Wood burning stoves and chimney sweep prices

Greenfires

I've been lucky that my other job has been on a four on four off basis, though it's 12 hour shifts. This leaves me four days out of eight free to do the chimney work and briquette deliveries. I've been doing pretty much seven days a week since the back end of August this year and evenings as well so I'll certainly be ready for parking the van up for Christmas. As I mentioned earlier in this thread though, I've already crumbled and agreed to a job on the 22nd when I get back from a 300 mile round trip to Nottingham!

Work is a lot steadier in summer, though we did do a lot more this year than last for some reason. I have other things going on to keep me out of mischief while the sun shines though!

We don't do any advertising apart from the website, but we can easily fill more than four days a week plus evenings at this time of year. I'm giving up the shift work early next year, so we're going to have to start pushing a bit for more work though. No plans on getting rich though - if we can get by and be well thought of - that will do for me.

beetwaste

Interesting thread. Thought I'd share my experience.

I've had at least two sweeps let me down, and as I have no time off during the week, I need to arrange a sweep during my holiday time. I have a week off soon, so was going to arrange a sweep. Quotes are around £20-£25.

Anyway. Last night I had a minor sootfall, enough to cause concern in a particularly cold spell. So today, I bought an appropriate brush attachment for my drain rods - £6. I came home and set about the chimney.

Good news, the brush worked, and I shifted a lot of crud. A lot. I have a wood burner with a metal flue, so cleaning the chimney wasn't too tricky.

However, the living room is now coated in a thin film of black crud. Every door handle in the house is covered in a thin layer of black crud. I am covered in a thin layer of black crud, which after 15 minutes in the shower I can't shift. And I'm coughing up black crud, which is very bad.

So my advice is, don't do it yourself, get a sweep (I'll still be getting someone in) unless you need the chimney cleaning quickly, like I did. Cover everything - everything - with newspaper and sheets. Hoover up. And most importantly, wear a mask. It wasn't apparent how much dust was flying about, until after the event, and I hate to think how much I've been breathing in.

muckybutt

beetwaste wrote: »

Interesting thread. Thought I'd share my experience.

I've had at least two sweeps let me down, and as I have no time off during the week, I need to arrange a sweep during my holiday time. I have a week off soon, so was going to arrange a sweep. Quotes are around £20-£25.

Anyway. Last night I had a minor sootfall, enough to cause concern in a particularly cold spell. So today, I bought an appropriate brush attachment for my drain rods - £6. I came home and set about the chimney.

Good news, the brush worked, and I shifted a lot of crud. A lot. I have a wood burner with a metal flue, so cleaning the chimney wasn't too tricky.

However, the living room is now coated in a thin film of black crud. Every door handle in the house is covered in a thin layer of black crud. I am covered in a thin layer of black crud, which after 15 minutes in the shower I can't shift. And I'm coughing up black crud, which is very bad.

So my advice is, don't do it yourself, get a sweep (I'll still be getting someone in) unless you need the chimney cleaning quickly, like I did. Cover everything - everything - with newspaper and sheets. Hoover up. And most importantly, wear a mask. It wasn't apparent how much dust was flying about, until after the event, and I hate to think how much I've been breathing in.

Ooops ! lesson learnt the hard way !

No need to cover everything if you get a sweep in, I have to say though many of my customers still completely clear everything out and cover everything up, then once I say i'm dont they look at me gone out as I leave the place as clean if not cleaner than when I went in as you should never have any soot in the room, maybe just a little on the mantle piece thats all

If you want to get rid of the soot off you then swarfega or other propietry hand cleaner with the grit in it works wonders, as do the powerful hand cleaning wipes.

POPPYOSCAR

Have to say there is never any soot/dust anywhere when our sweep has swept the chimney.

Swipe

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

Have to say there is never any soot/dust anywhere when our sweep has swept the chimney.

And neither is there when I sweep my own and my parents chimney. Just because one poster is unable to do it without making a mess shouldn't justify getting a chimney sweep in rather than sweeping your own.

muckybutt

Swipe wrote: »

And neither is there when I sweep my own and my parents chimney. Just because one poster is unable to do it without making a mess shouldn't justify getting a chimney sweep in rather than sweeping your own.

Each to their own but would you be able to spot a problem in your flue / chimney just by sweeping it ?

POPPYOSCAR

Swipe wrote: »

And neither is there when I sweep my own and my parents chimney. Just because one poster is unable to do it without making a mess shouldn't justify getting a chimney sweep in rather than sweeping your own.

As I understand it some Insurance companies will not pay out for chimney fires if they have not been swept by a professional chimney sweep(Our sweep gives us a certificate).

I would rather not have the bother of getting all the necessary equipment and also have the peace of mind that in the event of a chimney fire the insurance company would not have an excuse to not pay out.

Swipe

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

As I understand it some Insurance companies will not pay out for chimney fires if they have not been swept by a professional chimney sweep(Our sweep gives us a certificate).

I would rather not have the bother of getting all the necessary equipment and also have the peace of mind that in the event of a chimney fire the insurance company would not have an excuse to not pay out.

I'd imagine they'd try their best to not pay out anyway unless you've explicitly declared your stove to them, sweep's certificate or not. Check your small print. Have you declared yours?

A._Badger

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

As I understand it some Insurance companies will not pay out for chimney fires if they have not been swept by a professional chimney sweep(Our sweep gives us a certificate).

I would rather not have the bother of getting all the necessary equipment and also have the peace of mind that in the event of a chimney fire the insurance company would not have an excuse to not pay out.

I have been told this business about the need for certificates is an urban myth. Certainly it isn't a requirement of my home insurance policy, nor of that of another property I own. I recall seeing the subject discussed either on a forum or in a newspaper and it was debunked.

Which isn't to say that insurers don't tend to be thieving swine who would wriggle out of any claim they could, so it's worth checking for sure.

Greenfires

I sweep four chimneys in a very large property locally - and the lady of the house informed me that the insurers insist that they're all swept every six months. Which considering they're possibly the cleanest chimneys I've ever seen, is a bit daft!