Amount of tar when cleaning chimney

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Did my annual chimney clean today and decided to weigh the tar/residue. It weighed 3 1/2 lb. I have an 8KW log burner lit most evenings throughout the winter and all day at weekends. Didn't weigh it last year but probably about the same. How does this compare to others. Thoughts!!!

 

Do you sweep it yourself? We've got 4 chimneys, unlined, 1830's house, got a good sweep we normally use, but at £30 a chimney for maybe 20 mins each I'm wondering if I should buy a set of brushes.....

[Hanser]

I sweep both our chimneys late summer - no big deal. The clean up afterwards is easy. I leave it to Mrs Hanser

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

I sweep both our chimneys late summer - no big deal. The clean up afterwards is easy. I leave it to Mrs Hanser

 

Lined or unlined? What did you throw at a set of brushes? Thinking of the buildings insurance, if we had a chimney fire would insurance Co. pay up if it was a DIY job?? (most insurers are dirty back tracking weasels)

[openspaceman]

Lined or unlined? What did you throw at a set of brushes? Thinking of the buildings insurance, if we had a chimney fire would insurance Co. pay up if it was a DIY job?? (most insurers are dirty back tracking weasels)

 

Why should they, if you've swept the chimney properly there is no fuel to cause a chimney fire?

 

The main danger from a chimney fire is cracking the flue and subsequently allowing combustion gases into the living area.

[hedgesparrow]

my sweep charges about same but i get a certificate from him to say chimneys clean. member of the guild of chimney sweeps and a member of HETAS so with a wooden bungalow need to make sure its done properly for insurance

[Hanser]

Lined or unlined? What did you throw at a set of brushes? Thinking of the buildings insurance, if we had a chimney fire would insurance Co. pay up if it was a DIY job?? (most insurers are dirty back tracking weasels)

 

Both the chimneys are unlined and I've been doing them for some 20 years. Both have 'odd' smoke shelves where soot collects and there's a fair bit of work involved with a hand trowel and flex vac house to get these cleaned off. The one time I used a chimney sweep he didn't do any of that. As for insurance I'm confident that the chimneys are well swept each year.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Hedge sparrow & Hanser get the point about the potential "issue" with DIY sweeping. Like many insurance issues, you either have to reduce the risk so far that it's acceptable to dispense with insurance or you have to follow the "letter of the law" so as not to give the insurance company opportunity to say you've failed in your duty of care so they can avoid a pay out. That's the balancing act! With 20 yrs experience, and knowing your system intimately, it sounds like you've got it sussed Hanser, conversely, Hedge sparrow sounds like you've made a sound choice in your circumstances with timber frame.

[Gyp]

20mins a chimney....he's not sweeping it properly. Try Guild of Master chimney sweeps