DIY Chimney sweeping

Anyone done this themselves?

We’ve a 5KW wood burning stove venting into the original unlined brick chimney measuring circa 7.5m in length. I’ve had it cleaned 3 times over the last 4 years @ a cost of circa £75 a pop. Most of our wood is reasonably seasoned (below 20%) so according to the sweep there’s not a HUGE amount of build up.

On-line kits seem to range from £20ish to £1500 😯

Thinking about something like the Hansa rotary kit or similar which utilises a drill for a more thorough clean.

Any experience / opinions welcome.

If you have a chimney fire your insurance/possibly the fire brigade would be questioning where your sweeps certificate is for the previous 12 month period.

I’m a fireman and it would never occur to me to ask for a sweeps certificate! That said you’d be better of getting it professionally swept, easier and no mess. Alternative is ball of string, weighted chimney brush and drop it down. Or a live chicken. Or a Christmas tree.
HTH

Wtf is a sweeps certificate?

Never had one of them. Had mine done. By a pro the first time. Saw that he spent very little timing doing it and most of it cleaning up and replacing my fire cement in the flue

I just have a screw fix 14 inch and 6 inch brush + drain rods.

A good workshop vac and dust sheets are essential. If you have carpets near by – pay someone make the mess their issue

If you have a chimney fire your insurance/possibly the fire brigade would be questioning where your sweeps certificate is for the previous 12 month period.

I’ve never had one, and have always had proper fires/chimneys swept.

Are you sure you’ve not been had for an extra £20 by a “Combustion Waste Relocation Engineer”

Trail rat: can you use a drill with the standard ridding poles. I’ve read elsewhere that they can unwind if you’re not careful?

I’ve heard two methods one is a live chicken inserted from the top, the flapping will ensure a good sweep*

The second is tape on old shirt over the opening and put the rods through a sleeve and sweep away all of the soot should be in the bottom of the stove/fireplace not all over the room.

*i believe this was a joke I’ve over heard and not serious

Ive done ours for years, not relevant for a wood burner but if you have an open fire then a soot cloth makes the job cleaner.

Toolstation do the rods and brush for £25.. it aint exactly rocket surgery shoving yer rod up a chimney.

£75 a pop 😯
I take it that it’s more than the usual brush and hoover up?

He quoted £90 originally but I got him down to £75. He said if I got it done 2 times a year he’d drop it to £60 a go.

By ‘certificate’ I mean a receipt from the sweep, basically shows he is suitably qualified.

I was under the impression home insurance may want to see it if you claim for fire damage, as it not only shows the chimney has been swept but also that it is in good condition.

If you have a chimney fire your insurance/possibly the fire brigade would be questioning where your sweeps certificate is for the previous 12 month period.

Bollocks!

I’ve used one sweep who totally useless and ended up costing me money as he’d left a birds nest stuck in the chimney. Now I do my own bough the rod set from the Toolstation, it takes less than 1/2 hour very little mess if you use a sheet and over the burner as you go.

Is it just a brush and hoover then? Sounds very steep if so, unless it’s a particularly tricky job?

Our sweep charged £40 a pop two years ago for an open fire sweep & hoover, took 20 mins or so. When we got our log burner fitted and had the flue swept it took 10 mins and they charged the same.

I’ve since bought my own set of brushes and rods and sweep it twice a year now. The kit has paid for itself.

Fair enough, can’t remember where I heard it from! But I second the ‘useless sweeps’ comment, inlaws had their chimney swept and fire converted from gas to open, first time they used it the house filled with smoke. I told them to get the sweep back, apparently the nest blocking the chimney had been created in the few weeks since his previous visit…in the depths of winter…

Ross why in the world would you want to rotate them on a drill ? ( ive seen em but once you do yor chimney with a standard brush youll realise they only exist to make it. Seem expensive to do your own chimney. )

Drain rods will only unscrew if you turn counter clockwise. First rule of chimney sweep club is – clockwise only !

I have a clay liner and it takes about an hour inc taking my fire out and lower flue lit and resealing it to make it sparkling clay again.

The only times id suggest not diy it is if you have a metal liner in – have seen them dislodged by people forcing the wrong brushes up or getting forceful

Mmmmm…..why indeed. Probably because I saw some marketing dude mincing on about how good they were and I’ve taken the bait.

I’ll take your advice and get cracking with a Toolstation special. I suppose if a simple ‘up periscope’ solution is good enough for the majority of those who do it everyday then it’s good enough for muggins here.

Cheers for all the advise…my favourite is definitely the chicken solution!

£75 a pop. 😯

Perhaps there is an oversupply of sweeps in plymouth, but I get mine done for just under half that, (2 storey 30’s house, 2 bends in unlined/built of bricks chimney in case they price each job by height/complexity) by someone whose kerrazy prices still get them in a smart van with a chuffin great vacuum cleaner and you would never know he had been in, it is so clean. And you get a safety certificate which i guess helps if you are renting out or selling.

A mate once shot a pidgeon sat on his dads chimney with his air rifle
the bugger fell down the chimney with resulting mess and thrashing of said mate .
we never did see his airgun again

trail_rat – Member
Wtf is a sweeps certificate?

Oh you don’t have one! Expect a knock at the door very soon where upon a large fine will be issued.

Guys you all should have sweep certs, I’ll sell you some on cheap if you want 😉

If you have a chimney fire your insurance/possibly the fire brigade would be questioning where your sweeps certificate is for the previous 12 month period.

Does it ask for it in your policy? If not then utter ballcocks (you do have those properly checked/felt up by a plumber each year don’t you? No payouts for flooding if you don’t)

Think yourselves lucky. Over this side of Europe it is law for a chimney sweep to come to your house once a year even if you don’t have a fireplace as they also check your heating system. All for 150 Euros a pop!

I was under the impression home insurance may want to see it if you claim for fire damage, as it not only shows the chimney has been swept but also that it is in good condition.

Never heard of insurance company asking for such, so for knowing the chimney is in good condition, a sweep can’t tell you that without dropping an inspection camera down it (which they don’t do).

Do you have to cook the chicken before you use it to sweep the chimney, could I get away with a Turkey Brest instead?