CSIA Update

DECEMBER REPORT

www.CSIA.org

Integrated and international

CSIA board reaffirms committent to ESCHFOE, our European brothers and sisters in soot
The Chimney Safety
Institute of America
board of directors
this year reaffirmed
our involvement
with ESCHFOE, the
European Federation
of Chimney Sweeps.
There are 22 European
Country members, and
the United States is
John Pilger
a guest member. We
believe that interaction
with our overseas brothers and sisters in soot
isnt just a tradition, but a necessity. CSIA asked
Past President John Pilger his thoughts on our
partnership.
Why ESCHFOE? As a guest member, we have
most of the rights as a regular member, except
voting on leadership and meeting motions. I am
often asked, Why are we members? My reply
to that is, Who better to learn from? These
countries have hundreds of years of experience
which we can tap information from, plus most
are heavily supported by their governments.
How does the government being involved make
a difference? Not only does their government
count on them to keep homes safe from fire,
but they also count on them for combustion
(energy) efficiency and for pollution control.
Every year in Germany, approximately 7,800
German chimney sweeps collect more them
180 million bits of data. Many of these bits of
data contain defects in heating appliances,
air supplies, CO measurements on gas- fired
and oil fired appliances, as well, as pollution
measurements of wood-heating appliances.
The government takes this collected data and
reports back to the European Union (EU) in
Brussels on the state of pollution and energy
usage in their countries.
Why does CSIA attend these meetings? Thats
the biggest question Im asked. That answer is
real easy: Technical information. Just ask any
of our Past presidents, especially Vic Imgarten,
Jerry Isenhour, Steve Pietila, and CSIA Director
of Education Ashley Eldridge, or myself. The

Europeans are on the cutting

edge of technology and any
new technology that we can
get and pass on to our CSIA
Certified Sweeps and NCSG
members is well worth the cost
of sending our representatives.
Dont get me wrong, we
contribute our fair share of
technology, but where we shine
is providing them with business
knowledge. Many countries
in Europe had a monopoly -- in
other words, they had their
own districts where another
sweep could not work. With
the new EU rules in place, this
John Pilger representing CSIA at a past ESCHFOE presentation. CSIAs
ended the chimney sweep
monopoly in many countries. board of directors renewed our commitment to have a representative at
Now chimney sweeps can go ESCHFOE during the technical meeting every other year.
into another sweeps area and
savings in their home countries.
get new customers; they have now entered the
Pricing for chimney sweeping was
free market. Now chimney companies must
also discussed. In some countries the
start to market their services. For instance, in
government sets the price for chimney
Germany and the Scandinavian countries, they
sweeping. The delegates were asked
are now allowed to repair chimneys. Before the
what is the price of chimney sweeping
new EU rules, they were only allowed to sweep.
in their country? We explain how the
This is where America shines, MARKETING
market is different in every region of
AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. I am constantly
our country, so prices vary. It was very
schooling my European friends on how we
interesting to hear about some of the
provide customer service and market our
rules and regulations that are going
services. The way we soak up their technical
on in the other countries. Attending
advances is the way they soak up our marketing
ESCHFOE conference is very beneficial
skills. This in my opinion is the best of both
to the chimney sweeps in America. We
worlds. This is a big reason why it is extremely
gain all the technical benefits for very
important to belong to ESCHFOE.
little cost.
Did CSIA attend ESCHFOE in 2014? We had
MORE ON ESCHFOE
scheduling conflicts, but NCSG/CSIA sent in a
report to be read at the meeting.
Every even year (2014) is the
What was the experience like in 2013? I
attended the last technical meeting in England,
with CSIA Director of Education Ashley
Eldridge, NCSG President Diane Pilger and
Past President Randy Brooks. We attended
the ESCHFOE official meeting in the UK training
center, which is 100% operated by biomass.
Each country delegates reported about energy

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business meeting, where

most non-technical issues are
discussed and every odd year
(2015) is the technical meeting.
NCSG is the ESCHFOE guest
member, but CSIA sends their
representatives every other
year to the technical meeting.

DECEMBER REPORT
New CSIA Certified
Chimney Sweeps
California
Errol Davis | The Chimney Specialist | Costa
Mesa
Kevin Christy | San Pedro Chimney and
Firewood | San Pedro
Colorado
Michael Caton | A Clean Chimney | Pine
Florida
Neil Hamel | Doodlebuggers Service Network |
Pensacola
Illinois
Jamin Vander Heyden | Advanced Chimney
Systems | Rockford
Anthony Knowles | Lindemann Chimney | Lake
Bluff
Maryland
David Hill | Magic Broom Chimney Sweeps |
Waldorf
Ryan Ambrose | Magic Broom Chimney
Sweeps | Waldorf
Michigan
Jacob Castorena | Doctor Flue, Inc. |
Tecumseh
New Jersey
Michael Kalotinis | American Chimney Service
| Westwood
New York
Kevin McNamara | Guaranteed Chimney
Services, Inc. | Westhampton Beach
Connor Hart | Hudson Valley Chimney Sweeps
| Poughkeepsie
Jake Constatine | Allphase Masonry &
Chimney | Selkirk
Keith Stiffler | Northeastern Masonry &
Chimney | Selkirk
Pennsylvania
Ryan Collins | Andersons Chimney Sweeps |
New Cumberland
Dave Johns | Andersons Chimney Sweeps |
New Cumberland

