Read this before hiring a chimney sweep
Having a wood-burning appliance is great. You can pay as little as 10 pence for a kilowatt of heating. Simply having it installed instantly makes your rooms look much more luxurious and rustic. And the anti-stress benefits of sitting next to a burning fire are proven by science.
But having a log burner isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Wood burning appliances require constant maintenance. Without it, using them might become dangerous.
In this article, we'll tell you everything you know about hiring a chimney sweep in 2022. From the importance of having your chiminea swept to find a chimney sweep near you to how much you can expect to pay for the procedure.
Why Do I Need My Chimney to Be Swept?
According to Lekto’s article on chimney sweeping, whenever wet wood is burned, it smoulders instead of burning. During the smouldering process, a wide variety of compounds are released, including many toxic compounds. These toxic compounds build up in your chiminea in the form of soot. As time goes on, this soot buildup in your chimney liner can create a fire hazard.
The speed of this buildup is directly correlated with the moisture content of the wood material burned. If you burn freshly cut firewood (which can contain around 80% moisture), it can take as little as a couple of weeks for problems to appear. On the other hand, if you use ready to burn firewood that doesn't smoulder when burned and produces virtually no smoke, the buildup of soot will take a lot longer to occur. Byt it will still occur as all firewood contains at least some moisture.
How Often Should You Sweep Your Chimney?
According to the latest NACS information, you might need to hire a chimney sweep as many as 4 times a year if you burn wet wood. If you use high-quality firewood with low moisture content, you might need to do so only once a year. If you’re like most people, your chiminea will probably get the most use during the year’s winter months, so the best month to hire a chimney sweep is around September and October.
How Much Does Chimney Sweeping Cost in 2022?
A basic sweep of the flue will cost you between £40 and £100, depending on the region you live in and whether you decide to hire a HETAS-certified professional or an unlicensed freelancer.
Anything extra, such as removing blockages or performing emergency fixes, will cost you extra. You can expect the entire cleaning process will take between 30 minutes and an hour.
For best results, we recommend hiring a HETAS-certified professional.
