Jeepers
SWEEPERS
Traditional Chimney Sweeps
Call for a sweep today!
Phone 07931 280 650
Why is it important to sweep my chimney?
Chimney fires are an all too frequent occurrence in many homes every year. To help prevent a chimney fire occurring in your property, you should ensure your chimney is swept as often as recommended by the Solid Fuel Association. It is also essential that chimneys are free from blockage to allow lethal gases such as carbon monoxide to be safely vented from your home. You should also be aware that if you fail to sweep your chimney it is likely that your buildings insurance would be invalid in the case that you needed to make a related claim. You may or may not know that steel linersgas and oil flues still require regular sweeping.
Chimney Sweep F.A.Q's
HOW OFTEN SHOULD MY CHIMNEY / FLUE BE SWEPT?
The Solid Fuel Association www.solidfuel.co.uk recommends the following:
Smokeless fuel - Sweep once a year Gas - Once a year Oil - Once a year
Coal - Once or twice a year depending on frequency of use
Woodburning - Quarterly when in use. most of our customers use the fire from october to may. for frequent users it's normally best to sweep halfway through this period (approx january/febuary) and again at the end of the season or before the fire is used again (april -september). For less frequent/weekend users it is normally sufficient to sweep anually.
WHAT EFFECTS THE DEPOSITS IN MY CHIMNEY?
Deposits in your chimney are effected by frequency of use, the fuel you are burning, moisture content of fuel, the size and type of flue, the type of appliance/open fire and the way in which you operate that appliance. Shutting the appliance down on a very low heat output will cool the gases down, these will condensate to form creosote and tar often leading to chimney fires. Ideally you should operate your appliance with enough air for it to stay at such a temperature that the tar and creosote cannot condense until it reaches the atmosphere, by then the gases will be diluted and carried away. Also important is ensuring that the wood you are burning has a low enough water content (ideally not more than 10%). Wet logs burn at a lower temperature and cause the chimney to cool and so condensation occurs and a residue is formed.
How to prepare for your chimney sweep
In order to sweep your chimney there must be no hot ashes, please ensure that the fire has not been lit on the day of the sweep.
It is also helpful for you to remove any ash from the fireplace and clear the hearth of any objects. We will protect your carpets and furnishings with clean dust sheets so there is no need to cover anything unless you wish to. The hearth will be sealed whilst sweeping and a multi-stage hepa filtered dust extracter will be run, ensuring minimal dust enters your room.
If the chimney is particularly tarry (often caused by burning wet wood) burning a Chimney Cleaning Log can aid the removal of tarry deposits. The Chimney Cleaning Log is a compressed sawdust log which contains additives that, when burnt, assists in the breakdown of tar deposits in the flue and facilitates thorough cleaning of the chimney. www.cleaninglogs.co.uk If you are unsure if your chimney is tarry please speak to us before buying a log as you may not nessesarly need to burn one.
You can pay for your sweep on the day by either cash or card. You will be provided with a certificate of sweeping after we have inspected and swept your fire.