Chimney cleaning and maintenance

If you have a working fireplace or wood stove, it is important to have your chimney cleaned regularly – find out more here.

Regular chimney sweeping
is essential

This is, most of all, a safety measure: a congested chimney will not let enough smoke pass, so poisonous fumes and carbon monoxide might not be able to exit and can therefore put you and your family in danger. A congested chimney is also bad for air circulation, which is important for most combustion heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves to work efficiently. Chimney cleaning and maintenance is not only a safety measure, it can also save you money, as expensive fuel can be burnt more efficiently with a working chimney.

What are the laws regarding chimney cleaning and maintenance?

Any chimney that is in use must conform to UK building regulations which may vary for different areas. These include guidelines concerning the chimney's construction and size but there are no building regulations regarding chimney cleaning and maintenance. As a rule of thumb, a chimney should be cleaned once a year, while if you are burning wood or coal; the chimney needs to be cleaned more often. If gas fires have to be disconnected before sweeping the chimney it is required that the chimney sweep is Gas Safe registered, which means they are qualified to legally work with gas pipes. During chimney cleaning it may become apparent that repairs are needed – these should be carried out as soon as possible.

Who can clean and maintain chimneys?

A chimney sweep is someone who is trained and certified for chimney cleaning and maintenance. They will bring the equipment needed to do the job and will usually have proper experience and skills to detect cracks and other chimney problems and to efficiently clear the chimney of leaves and smoke debris. Chimney cleaning and maintenance is important for your heating device to work safely and effectively and you should choose your chimney sweep carefully. For regular chimney cleaning and maintenance it is a good idea to hire a chimney sweep who has experience and good references or someone who has done a good job for you in the past. A good chimney sweep will carry out the work quickly and efficiently without making a mess in your home.

How much does chimney cleaning and maintenance cost?

Comparing quotes from different chimney sweeps is advisable, remember though; the cheapest quote may not be the best choice if you want the work to be done properly. Prices for chimney cleaning and maintenance vary depending on the size of the house, on the numbers of chimneys and on the cleaning and maintenance work that is actually necessary. Basically, a good price should be between £40-£60, while for damaged chimneys that require detailed surveying or for blocked chimneys that have not been cleaned in a while, the price may be higher. Chimney cleaning and maintenance is important, therefore you might want to look for quality work rather than for a bargain.