previous owner has done this, it needs to be corrected.
Carbon monoxide alarms
Every apartment should have working carbon monoxide alarms near the sleeping areas, and there should be one in the basement near the heating equipment. Test them on a regular schedule.
What tenants notice first
Ask tenants to tell you promptly about any of these:
- Soot or dark streaks around the pipe above a water heater or boiler
- A water heater pilot that keeps going out
- Moisture running down a wall that backs onto the chimney
- A stale exhaust smell when the heat is on
- Headaches or dizziness that ease when people leave the building
The last item is an emergency. Everyone should leave and call 911 or the gas utility from outside.
Making the visit easy
- Arrange access to the basement and to the roof, including any hatch or locked door.
- Let tenants know the date. We may need the heat off briefly.
- Have all units’ equipment looked at in a single appointment.
- Ask for the written report. It is useful for your own records and for your insurer.
Services for Paterson multi-family buildings
- Chimney inspection with a camera in each active flue
- Cleaning of heating flues and removal of debris at the base
- Liners sized for the connected appliances
- Crown, cap and masonry repairs
- Dryer vent cleaning, often overdue where several households share long vent runs
Request service in Paterson
Call (862) 225-6529 or send the details online: the address, the number of units and what fuels the heat. We explain what we find and what it would cost before any work starts. See Our Work for completed projects.