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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WIBU to not get my chimney swept?

75 replies

keepyertrapshut · 02/12/2022 09:55

(Not a euphemism!)

We have an open fire in the living room. Last had it swept in December 2020. Only used it 10 - 15 times since then. We can’t get the chimney swept until late January due to us being disorganised and availability. Would it be very dangerous to use the chimney a few times over Christmas? It’s hard to tell how serious this would be online as we use our chimney so rarely.

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 02/12/2022 11:00

Btw, if you try to book in a sweep for May or June they’ll love you as a customer, because it’s quieter than the autumn-winter. And the soot in your chimney won’t be hanging about all summer, and you can light the fire whenever you choose as soon as it gets cold.

NoSquirrels · 02/12/2022 11:01

BloodyHellKen · 02/12/2022 10:59

@RoachPussy I can't remember, but I check that regularly anyway.

We've always had our chimney and wood burner swept every other year unless there's been particularly heavy use. Our chimneys are absolutely massive though and draw very, very well so maybe that helps?

Show quote history

Check your home insurance then, BHK. You wouldn’t want to have a nasty surprise if anything happened in your ‘year off’ and there’s a fire.

Original poster
keepyertrapshut · 02/12/2022 11:01

Oh wow, this is super helpful! Thanks everyone - a very clear answer! We won’t risk it then, I don’t want to take risks with the home insurance. Next year I’ll be more organised!

OP posts:
steppemum · 02/12/2022 11:07

We had an open fire for my entire childhood and I don't think it was ever swept.
But it was a large inglenook fireplace, and you could look up it and see the sky if the chimney was open (there was a plate you could close to keep the room warm)

We now have a wood burning stove.
The flue at the top is netted in some way, so I am pretty sure that no birds can nest there.
We did get it cleaned once a year, then dh bought a set of brushes and does it himself. Straight flue, easy to access/see, and very easy to clean.
We still get it done occasionally by a chimney sweep. he has never issued or offered a certificate.

Personally I would book the sweep for january and use the fire, but O would also do a test fire and check it is drawing and the smoke is coming out of the top.

reddingweddy · 02/12/2022 11:14

Get it swept, I knew someone who lost their house due to a chimney fire - she said they had about three minutes to get out.

MrsSkylerWhite · 02/12/2022 11:16

Please get it swept, could be anything up there, birds nest, dead birds or even just a build up of soot can cause a chimney fire.

If there were to be a fire and you hadn’t, could affect your insurance claim.

AtomicRitual · 02/12/2022 11:41

After hiring a sweep who was bloody awful, my Dad bought some brushes of his own (that also double as drain rods, which is useful!), so now does his own each year.

You can also buy test smoke pellets from Amazon to make sure that the smoke is going up the chimney and not in to the house, without risking a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.

countrygirl99 · 02/12/2022 12:13

123woop · 02/12/2022 10:38

My dad sweeps their own - as PP said you can buy the rods from screw fix but make sure you put dust sheets down as it makes a bit of a mess

And my chimney sweep DH gets several calls every year from people who've tried this and got the brushes stuck because they gone through the liner or because they didn't realise their chimney wasn't a straight one and they are stuck at the bend. Or who have had a chimney fire because they didn't realise the reason they didn't get much soot out was because they had been burning at too low a temperature and their chimney was full of tar.

countrygirl99 · 02/12/2022 12:18

We still get it done occasionally by a chimney sweep. he has never issued or offered a certificate.

Very risky to use a sweep who doesn't issue a certificate. There are some proper cowboys who will shove a brush a bit of a way up and take your money for nothing. Have a problem and it "who, neverbeen there". Always use a sweep registered with one of the trade bodies - Guild of Master Sweeps or NACS.

Calmdown14 · 02/12/2022 12:27

It's well worth having a flu thermometer. Helps to burn at the correct temperature reducing the build up and early warning of any issues.

