Why do you have chimneys swept ?

[johnny_t]

Is it to improve the airflow up the chimney, or is it because a sooty chimney can catch fire ?

Or a bit of both ?


Reason I ask is because I want to start using my open fire, but don't know whether I should get it swept first or should I give it a whirl and see how I get on. If the worst that can happen is that the smoke doesn't clear properly I'll go for the former - If the house could burn down, the latter.......

 

[Diyisfun]

Sweeping the chimney will lesson the risk of fire. Will also stop the amount of soot falling. THe ventilation will be reduced by a sooty chimney, but not by much.
If you intend burning a real fire, I would suggest you have it sweepted about £50 I think I paid the other year. Look in yellow pages you will find the sweeps are very busy.

 

[king.module]

oh yeah def. get it swept first - for the amount it costs (cost us £35 last year) it's worth it just for the piece of mind (house less likely to burn down, not having a room backing up with smoke Etc)

and especially if the chimney hasn't been used for a time - you could have all kinds of things down there..... dead birds, twig, leaves and santas to name but a few

 

[WoodYouLike]

And don't forget about your insurance. If you use an open fire, normally your insurance company insists on records of having it swept.

 

[Nige F]

£50 to sweep a chimney.....new one for Rogue traders then 3 year apprenticeship like plumbers then, oh and the cost of "tools" If I`d only known ,

 

[oilman]

£50 to sweep a chimney.....new one for Rogue traders then 3 year apprenticeship like plumbers then, oh and the cost of "tools" If I`d only known ,

But what a monotonous existence, shoving your brush up a flue eight or more times a day, every day, day in, day out......groan.