Heating Concern

[chipsrdown]

Elderly father has moved in with my brother. He’s charging him a few hundred pounds a month for utilities, doesn’t put the central heating on, lights the fire on an AGA cooker. As far as I know the chimney hasn’t been cleaned for years.

My father started to sound like a heavy smoker, the Aga fire was stopped when I raised concerns and the plan was to get the chimney swept.

I went to see him today (it’s hard for me to gain access with controlling brother, which is upsetting). The AGA fire was burning, with smokeless fuel this time, ‘so stop worrying chips’. It was 22 C and humidity of 32 on his monitor - like a desert.

Anyway, my cough, that I thought I was over, is back, my lungs feel irritated, and I feel exhausted.

Obv, I’m concerned about my father, but what can I say to convince them that even though it’s smokeless fuel, it shouldn’t be being used with a chimney that hasn’t been cleaned for years? Is there any information out there that I could use to back up my concerns that it’s unsafe?

AGAs should be checked at least once a year by an engineer - has this not been done?

Is the central heating run off the aga or is it separate?

A temp of 22 sounds ok.

I would move him in with you and then ring around and get answers retrospectively.

Thanks for your reply Octavia.

I think it’s safe to say that the AGA wouldn’t have been checked nor swept since it was installed about 15 years ago.

The central heating is separate.

Moving him in with me would be great but I don’t have room for him. I’d need to move to somewhere bigger and accessible for him.

In the meantime, surely smokeless fuel needs to be burned with a regularly cleaned chimney or am I missing something?

Ring a chimney sweep and ask. You could offer to pay and schedule the sweep and then you'll know for sure it was done.

This says that if the flue is not regularly swept it will block up with dust etc and carbon monoxide poisoning could be a problem.

www.findachimneysweep.co.uk/your-aga-rayburn-flue-definitely-needs-sweeping/#:~:text=Most%20AGA's%20and%20Rayburns%20draw,and%20possible%20carbon%20monoxide%20poisoning.

If there's a related fire they might also give their insurance isn't valid if they've but had the chimney swept and maintained, maybe that's something to highlight if they don't recognise the health issues. You could offer to book someone for your dad's sake

Thanks, I’ve booked him a chimney sweep to service the AGA and sweep the chimney. He’s going round tomorrow to check the chimney access, whatever that means, but is booked up until February.

Hopefully the stove will be off for the chimney sweep to check it tomorrow.

SJA, I’ve heard that my brother doesn’t have house insurance, but then this is the same person who doesn’t have the AGA serviced annually, amongst other things.

Many years ago my father went downstairs and due to lack of servicing, the Aga was emitting dangerous fumes. He passed out and that fortunately took him on to the floor and the fumes were mainly higher up. He came to and managed to crawl out of the kitchen and on to the stairs. It CouId have been a very different story. After that my parents were meticulous about maintenance and servicing of the aga.

https://www.prosweepdevon.co.uk/carbon-monoxide/