BigglyBee · 02/12/2022 12:28

countrygirl99 · 02/12/2022 12:13

And my chimney sweep DH gets several calls every year from people who've tried this and got the brushes stuck because they gone through the liner or because they didn't realise their chimney wasn't a straight one and they are stuck at the bend. Or who have had a chimney fire because they didn't realise the reason they didn't get much soot out was because they had been burning at too low a temperature and their chimney was full of tar.

Show quote history

Yes, we got loads of work from all of these things!

RedRobyn2021 · 02/12/2022 12:28

Honestly I would get it swept, I don't think it's expensive tbf

Ciri · 02/12/2022 12:31

It’s about getting hold of someone to do it more than the cost around here

SabbatWheel · 02/12/2022 12:32

Novemberhater · 02/12/2022 10:17

You need an annual certificate from a registered chimney sweep however little you use it.

Where do people get this sort of bollocks from?

We use our open fire infrequently and get it swept about every 2.5 / 3 years by our sweep who has attended to it since 2004. It’s fine.

I would light it and check that it has a good draw on it. If so I would be happy to wait til it can be swept in January. If the draw is weak then bring the sweeping forward.

countrygirl99 · 02/12/2022 12:33

My DH was booked up until Christmas by mid October this year. Now getting loads of calls from people horrified he can't fit them in on a specific morning or afternoon at a couple of days notice.

mogsrus · 02/12/2022 12:35

You never know if anything has dislodged up in it or a nest has been put together, personally myself I wouldn’t risk, big problems ahead you can do without

BigglyBee · 02/12/2022 12:39

countrygirl99 · 02/12/2022 12:33

My DH was booked up until Christmas by mid October this year. Now getting loads of calls from people horrified he can't fit them in on a specific morning or afternoon at a couple of days notice.

I once got a phone call from a customer demanding we come out immediately. It was 9pm, in the Western Isles, in November. But the real kicker was that her chimney was already on fire! I directed her to the fire brigade.

BashfulClam · 02/12/2022 12:40

My gran had a coal fire and I remember being shocked as a child that the sweep used a Hoover thing. My frame of reference was Mary Poppins lol. A regular sweep is needed and I remember my grans chimney ‘falling in’ where all the soot basically dropped into the fireplace and filled the room. Right in the middle of dinner. I miss that old coal fire and watching my grandpa light it at 5am to hear the water.

Original poster
keepyertrapshut · 02/12/2022 12:44

Weirdly I’ve just had a call back from a chimney sweep who has time to come to us on Wednesday! Happy days. Thank you everyone for your advice - neither me or DH grew up in homes with fires so we’re a bit clueless!

OP posts:
theemmadilemma · 02/12/2022 12:44

Our sweep was only booking in return customer this year as he'd been inundated with new customers!

But yes, definitely a requirement for house insurance if you intend to you use it.

GasPanic · 02/12/2022 12:45

My friend had to have the fire brigade out because their chimney caught fire.

Fortunately they weren't charged.

I looked up how many per year - apparently 2600 last year according to Hetas.

NancyPickford · 02/12/2022 12:53

A very timely post - just had mine swept yesterday. We have it swept every year and the sweep issues a certificate, he also checks the carbon monoxide monitor.

TenoringBehind · 02/12/2022 12:56

My chimney sweep always gives a certificate

MrsMontyD · 02/12/2022 16:08

theemmadilemma · 02/12/2022 12:44

Our sweep was only booking in return customer this year as he'd been inundated with new customers!

But yes, definitely a requirement for house insurance if you intend to you use it.

I've seen a couple of articles recently about people opening up fireplaces that haven't been used for decades to heat their homes rather than putting their gas central heating on.

Hopefully not any of my neighbours if they haven't had the chimney swept/checked and don't know what they're doing with it.

Helenahandkart · 02/12/2022 16:29

We use ours infrequently, maybe 10 times a year, and the chimney sweep this year inspected it and told us he didn’t need to clean it. He told me that every other year would be fine.
I do have a spinning cowl that stop birds nesting in it though.