It's that time of year again. You went to sleep one evening, the air conditioner whirring and the box fan buzzing, and when you woke up the next morning, you found yourself shivering. The temperature plummeted, and now it's suddenly time once again to fire up that fireplace of yours. If you're like most homeowners, you've probably neglected to clean it since last year. What steps do you need to take to ensure a safe and properly working fireplace during the fall and winter months?

For starters, call a chimney cleaning service. Most serivce professionals recommend having your chimney professionally cleaned after each cord to cord and a half of wood is burned. The best time to call a professional is during the spring and summer months, when cleaning services are not as busy and when their rates tend to be cheaper. They'll also have more time to spend with you and your chimney; and should any repairs need to be performed, you're more likely to be able to get them performed right away. Open the yellow pages, or ask your fellow neighbors and friends which service they recommend. Using the services of a professional is your best defense against a chimney fire. Do yourself a favor, and set up a regular cleaning schedule with your chimney sweeping service. You won't have to think about it or remind yourself; a simple postcard or phone call will let you know when it's time for regular maintenance. Now is also a good time to purchase a smoke detector and plenty of batteries, as well as a carbon monoxide detector.

If you're ambitious and intend to clean your chimney yourself, you're in the minority. It's an often messy and time-consuming job. Your first step should be to shine a flashlight up your chimney to determine the degree of soot accumulation. The odds are that it's time for a cleaning; chimney sweep services recommend cleaning when more than one-eighth of an inch of soot has collected along the inside walls of your chimney. After you inspect the inside of the chimney, take a walk outside, and inspect the outer portion. Do you spot any cracks or signs of water damage/leakage? If so, it's time to call a professional to assess the problem and perform the necessary repairs; the job is too big and involved to perform on your own.

When the service representative arrives, you may want to consult with him or her to discuss the inspection procedure. It should include the following points:

The following things must be done yearly to ensure safe operation:

• checking glass gaskets for proper seal;
• cleaning glass interior and exterior;
• cleaning the burner area, including logs and paint liners;
• cleaning the valve compartment and heat exchanger;
• checking the pilot generator for proper strength;
• checking the flame appearance for proper burn;
• checking for the proper vent drafting;
• checking the external vent cap for proper installation and the presence of any obstruction;
• testing for gas leaks;
• checking the pilot assembly for proper lighting;
• inspecting valve terminals for the connections that turn on the burner, as well as for pilot valve operation; and
• checking wires for broken or worn out connectors.

If this checklist seems a bit too involved, or if you're seeing dollar signs as you read all of the above-listed steps, consider what could happen if you fail to take all of these precautions to ensure the safety of your fireplace:

• delayed burner ignition, which can spur a small explosions;
• prolonged noxious odor from gas leaks;
• carbon monoxide leaks and low-level carbon monoxide poisoning;
• glass becomes translucent or opaque, making it difficult to see the fire;
• a permanent hazy film covering the glass;
• system failure caused by blockage or overheating in the vent; and/or
• complete system breakdown, caused by the failure of the burner to ignite or the pilot to light or stay lit.

When it comes time to light the first fire, so many of us forget that obvious step: opening the flue. And if you fail to do so, you'll soon be notified of your misstep when your living room fills up with hazy smoke. While it sounds basic, if you've never owned a home with a fireplace before -- or, perhaps, you're an apartment-dweller who recently moved into a unit with a fireplace -- it's sometimes difficult for a novice to determine if the flue is indeed open. From one novice to another, the easiest way to tell is to listen for the telltale sound of wind. If you hear it, the flue is open. If not, move the lever to the other side. And of course, if you're mistaken, you'll soon know it after you light your fire and your living room fills with smoke.

At the end of the heating season, don't forget to close your chimney flue. If you don't, a variety of nesting animals may take up residence in your chimney, and not all of them will live long lives. Needless to say, the ensuing unpleasant clean-up is one you don't want to face.

As with so many other home maintenance measures, you'd be wise to make the investment in a professional service to keep your chimney in good working condition. Making that investment now saves you money in the long run, but far more important, routine inspections will prevent safety hazards that could place you and your family at serious risk. Simply put, coughing up a little cash for prevention now will save you plenty of coughing later.