Maintenance and advice
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Chimney swEEping frequency
In order to get the best out of your fire and ensure that it is working efficiently and as cleanly as possible, it is essential to have it regularly swept and checked. Those who fail to keep their chimney regularly swept not only risk a chimney fire, but also risk invalidating their buildings insurance.
As a guide the sweeping intervals for all types of fire, including log burning stoves, are:
Smokeless fuel, at least once a year;
Wood, quarterly, when in use;
Real flame gas fires, once a year.
MaintEnance Signs to watch out for
Indicators that your chimney needs a sweep include:
Noticing a strong smell from the chimney
Poor fuel burning
Smoke coming into the room
Build up of black deposits
Once your chimney has been swept we will supply you with a certificate which you can use to prove that your chimney / stove maintenance is up to date.
Wood burners will be checked to ensure that rope seals are sound so that the fuel inside burns at the correct temperature. Damaged or missing rope seals can let in excess air, which causes the fire to burn too fast. This could cost you more on fuel and is inefficient and causes polluting emissions.
Use dry wood - maximum 20% moisture. Use a damp meter to check in a newly split log.
Use a stove pipe thermometer to ensure that your stove is burning at the correct temperature.
Use a stove fan to distribute the heat into your room. This is especially helpful for recessed log burners.
Store logs correctly to ensure that they are well-seasoned.
DO…
Don’t turn down the stove to burn slower overnight as this will cause tar to be deposited in the chimney or flue and exponentially increase the risk of chimney fires and flue blockage.
Your chimney should not be smoking unless you have just lit or refuelled the fire. Adjust your stove controls to limit emissions.
Don’t burn treated or wet/unseasoned wood as this can cause toxic emissions.
Never burn traditional coal. This will be banned from sale from May 2023 due to particle emissions.