Safety Information

There are several concerns regarding safety appertaining to your chimney being properly cleaned and inspected. The concerns most important to us are Carbon monoxide and fire.

 

 

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that is generated when burning hydrocarbon based fuels such as: wood, coal, charcoal, peat, gas and oil in-fact anything that started its life as a plant or tree. The chimneys primary purpose is to convey this gas and others safely away from you and your family and to the outside world.

Cleaning the chimney will help ensure that this poisonous gas is not hindered by removable deposits. A smoke draw test can demonstrate that the chimneys draught is capable or not or removing the products of combustion from the room via the appliance, fireplace or stove.
Sweep Safe sweeps issue a certificate which asks if a carbon monoxide alarm is installed along with an advice box. They may wish to check your alarm and if you don’t have one will probably recommended that one is installed.

Chimney Fires are surprisingly still very common. The fire service estimates around 30,000 chimney fires nation wide in 2017 this could be linked With the upsurge of wood burning in recent years.
Chimney fires are completely avoidable by: regular sweeping by a competent sweep to remove the flammable deposits and by burning fuel that is fit for purpose in a manner that the app, Ian W is designed to be burned in. Woodsure has some excellent guidance on fuel see here: www.woodsure.co.uk

Your chimney sweep can advise on good burning practice along with many other thing.

Camera inspections  and pressure tests
Some of the Sweep Safe Sweeps offer camera inspections  and pressure/ leakage testing. These sweeps must carry professional indemnity insurance for the advice they give, please check that the boxes on the sweep search match the services you require.

You may require a pressure test if your appliance has never been used, there is a change of fuel type or if it has not been used in a long time. A pressure test will check for leakage along the length of the flue to ascertain if lining is required or to confirm its integrity. Sweeps that offer these services are often but not always registered with HETAS to be able to self certify solid fuel installation work or major changes.

It is always worth making a lengthy telephone chat or email prior to booking a sweep to ensure they can do all that you require of them.