www.CSIA.org
New CSIA Certified Dryer
Exhaust Technicans
Alabama
Jody Rush | Top Hat Chimney Sweeps |
Opelika
Indiana
Chris Coolidge | Wellman Exteriors |
Indianapolis
Virginia
Ryan Steel | Magic Sweep Corporation |
Chesapeake

New York
Tedd Cuttitta | NY Fireplace Designs Inc. |
New City

Roydhouse: manual update

proceeding

As many chimney
sweeps know,
CSIA is planning to upgrade
our Successful
CSIA Certified Chimney
Chimney Sweep
Sweeps, Renewed With CEUs reference manual. Leading this Chuck Roydhouse
California
effort is Chuck Roydhouse, a CSIA
Michael Danskin|The Clean Sweep,
Certified Chimney Sweep since
Chimney Cleaning & Repair | Knightsen
1995 who was named to the board
Florida
of directors in March 2014. Chuck,
Thomas LaMontagne & James Simmons
owner of Clean Sweep of Anne
| Doodlebuggers Service Network |
Arundel County Chimney Service
Pensacola
Inc., of Millersville, Maryland, is
not only looking at the Successful
Maryland
Chimney Sweeping manual, but
Glenn Jolie | Magic Broom Chimney
analyzing CSIA certification proSweeps | Waldorf
grams, and exams. This is going
Pennsylvania
to be the new and improved upBrian Cline | Smokestack Masonry |
date that will ensure that we stay
Strasburg
current with chimney and venting
Edmund Poplawski | Olympia Chimney
profession, Roydhouse said. Our
Supply, Inc. | Scranton
chimney sweeps have evolved
H. Robert Smith | Chester County Hearth
into chimney sweep technicians,
& Home | Elverson
and so our educational materials
will reflect that. The timeline for
Wisconsin
Jasper Drengler | Chimney Mechanix |
implementation is spring 2016. This
Shawano
will be a cooperative effort that
will involve input from the larger
Mark Maynard | The Chimney Guy LLC |
community of chimney professionMenasha
al and dryer exhaust technicians.
Well keep you posted! The manuPeter Thompson | Badger Chimney Speal, which debuted in the 1980s, had
cialist | Madison
its eighth edition in October 2011.
Vermont
Natt Harkins | Brickliners Corp. |
Williston
Mike Byam | Chimney Savers | Randolph

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DECEMBER REPORT
PRESIDENTS NOTE
A busy
year 2014

will end
up being a
record year
for many in
the chimney
industry,
according
to input Ive Mark A. Stoner
received from
sweeps and suppliers. (Congratulations to all!) I also believe
that our increased certification
numbers will help the chimney
sweeps make more money while
doing a better job educating and
servicing homeowners. At this
years NCSG Convention I made
it a goal to get our CCS Certification numbers to 1,900. Were up
to 1,500 CCS; lets keep it going.
CSIA
has completed a white paper
that, through testing at Intertek Labs, has demonstrated
that choosing the appropriate
aftermarket part will not change
the function of the fireplace or
chimney. Parts tested were
grates, rain caps and refractory
panels. It is understood that
whenever the original parts are
available they are preferred and
that if an aftermarket part is to
be used it should always be approved by the authority having
jurisdiction. This is useful when
the manufacturer no longer
supports the listed factory-built
fireplace or has gone out of
business and the replacement
part is one that routinely wears
out or is in need of regular replacement.

White paper update

www.CSIA.org

NFI, CSIA deal to mean discounts on certification

Theres a reason that Chimney
Safety Institute of America Certified Chimney Sweeps are in
demand by the public, and thats
in part to their commitment to
education. We saw evidence of
this in summer 2014, when CSIA
had one of the highest turnouts
ever for our annual Installing
and Troubleshooting Gas Hearth
Appliances course. Its because
chimney sweeps increasingly want
to be of service to their customers,
who have a range of alternatives
available to them when it comes to
stoves and fireplaces of all types.
These chimney sweeps want to
add to the expertise that come with
certifications from
the National Fireplace Institute. NFI
certifies hearth industry planners and
installers in three
hearth product
categories based
on fuel type: NFI Gas Specialist;
NFI Woodburning Specialist; and
NFI Pellet Specialist. Now that
process will be easier and more
affordable.The boards that oversee
the National Fireplace Institute and
Chimney Safety Institute of America announced an agreement in November so that those who are NFI
Certified can receive a discount on
either of two CSIA certifications
plus CSIA advanced educational
offerings, while those that are CSIA
certified will receive a discount on
all three NFI certifications as well
as the manuals and 200+ online
classes offered by the Hearth Patio
& Barbecue Association Education
Foundation. CSIA has some great
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education programs and can teach

