Regardless of what chimney you have, or even if it is lined up, it will still need to be swept regularly.
How often should it be swept?
Your chimney should be swept at least twice a year when burning wood and at least once a year when burning smokeless fuels. It can also depend on how much the appliance is used.
The best time to have your chimney swept is just before the summer season or after your stove has not been used for a long time. If sweeping twice a year, the second time should be after the peak of the summer season.
Sweeping Techniques – How to Sweep a Chimney
There are two main recognized techniques for sweeping the traditional method and power sweeping. Modern chimney sweeps will have a range of tools at their disposal to ensure they do their job correctly.
It is important to note that some power sweeping equipment attachments provide a more vigorous cleaning process that may cause damage to certain types of chimney lining systems and should be best left to someone with appropriate knowledge in their use.
Equipment
What sort of things would you find in a chimney sweeps armory?
– A variety of rods and brushes/heads/whips- traditional and power
– Bird nest removal tools
– An industrial vacuum (Not an ordinary household vacuum)
– Personal Protective Equipment
– Respiratory Protective Equipment
– Chimney inspection camera
– Dust sheets – for the floor and around the fireplace
– Foam blocks
– Creosote and tar removal kit
– Flue draught kit
– Smoke pellets
– An array of tools
Good sweepers will have a range of repair and maintenance tools, such as heat rated sealant, rope seals, right through to the chimney cowls, and CO alarms, to maintain the continued safety of the installation.
Using this equipment will ensure that your chimney sweep does a thorough and clean job. There won’t be any mess for you to worry about. Some sweeps will take the waste away from you, others will double bag, seal, and mark as soot to go in your domestic bin.
Where to sweep from?
All chimneys are usually swept from the fireplace, there is usually no need to access the roof. The sweep will advise if they need to sweep through your appliance or via an access hatch.
Let the fire go out completely the day before the scheduled time of sweeping and avoid using the fireplace several hours prior to scheduled sweeping. Cleaning out the ash pan and the space around the fireplace before the sweeping appointment would make their job easier on the day.
Insurance
Professional chimney sweeps can also hold insurance to cover the range of work they undertake.
Additional signs you need to book a sweep urgently
These can include, but not limited to:
– Smoke is coming back into the room when the appliance is in use
– There is a bad smell even when you haven’t lit the fire
– You can see signs of tar around the damper or flue entrance
– Soot is falling back into your stove
– Your fire isn’t burning as well as before
– You can see birds around the top of your chimney or hear scratching – there may be a nest
If you have any concerns about your appliance or chimney, we advise you not to use them until you have reached out to a professional to come out and to assist and see if there is any obstruction.