Why clean your chimney regularly?

You should clean your chimney regularly because the incidence of smoke inhalation and the poisonous gasses that go along with a congested chimney increases dramatically when there is a large build-up of soot and other contaminants in your chimney. Chimney fires burn at incredibly high temperatures and are often as a result of soot or creosote build-up in an uncleaned chimney. These risks can be minimised by a visit from your friendly chimney sweep.

If you would like to book your chimney sweep, please call 011 482 5135, or Whatsapp +27 81 719 1100

Why is it important to clean your chimney?

There are four main benefits to keeping your chimney clean:

1. Many insurance companies require that your chimney is swept at least once a year. This is to prevent a chimney fire.
2. Chimney sweeping keeps your home and family safe: The chimney is an important ventilation system. If there is any form of blockage, the smoke, fumes, and toxins aren’t able to escape, and they end up filling the home.
3. More efficient heating: Creosote deposits on the inside of the chimney reduce the efficiency of your fireplace. This means you will end up having to burn more wood to stay warm. This also ends up affecting the safety of the fireplace, because creosote deposits that are too thick can easily catch fire and lead to a house fire.
4. Prevent expensive chimney repairs: The by-products of a fire (ash, soot, bits of wood) will end up covering the smoke shelf, flue liner, damper, and masonry. By cleaning your chimney regularly, you will prevent wear and tear on these parts of the fireplace. A chimney cleaning will also uncover potential repairs that need to be done, before they end up becoming worse and requiring more costly repairs.

How often should you clean your chimney?

There is no hard and fast rule about how often one should clean your chimney, the main criteria here would be how often you use the chimney and when was the last time the fireplace was used. If you haven't used your fireplace for the entire summer, it is a very good idea to have the chimney swept as an accumulation of leaves and detritus may be present. Your chimney may even have become home to a little bird or animal, it would be best to have them relocate in order for your chimney to operate effectively.
Once a year would be advisable, when it comes to having your chimney cleaned.

What if I don't clean my chimney often enough?

The immediate consequence of not cleaning your chimney often enough is the build-up of soot and creosote. You will find that:

1. Your fire does not burn as well as you would like
2. A chimney fire becomes more likely
3. More smoke will enter the room when you make a fire.
4. Chances of Carbon Monoxide poisoning will increase as your fuel is not burning completely.

What about birds and animals in my chimney?

A chimney doesn't always become blocked as a result of soot or ash build-up, it does sometimes happen than at unfortunate bird or small animal decides to make it's nest in what appears to be a quiet secluded spot. When a fire is made the unsuspecting creature succumbs to the carbon monoxide which is created by the fire and causes a blockage, leading to you needing to have the chimney cleaned sooner than expected.

Not all the animals and birds that make homes in chimneys suffer the same fate, occasionally they will be noticed by the home owner well in advance of fire-making season and this is when the chimney sweep gets to play a large role in the saving of a life. Birds are generally coaxed out of the chimney without too much effort at which point they leave and make a nest elsewhere, sometimes the home-owner or the chimney sweep will need to aid in relocating the animal. Organisations such as Free Me are able to assist in these instances.

Testimonials

"I just wanted to let you know what a brilliant service you provide. The guy that came to is last Thursday in lammermoor was very efficient and did a great job. He left everything so clean and tidy. Thank you. Kind regards, Sara Boulle"

A Clean Chimney reduces smoke and noxious gases

A clean chimney is free of any soot and creosote, allowing the smoke to be drawn outside into the open. Soot and creosote build up are dangerous as they are flammable and once alight can burn up to 1000 degrees centigrade, causing untold damage to the structure of the building and chimney and increasing the risk of the entire building burning. A chimney fire is particularly dangerous to thatch roofs.

A healthy chimney will "suck" air to allow plentiful oxygen for the fire. A build up of soot and creosote in the chimney cause less oxygen to circulate, causing the wood to burn less efficiently and also "starving" the fire. When there is not enough oxygen for the fire, combustion will emit carbon monoxide (CO), a colourless, tasteless, poisonous gas which account for numerous fatalities around the world every year.

So if you want to keep your family safe and your home warm, not forgetting the romance of an open fireplace, let us clean your fireplace.

How do I arrange to have my chimney cleaned?

Give us a call on 081 719 1100 or fill in the form on your screen and you will receive a reply shortly.

What will it cost?

Call out and chimney cleaning fees start at R749, we offer discounts if more than one chimney is to be cleaned at the same location.

How long will it take?

Depending on the number of chimneys, the time will vary but, a single chimney generally takes approximately an hour.

What about the mess?

We are very careful to minimise the mess. Sweeping a chimney is inherently messy and we have lots of experience to reduce the mess. All the furniture in the vicinity of the fireplace as well as the entrance to the fireplace are covered with a heavy duty plastic sheeting leaving a minimal amount of cleaning once the chimney sweep is done.

How to clean a chimney

Cleaning a chimney can be very messy and rather difficult for those who are not contortionists. If you would like to give it a try yourself, view the How to clean a chimney page.

Alternatively if you are looking for a new chimney or chimney installation then visit www.fireplacewarehouse.co.za for great prices and service.