things that our hearth professionals should know, and NFI has some
great education programs that your
chimney sweeps should know, so
were making the best of it, said
Rick Vlahos, Executive Director of
the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Education Foundation and the National Fireplace
Institute. There
are some great
educational
opportunities
on both sides,
and we need to
Rick Vlahos

share that knowledge

back and forth, said
Frances L. Kelly, executive director of the
Chimney Safety Institute of America. The
customer benefits from
having a better trained
technician when both groups contribute to education. The collaboration means that a CSIA Certified
Chimney Sweep can purchase
NFIs manual/exam package at NFI
member prices. Those that are NFI
Certified would pay a lower rate
for: CSIAs manuals used as part of
the certification; CSIA advanced
educational offerings; CSIA in-person certification reviews; and CSIA
exams. NFI Certified professionals
also have access to CSIAs 70+ online education/training courses. For
more info, contact us at office@
csia.org.
-Tom Spalding, CSIA Marketing and
Communications

CSIA 2015
Education Calendar
As of 10/22/14 - Schedule subject to change. Please contact the
Chimney Safety Institute of America prior to making travel arrangements.

CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review & Exam

January 16 | CSIA Technology Center, Plainfield, IN
February 17 | Lancaster, PA [part of NCSG 2015 Convention]
March 13 | CSIA Technology Center, Plainfield, IN
May 15 | Scranton, PA

Chimney Physics
April 1617 | CSIA Technology Center
August 1011 | CSIA Technology Center
Diagnosis and resolution of chimney performance issues, solving air pressure
problems, identifying the symptoms of indoor air pollutants, determining
combustion air requirements for vented appliances. CSIA CEUs: 3-T, 3-CS, 3-HS,
3-CL NFI CEUs: 4 E

June 5 | CSIA Technology Center, Plainfield, IN

September 18 | Atlantic City, NJ

Installing and Troubleshooting

Gas Hearth Appliances

October 16 | Albany, NY

July 2024 | CSIA Technology Center

November 13 | CSIA Technology Center

Service and installation, including appliance standards,

combustion
requirements, pipe sizing and installation, troubleshooting, carbon monoxide testing
and fuel conversion.

July 31 | CSIA Technology Center, Plainfield, IN

CSIA CEUs: 4-T, 4-CS, 4-HS, 4-CL NFI CEUs: 16 T

In-person intensive review sessions help candidates prepare for the exams.
The review sessions are not a substitute for advanced study. CSIA CEUs:
1.50-T, 1.50-CS, 1.50-HS, 1.50-CL NFI CEUS: 6T

Inspection and Report Writing

May 1112 | CSIA Technology Center
Oct. 1516 | CSIA Technology Center
Chimney inspections and evaluations, report writing including regional
and environmental influences, effective photo documentation, digital
organization and admininstrative procedures. CSIA CEUs: 4-T, 4-CS, 4-CL
NFI CEUs: 12 T

National Chimney Sweep Training School

March 2328 | CSIA Technology Center
June 2227 | CSIA Technology Center

CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician 1-Day

Review /Exam
January 16 | Independence, MO [hosted by Midwest Chimney Safety
Council]
February 17 | Lancaster, PA [part of NCSG 2015 Convention]
In-person intensive review sessions help candidates prepare for the exam. CSIA
CEUs: 1.25-T, 1.25-CS, 1-HS, .1-CL

CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust

Technician 2-Day Workshop/
Exam
July 2930 | CSIA Technology Center
November 56 | CSIA Technology Center
In-person intensive review sessions, along with hands-on instruction, help
candidates prepare for the exam. CSIA CEUs: 9-T, .5-CS, .5-HS, 1-CL

August 2429 | CSIA Technology Center

Sept. 28Oct. 3 | CSIA Technology Center
Fundamentals of sweeping and inspection of chimney systems, equipment
operation, health and safety considerations and step-by-step instruction in
codes, clearances, standards and practices. CCS CEUs: 4-T, 4-CS, 4-CL, 4-HS
NFI CEUs: 16 T

Online classes
anytime access | csia.org
Over 70 courses to choose from, with a bevy of CEUs. Curriculum is
online, so you can sign up and start learning at the convenience of home
or work!

Register today at www.CSIA.org or call us at (317) 837-5362.