FAQs

Chimneys should be swept at least once a year when burning gas or smokeless fuels, and more frequently when burning wood or coal.

It is important to sweep chimneys regularly to ensure that the soot in the chimney flue is removed and therefore reduce the risk of chimney fires, and to aid the safe evacuation of dangerous combustion gasses from the fireplace out into the atmosphere.

Any fossil fuel burnt produces Carbon Monoxide. This can be fatal if present in your home, therefore frequent chimney sweeping is essential and will eliminate any risk of the chimney being blocked, by birds and squirrels nests, bees and wasps nests, cobwebs, fallen chimney bricks and soot.

You should only enlist the services of competent tradesmen to carry out any works or inspections that may affect the safe working of any chimney, flue or appliance.

The smoke evacuation check is part of the chimney sweeping procedure, the sweep will light a smoke pellet in the appliance and let it burn, making sure the smoke evacuates up and out the chimney.

All solid fuel appliances and most gas appliances need a flow of air into the room.

Some, particularly the open fires, need more than others, in addition to the air required to burn the fuel, a much larger quantity flows over the fire, through the appliance or fireplace opening, and up the flue.

A closed appliance may only require 15 -25 cubic metres of air per hour, whereas an inset open fire with a large opening and ‘throat’ area induces the flow of an additional 260 cubic metres or more per hour.

If there is insufficient air available, the air speed through the fireplace opening is so reduced that it fails to carry all of the smoke up the flue and into your home.

A chimney fire is the combustion or burning of residue deposits also known as soot or creosote on the inner surfaces of a chimney, Chimney tiles, flue liners and stove pipes.

Chimney fires are extremely dangerous and in severe cases chimney fires can destroy homes and put people lives at risk. The total number of chimney fires between 2012/22 were 2608 with the period from January to March accounting for 40% of these.

These tragedies are often preventable through some simple steps:

• Regular inspections and sweeping of chimneys

• Burn only seasoned wood with a moisture level below 20%

• Appliance maintenance

• Ensure the fire is extinguished before going to bed or leaving the house

Chimney sweeping in the past has been a very messy job, but the modern sweep and sweeping equipment have made sweeping a relatively clean job.

The sweep will ensure that carpets/floor coverings are covered and that any home is left as clean as when they entered it. Our sweeps carry a number of protective sheeting which will be placed from your front door to the fireplace opening. If this is impractical our sweeps will use shoe covers to protect your home. The sheeting will also allow us to place our equipment on the floor without causing any damage, but of course, please feel free to place your own sheets down before the sweeps arrival.

Once our sweep is happy that your property is well protected, the sweep will then start inspecting inside of the chimney/flue, this includes testing the draw on the chimney. Once they are happy it is safe to proceed the sweep will seal the chimney/stove using adhesive tape and denim soot socks. Our hepa rated vacuum pipes will be sealed in the chimney/stove in the aforementioned process, this will then be turned on to assist in the removal of the soot from the chimney/flue. This part can be quite noisy.

Only when our sweep is happy that your chimney/flue is safe and clean they will conduct a smoke evacuation check to ensure the draw is sufficient. The sweep will then clean their equipment away and issue a certificate of chimney sweeping that you will often need for your home insurance.

You will be left with a complimentary "Heat your Home Safely" Leaflet which promotes good practice in the use of chimneys and stoves.

Sometimes through our external and internal inspections our sweep may identify issues. Our sweeps will endeavour to bring these to your attention at the earliest opportunities and discuss options available.

All soot that is removed from your chimney will be taken away by our sweeps and disposed of responsibly.

Although our sweep will have everything they need to keep your house mess free, there are a few steps you may want to follow before there arrival:

• Please provide a clear unobstructed passage from the entry point to the fireplace (including moving any furniture out of the way)

• Clear a round 2m x 2m space in front of your fireplace/s

• Please ensure that your stove or fire has not been used for 12 hours before otherwise our brushes may melt!

• Remove any delicate or fragile items on or near the fireplace/s

• Please shut away pets whilst we are sweeping, we don’t want any dirty paw prints after your pets have crawled/brushed against our equipment.

• Ensure that there is an electrical socket easily accessible, we can use an extension lead if needed for our vacuum

Over 200 years ago, a London chimney sweep saved the life of King George III by bravely stopping a team of runaway horses that were galloping away with the royal carriage.

The sweep was later invited to attend the wedding of King George’s daughter, and it was decreed that all chimney sweeps were to be seen as bearers of good fortune and should always be treated with respect.

Today, it is considered a prestigious tradition for sweeps to attend weddings, bringing good luck to the couple. (Wedding appearances coming soon...)