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This time of year there is normally a 3 week wait to get you chimney sweep booked in, but with the rise of energy costs see more info here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/check-if-energy-price-cap-affects-you There seems to be a lot more people opening up their fire places and wanting to use solid fuels, which is great for us chimney […]

Lockdown number 2, same sort of thing as it was back in march 2020, but not exactly! It’s all good news though. Because unlike in March, when the government’s advice was much misunderstood – prompting many sweeps and installers to down tools – they have been more forthright this time. They have now spelt out, in […]

So winter is just around the corner and our summer has been one that has been surrounded by Covid-19, lets try and forget about that for a second! Normally most of my Summers are spent entertaining children (not my own) with my other company www.krazykidz.co.uk but due to the new rules and regulations children’s parties […]

Many people ask “when is it best to have my chimney swept” Although there is no definite answer to this question from a chimney sweeps point of view its actually best during the summer months, here are a few reasons why. 1, your appliance isn’t actually in use so this gives you and me more […]

Which Chimney Sweeps association to choose? These are my views and some other sweeps may not agree, I’m not blogging this to discredit anyone.  For me it was simple, I wanted to choose one that stood out from all the rest, that’s why I chose the chimney sweep academy.   Here is why, from the moment I […]

The Government have decided to go ahead and ban the sale of wet wood under the volume of 2 cubic meters.   DEFRA (The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) is bringing in the mandatory certification scheme next year 2021  The smaller wood manufacturers this certification scheme is going to be delayed until 2022. This is because the government […]

Chimney myths and preconceptions  There are a lot of myths surrounding fires, chimneys, stove as well as fuels and what to burn; from their construction, how they work and how they are cleaned. Many of these are simply based on assumptions, but most are because people have been badly advised & have listened to someone […]

Some questions we often hear are “Who will fit my stove?  Which stove installers are the best?  Why should I use a HETAS engineer? Well, when it comes to choosing stove installers, recommendation is always king, but it pays to also look for a couple of check points.  Stove installers should always be HETAS engineers, to […]

How it works Having an open chimney is like leaving your window open all the time. Fitting a Chimney Balloon to an open chimney is like fitting the gap with double glazing. The Chimney Balloon is designed to inflate and push against all four walls of the chimney, holding itself firmly in place. There is […]

Wood-burning stove or open fire? Arabella Youens examines the pros and cons of both options. In the country, most houses need a powerful source of heat in the depths of winter to boost or counter the cost of having the central heating on all day. However, the role of fire isn’t just about warmth; there’s […]

What’s more Christmassy than this?  Chestnuts… When most of us think of the festive season, there are a few things that instantly come to mind; sparkly tinsel, Mariah Carey, mince pies, and of course supressing the agonising screams while you pick the burnt skin off your still smouldering nuts. Ouch. In fact, there aren’t many […]

It’s that time of year again, we are all packing our Christmas decorations away. The big question is –  How are you going to get rid of that over-sized tree standing in your sitting room? If you have a wood burning appliance it may make sense to chop it up and burn it during a […]

There is a problem with air quality in the UK which can cause health issues for all of us.  Wood burning stoves and open fires are responsible for a part of this problem. According to the government report, burning solid fuel (such as wood and coal) currently produces 38% of the UK’s emissions of particulate […]

As part of your yearly sweep why not test that CO alarm and smoke alarm, I will always encourage my customers to do so. I see so many customers who hide their alarm behind pictures and curtains, they are NOT going to work there. The Silent and Invisible Killer. Ken Knight from Knight Security Inc “Carbon monoxide […]

Regulations require both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in rented residential accommodation. The Regulations apply both to houses and flats. Failure to comply can lead to a civil penalty being imposed of up to £5,000. Check the legislation here. ‍Please make sure you have alarms fitted and you check them on a regular […]

The chimney sweep, or climbing boys as they were often called, was a harsh profession to be in and most likely one that would severely cut your life short. Those employed were often orphans or from impoverished backgrounds, sold into the job by their parents. With young boys employed to work in extremely dangerous conditions, […]

Why You Should Open Up Your Fire When we first got central heating brought about a trend of closing up fireplaces and installing either gas or electric fires in their place. That, or ridding homes completely of the character of a fireplace altogether.  In a time when we are becoming more conscious of expenditure and the […]

Everyone loves Christmas and the general festive season. Full of brightly decorated trees and twinkling lights, delicious sweet treats, and plenty of opportunities to spend time with your nearest and dearest, there’s little wonder why it’s so often referred to as the most wonderful time of the year! To get you firmly in the mood […]

As the days become colder and the frosty mornings start, the nights longer & more and more people will start lighting up their fireplaces or stoves. It’s time to get your chimney swept and relax in front of your fire wit a good book & with peace of mind that your chimney is clean and […]

In this post, the term “solid fuel” means any fuel that is not a liquid or gas (e.g. wood, coal, mineral smokeless fuels, wood derived fuels and biomass). The term “appliance” means any device or fire manufactured to be used for heating within a domestic property which uses solid fuel (e.g. an open fire, woodburner, […]